Royal Princess Bash -4yr- Cardboard Castle

Invitations: I used my scrapbooking software to print on a half fold 8.5 by 11 sheet of cardstock.  The front of the invitation had a pink castle which said on the drawbridge Hear Ye Hear Ye...  The inside said By Royal Proclamation of the Kind and Queen of xxxxx Manor Princess Ava.  Demonstrations of royal skills makeovers by Fairy Godmothers and great feasting shall commence at Half Past Three on the Afternoon of February 16 2008.  Regal Attire is encouraged but Knights Jesters and Commoners will be granted admittance to xxxxx Manor as well." 

Decorations: I love to go all out for decorations but not break the bank.  I purchased six rectangular pink tablecloths from Dollar Tree and had my husband create a canopy in the living room.  We have recessed lighting so that plus the cheap thin plastic made a nice soft glow in the party room.  We removed our coffee table and set up a small rectangular table borrowed from our church preschool as the banquet table for the girls (7 little girls ranging from 2 1/2 to 5 years old).  I set this with another pink tablecloth. 

Each place setting had a small round gold doily a small clear plastic plate a princess napkin and a plastic wine goblet embellished with stick on jewels (all purchased from Dollar Tree).  For placecards I cut out small rectangles with wavy scissors drew crowns and glass slippers and wrote the girl's names using a metallic paint pen and inserted it into a "glass slipper" (plastic high heeled shoe from wedding section at Dollar Tree).  There were also two flower arrangements I made using more items from Dollar Tree roses tulle small star wands and more glass slippers. 

We have one large window in the dining room and 3 windows side by side in the living room that I covered with white sheers from Ikea.  The dining room ones were embellished with roses and ivy and purchased on clearance for $7.99.  The living room ones were 2 pkgs (4 panels) of sheer white netting purchased for $4.99/pkg.  To these I added pink rose petals (Dollar Tree) with double stick tape.  They looked absolutely gorgeous. 

My husband and I made a castle from a sheet of 4 by 8 cardboard and a large wardrobe box (we own a shipping store so this was easy to come by).  We spraypainted it grey my husband drew uneven cobblestones all over it he cut the top in crenellations (sp?) and I made sconces with fire (metallic red tissue paper) and small windows (more cardboard covered with shiny cellophane) to decorate the front.  It was small but the girls (and babies) loved crawling in and out of it. 

In our builder's white bathroom I embellished the mirror with a fancy gilt frame made from cardboard and gold poster paint.  Then I thumbtacked shimmery green tulle (fabric remnant) to the top as a swag.  Very easy and so cute.  The adult chairs were decorated with beaded white Christmas chair wraps I bought after Christmas at Target.  I mimicked this look on the little chairs with pink white and lavender tulle.  

Activities: As the girls entered I had two child sized vanities set up with nail polish gloss blush cotton balls and nail decals for the royal makeovers.  I also had two more small tables with crafts.  The first was for decorating a gold cardboard crown with princess stickers and glitter glue (Dollar Tree embellishments and party store crowns).  The second was Dollar Spot at Target pink picture frames and foam stickers shaped like hearts and flowers.  After the banquet (Pizza Mia pizzas from Pizza Hut cut into 16 slices instead of 8 to minimize waste) we had the girls decorate cookie wands that I made using premade sugar cookie dough sheets from Pillsbury and long lollipop sticks.  They LOVED this.  

Games: We played Kiss Me (pin the kiss on the frog) with a poster I made of a frog and lips with double stick tape on them; Pass the Frog (like Hot Potato using a small frog prince purchased from the Dollar Spot at target - each girl got a frog as a prize also); and Musical Thrones (we only had 4 girls by this time and I didn't have the heart to remove any chairs so we played with a chair for everyone).

Costumes: I lucked out here.  I found a red velvety dress on post Christmas clearance at Old Navy that looked very royal.  It was originally $40 but I paid $8.99.  I also wore large "Bling Rings" that I found at Dollar Tree.  My daughter wore a hot pink poufy skirt and Birthday Girl tshirt from Gymboree.  Most of the guests came in their princess dresses but the ones that didn't got some help from their favor bags…

Party Snacks: Pizza Touchdown Taco Dip (pampered chef recipe) artichoke spinach dip veggie and fruit trays lemonade and soda.   Cake: I made a castle cake using the BHG website idea.  Very cute and I got rave reviews.  Mine was pink of course not purple like the one on the website.  I also used piped decorations rather than the gumdrops and I iced the sugar cones and dipped them in colored pink and purple sugar.  

Favors: The Dollar Spot at Target is such a blessing!!  About a month before the party I found tutus dress up shoes tiaras frog princes that make kissing noises and little felt bags with the same frog prince design on the front embellished with silver sequins and heart shaped jewels.  At Dollar Tree I bought each girl a flashing princess wand.  I also bought pink beaded necklaces and dress up rings from the party store.  I like to give theme goody bags with actual goodies not just candy.  

All in all it was the most fun party and I got so many compliments on everything.  With a little hard work and dollar store shopping you can do so much more than Chuck E Cheese.  "