Flower Patch Party 2yr - Flower Pot Invites

For my daughter's second birthday we chose a flower theme, as it suited the variety of ages of the guests (from 6 months to 8 years). 

For INVITATIONS I made flower pots out of 2 pieces of brown construction paper glued together so that they opened at the top.  On each I printed the invitation wording on pastel paper, cut to be slightly smaller than the brown pots.  I left a gap where I put a single alphabet sticker with each girl's first initial.  The invite said to Meet me in the flower patch . . . Come dressed in the colors inside.  Inside each pot, on a green pipe cleaner I had a unique construction paper flower for each girl.  For decorations I made dozens of tissue paper flowers from a book from Klutz and wound the pipe cleaners everywhere on our metal gate, our jungle gym, some on dowels to line the entrance.  I made a very simple white canopy out of 20 yards of white polycotton, which I doubled up and then sewed a pocket in the middle through which I put a dowel for support. 

I stitched a very long piece of white webbing to the top (to throw over our tree and tie up) and a small piece of webbing to the underside to tie a tissue-paper bouquet on.  I think I will use the canopy for many more parties (perhaps a circus theme).  The canopy was supported by long thick dowels in the corners and topped with more tissue flowers.  I rented two long tables and put white tablecloths on those, with low lying fresh flowers on each tables.  I rented chairs with medium green covers and light green tiebacks and added a tissue paper flower to each, to match each girl's invitation.  I also decorated the puppet show theatre (the space under my enormous magnolia tree) with a table with silk flowers and tiny fairies, again from a Klutz book, hanging with fishing wire from the branches. 

When the girls arrived they were each presented with the COSTUMES:  a flower tutu with their flower (in silk) and ribbon stitched on, which I made from some simple online instructions from tulle in colors to match the flowers.  The three boys were woodland creatures and got foam masks and t-shirts with felt decorations.  These were really a hit. 

After collecting their tutus, the girls arrived we started our ACTIVITIES.  The girls made necklaces with flower and bug beads from OTC while the few boys (the brothers) stitched some felt hand puppets.  Once everyone had filtered in we had our egg hunt  the fairies had hidden the eggs with a few sweets.  Then it was time to decorate flower pots with ribbon and 3D felt flowers from OTC.  They really enjoyed planting these with real pansies.  The last activity was a puppet show in the special theatre, where the mommy flowers enlisted the help of the fairies to stop the worm from eating their seeds before they could grow into baby flowers.  This was a huge hit with my puppet/baby/flower loving birthday girl.  After that the kids came back to the table and had:  strawberry ladybugs (with blueberry heads and mini chocolate chip spots), cheese and crackers, where the cheese was cut into flower shapes, and leaf tortilla chips with dip which were made by using a cookie cutter on tortillas, brushing with oil and baking for a few minutes. 

And at last it was time for the CAKE.  I made simple cupcakes in green papers and frosted them with white frosting.  Then I added triple-layer fondant flowers that were in 3 shades of pink with yellow centers.  I put them all on my cupcake stand and it looked like an arrangement. 

The FAVORS were all the goodies the kids had received and made:  the tutus, necklaces and flower pots.  It was a beautiful party, and my daughter sang herself to sleep with Happy Birthday to You!.