Vegas Casino - Welcome to Las Vegas

My daughter has visited Las Vegas with my family on a few occasions and loves it there.  It was an easy winner when we decided on an alternate idea (yes, she changed her mind and hall we were having it in).    So, we've ran with the whole Vegas/Casino theme. 

I created a save the date magnet, the image was a slot machine.  I placed the date of her party in the areas where the symbols appear.  The top of the save the date said, are you feeling lucky? Then Save the Date for my daughter's name's Sweet 16!".  We're following a color scheme of black so the save the date reflected that.  I also created her invitations using photographs.  I took images of Las Vegas like the sign and transformed them into black and white and added red accents.  I cut 4" x 6" photos in half long ways (so they were 2" x 4")and joined the 4 sheets together with a poker chip key ring.  The first image was the Vegas sign the second and third were images of cards and table games and the 4th was of a ticket.  They read "feeling lucky?" "ready to celebrate?" then don't miss (my daughter's name's) Sweet 16.  There was a black border first to the right of the casino image and then on the last one on either side of a ticket image.  I used vegas/casino stickers to secure a plastic sleeve that I inserted the invitations into to finish it off. 

For her tables I found very reasonably priced round playing cards that have a poker chip image on the backside of the card and they came with a plastic case.  I formatted and printed a design that says "Vegas Baby" my daughter's name's Sweet 16 with the date on 3" round stickers and placed them on the plastic holder that the cards are in.  I inserted the cards into plastic sleeves and secured them with white and red curling ribbon.  I also designed a custom t-shirt for the tables with the same logo as on the card sticker (the image printed 9" x 9").  I found a local tshirt printer who didn't charge a set up fee and the pricing was super reasonable.  I folded and wrapped each tshirt in cellophane and secured the ends (like a piece of candy) with pipe cleaner that had a tinsel finish.  I'm placing one of the shirts on a card board sheet and passing it around with a sharpie for her friends and family to sign in lieu of a sign in board that way she could wear it the day after her party. 

I found jumbo playing cards at a local dollar store and decided to make programs for her out of white card stock.  They're accented with symbols that are on playing cards like bullets next to each sentence and then I designed 4 cards at the bottom of the paper describing the activities that the kids can participate in that night.  I'm having the tables decorated with 36" red balloons (1 per table) with 4 smaller ones below tied with fishing line and strips of red white and black tulling.  They call this design a floating cloud.    Instead of table numbers I'm using photos that my mom took while in Vegas of hotels there and the tables will be named after them.   

I hired a caricature artist.  She designed pre-drawn casino images of a man in a tux and a woman in a dress standing in front of what looks like a casino with money falling out of the car.  The marquee that's at the top of the page has a blank area for a name and below it says "hit it big" at my daughter's name's sweet 16.  All she'll have to do is draw in the faces - it'll save lots of time that way.  

I also created custom tattoos of casino inspired images and also a bunch of images of cartoon characters and movie characters that my daughter liked when growing up.  They're a little tricky but fun to make and they print off beautifully on a inkjet printer.  We're calling it a Memory Lane Tattoo Station.  I'll have a spray bottle paper towels there for the kids to apply them at the party.  I also printed sheets of the designs and separated them into bags so that they could be located easily.  I also saw a beautiful candle holder that's made out of 36" x 12" styrofoam blocks graduated in size smaller as you go up.  They're covered in black satin (I stapled and taped it to the bottom) and my husband has to make the taper candle holder to be on the top layer. 

I printed my daughter's name out on the computer and stretched it across foam board then cut it with an exacto knife then covered it and the candles with red glitter.  I positioned the name over the front of the foam blocks and secured them in place with wooden skewers that were hot glued to the back of the name.  I decorated the base with red feather boa.  It came out beautiful - cost me about $55 in materials but costs around $200 to have it made. 

I also saw and made my daughter's name in lights.  I purchased 12" letters online to spell out her name painted them in acrylic paint and poked twinkle lights through the back.  I secured them together with wooden skewers painted in black.  I'm going to place tulling under her name and scatter the remaining twinkle lights under it.   

I found a dice shaped seat with a hinged top that we're placing on the table with her name on it as a gift/card box and will scatter photos in frames of my daughter growing up on the table as well.  For place cards I'm taking playing cards and gluing paper to it that I print with the guests' name and hotel table number.  We're having 2 gaming tables at the party.  One is going to be roulette and the other blackjack. 

The dealers will keep track of the winnings and we're giving the top winner an ipod shuffle (that's for the kids that are 21 and under).  I'm also offering a surprise gift to the guests that are 22 and older.  When everyone enters the dj is announcing that everyone should like their plate.  I'm placing one playing card under one plate the person who has it will win a cube of paper that's in the shape of a dice as their prize.  For dessert I decided to have a custom cake made for my daughter.  Even though she's having a casino party I'm having a pikachu cake made for her in 2 layers of blue red and yellow with yellow lightening bolts on it and a scanned image of pikachu as a joke out of fondant icing.  It's really delicious. 

I also found places that would make poker chip cakes if you want to follow the theme.  From watching a lot of these bridal shows I came up with the idea of a candy bar for our guests. I purchases 45 pounds of candy and put it in clear containers with screw tops that I purchased at the dollar store.  They're beautiful quality too.  I bought scoopers and glassine lined envelopes that I affixed stickers to that say "keep your hands off my candy" with my daughter's name and the party date on each one.  We're also hiring a cotton candy machine as well. 

The dj's handing out dice plastic necklaced I purchased rubber bracelets with casino sayings on it like "king of hearts" etc.  I also bought buttermints that have images of money on them and am scattering them on the tables at dessert time.  That's it!  It's been a lot of work but I know that everyone will have a night that they won't forget.  Being that I made a lot of the items for the party myself it saved me a bunch.  Have fun and let your imagination flow!"