On Thu, 5 Feb 2004 19:58:10 -0500, Otsinekwar wrote (in message ):
Hoo Boy - have you come to the right place! Memorable parties for kids are my specialty. This year's theme is Fairies, I take it? Simple.
First off go to your favorite supplier of cheap silk flowers and loads of narrow pink pastel ribbon. Make sure that you get a variety of silk flowers, ranging from the itty-bitty ones in Wedding favors to Full Sized Daisies used in crafty stuff. Grab a paddle of florist's wire for $0.76. For the purpose of this exercise, I'm going to call your favorite vendor of such things "All-Mart."
Narrow pastel ribbons are in the craft department, near the flowers, and come on small rolls for about $0.33. Buy some in every pastel color they have. You'll need a lot in both the 1/8" size and the 1/4" size. If you only go with one, buy the 1/4" size.
Next, roll your shopping carriage over to party supplies. (I know that this isn't the most efficient traffic pattern in All-Mart, but if I can do it, so can you) Ideally, find a solid mylar disposable tablecloth in gold or silver. If not, any solid pink will do. Get the plastic kind: the paper kind is worthless for this exercise. Mosey over to the lacey looking placemats: If you have a gold tablecloth, get silver; if you have a silver tablecloth, get pink. If your tablecloth is pink, get either metallic color.
While you're here in party supplies, look for some plastic champagne flutes, the ones that look like long stemmed crystal ones. (About a dozen for $0.88) Pink paper plates are always a hit as well, unless the birthday girl wants fairy plates and paperware. If you have a few extra coins of fairy gold in your pocket, you'll really wow the kiddos with real glass champagne flutes.They're a few aisles over from the plastic ones, and cost about $0.50 apiece. In either case, the fairies can take their champagne flutes with them when they turn back into little girls.
Okay, swear at me mentally in the All-Mart, as I send you back over to the craft/fabric department. for each girl, you need 3 feet of 1" wide waistband elastic, and 2 yards of nylon tulle net. (If you don't know what this is, the elderly lady in fabric will guide you. BTW, Tulle is dirt cheap - this won't break the bank) Get an assortment of colors of tulle, the more lurid the better, and sparkles are always popular. While you're here, get some fancy little bags in cellophane or tulle in the cake decorating part of the craft department.
Look around to see if there is a metallic Sharpie to buy in the department, before you head for the checkout. They usually have them in the stationary department. You NEED something to mark each girl's possessions, so the sharpie is essential.
Pay for your stuff, get a cold beverage for the ride home, and then I'm putting you to work. The one thing that will take the most time are the tutus. Oh, I didn't mention that fairies wear Tutus? They do now. Fortunately, they're dead simple to make, especially if you have access to a sewing machine. Fold each 2 yard piece of net the long way, so you end up with a long tube like piece with four layers. Machine stitch a seam abut
1-1/2" inches from the folded edge all the way down the long piece of fabric. If you have pinking shears, cut apart some of the layers and make little fringie things. For each tutu, cut a length of waistband elastic slightly larger than each child's actual waist size. These things are going to haunt you for a while, and will usually be worn over clothes. Thread the elastic through the 1-1/2" tube created by your stitching, gathering the excess material onto the elastic. When all is gathered, sew or safety pin the ends of the elastic together. If you're an overachiever, sew the open seam, too.Then come the fairy crowns: braid together a 2' length of floral wire and the stems of silk flowers (small ones work great, larger ones work okay, but are harder to work with. When the crown is put together, wind all the wire ends with a bit of masking tape, if you have it. If not, you did buy a heck of a lot of ribbon, didn't you? Take a length of this ribbon, fold it in half and make a bow with long streamers. Attach this to the now lovely "fairy crowns."
The table gets set with a floral or pastel flat bedsheet, unless you own a pink or lavender tablecloth. (I do not) Cover that sheet with the mylar tablecloth and all the matching paper goods. Strew a bit of that nasty sparkles, sequins and glitter that my sister insists on putting in all her written correspondence. Each girl should get a silk rose with a white ribbon tied around it at her place.
The champagne flutes are now meant to hold fairy nectar. Tie a sprig of silk forget-me-nots around the stem of the glass with pastel ribbon, and let the long ends of the bow streamer down to the table. Mark each glass with the fairy's name by writing on the ribbon with your Sharpie. Fairies get amazingly territorial about such things. The fancy tulle or plastic bags get the same treatment: a few silk flowers tied to them with an inordinately long identifying ribbon.
Your fairies are going to make jewelry, and they can keep their finished creations nice and safe in the bags while they go chase and tackle other fairies for real or imagined transgressions.
Food: Petit Fours are always considered amazing fairy food, along with miniature cupcake (a frosting flower on each one is a big deal), and whatever the birthday girl has chosen for her menu is automatic fairy food. Fairies drink nectar, which is hard to get in these parts, so I substitute sparkling cider. The bottle looks like champagne (a few extra lengths of ribbon helps the illusion) and the bubbles set it way, way above ordinary apple juice.
If your birthday fairy is determined to have wings, I suggest you go to a party supply store and buy them. I've made wings, but the time involved was not at all worth it. While you're there, get a tiara: after all, the birthday fairy deserves some extra glamour on her special day!.
Have fun!
Kathy N-V (has had kids fighting to come to DD's birthday parties)