Surprise Fashion Show -6yr- Strut & Pose Lessons

Invitations: The invitations read: You have been selected out of millions to attend a surprise fashion show birthday party for ___."  At our house from 11 to 1pm rsvp to the fashion coordinator (ME).  Then on the back I gave directions for parking requested the presence of parents (with their cameras - flashes on) for the show and reception (to include cake) at 12:45 and reminded again that it was a SURPRISE! 

Decor: I bought white table cloths from the Dollar Store and taped a catwalk on my great room floor.  I lined the catwalk with white Christmas lights. I closed off my living room with another table cloth (purple) that had a star-shaped sign on it that read: MODELS ONLY (Backstage Pass Required) in glitter glue.  This is where the show prep took place. Using poster board I made a FASHION SHOW sign and hung it front and center over the catwalk.

Favors: The favors were critical.  I got fashionable hand bags from the Dollar Store and filled them with nail polish gum eye shadow lip gloss silly bands and foldable hair brush with mirror.

Cake: I made a tiered square marble pound cake with chocolate ganache frosting.  In the edges where one tier met the next I stuck dum-dum suckers in for a colorful punch!  The cake was delicious and very attractive (if I do say so myself!!) 

Activities: This party was a surprise for my daughter - which made it extra special!  Upon arrival the girls all hid in my family room with the lights off.  The code word to jump out and say "surprise" was my daughter's name.  We did a couple practice rounds before she came in.  (A family member had had her sleep over the night before which gave me time to make the cake and decorate secretly!)  

After the surprise was realized I put dance music on for the girls to get into party mode while I arranged lunch plates. Presents were opened early in the party - had to keep the fashion show momentum up!!

The girls ate lunch then we did a rotation between hair nails (I had nail stickers and sparkle top coat to share) makeup (the eyeshadow and lip gloss) and a craft.  I had two older girls come to do nails and makeup and two moms stayed to style hair.   The craft was very cool!  

I clipped pretty patterns purses jewels shoes etc from magazines and had the girls glue them on poster board cut-outs of the sides of a tote (two sides a bottom and a front and back with handles).  They used watered-down glue and paint brushes to make collages of each piece -- no white showing!  

After they were done I put cut-out letters spelling "Happy 6th Birthday!" then I brushed over top with the remaining glue mixture and punched holes along adjacent sides.  Then I tied the sides together with yarn to make the tote - a wonderful keepsake for my daughter made by her closest friends! I had set up a clothes rack with old dance costumes dresses and other razzle-dazzle outfits.  Hats purses gloves shoes all in a bin to the side.  The girls dressed up in the outfit of their choice once they'd been through the rotation.

After craft hair makeup and nails were done I had a "strut and pose" lesson.  Each girl did their best warm-up strut and pose. Once the girls were ready I had a photographer (my father-in-law) come in and take the girls' pictures.  He had a press pass around his neck made from an amusement park lanyard.   At 12:45 the parents came in and sat in my family room facing the runway cameras in hand!  I M.C'd the show introducing each girl and describing creatively what she was wearing something like: "And now I present ____ wearing the hottest trend in beachwear/outerwear/for going out on the town."  Parents all cheered and took pictures!  

After the show we had cake and the parents siblings and fashionistas all mingled for a short while before going home.  If I hadn't already done this party I would totally do it again!  It was a huge hit. 

Punch Recipe: 1 frozen cranberry juice concentrate 2 2-L sprite 1 32 oz can pineapple juice raspberry sherbet  Combine the cranberry sprite and pineapple.  Add sherbet just before serving.