Birthday Party Highlights: Pirates and Mermaid Party Silly Face Posters

Make your next birthday party extra fun with DIY Photo Props! 

Another popular activity at our Pirates and Mermaids party

was taking candid photos with these two foam core posters I painted to use as photo props.

One mermaid and one pirate with holes for the faces cut out!

Because it's paper coated foam core,

it's very light weight and guests of all ages

could hold them up and have their photos taken!

Enjoy the photo gallery of a few of our favorite mermaids and pirates!

One of my BFFs from College and her sweet baby boy....

Favorite Niece!

Frog Princess Mermaid.

Grandpa made the best pirate face!

Witness Protection Pirate

(or is that the Unabomber?)

Daddy feels pretty when he's a mermaid.

Mama gettin' on her pirate groove.

For more Pirate and Mermaid Birthday party Fun check out my other posts!
Pirate and Mermaid Party Highlights Post One.
Pirate and Mermaid Party Games Post Two
Pirate and Mermaid Party Crafts Post Three

Pirate and Mermaid Party Photo Props Post Four 

Pirate and Mermaid Party Thank You Notes Post Five

Aaaargh...That be all me hearty's!

Birthday Party Highlights: Pirates and Mermaid Party Fishing Game

Time for Pirate and Mermaid Party Games!

Yes, you CAN fish indoors during a February birthday party.

Start with a small wading pool.

(recognize this one? It's our summer water table when I stack it on milk crates on our deck)

Beach towels underneath, on the kitchen floor.

A stack of dry hand towels nearby for spills, drips, wet hands.

Two watering cans full of water.

Hand cut, Craft foam fish decorated with permanent markers

and colored paper clips added to their mouths.

Fishing poles were homemade by me and the hubby...

We sawed bamboo poles (with a hack saw)

from the dollar store in half and added a pencil eraser to the rough edge.

Then I added yarn and refrigerator magnets.

You could use cardboard wrapping paper tubes

or dowel rods... or even just a pencil with a string.

*NOTE from the trenches* please learn from my mistakes
Our strings were too long when we started (around 2 feet) 
The kids kept getting tangled together.
Wet yarn tangles = frustrated kids  and mom with very wet fingers...
solution: Cut the strings to about 12"-14" 

Remember to throw them back

when you're done fishing and let some one else have a go at them!

This game is fun in the bath tub too!

* We also had a tub with gems and plastic toys in it buried in a ball pit for the little ones
to dig and add to treasure boxes I picked up at the craft store. *


For more Pirate and Mermaid Birthday party Fun check out my other posts!
Pirate and Mermaid Party Highlights Post One.
Pirate and Mermaid Party Games Post Two
Pirate and Mermaid Party Crafts Post Three
Pirate and Mermaid Party Photo Props Post Four 
Pirate and Mermaid Party Thank You Notes Post Five

* Birthday Party Highlights: Pirates and Mermaid Boats Party Craft

You can't have a birthday party around here without crafts!

The guests at our Pirates and Mermaids themed birthday party

had a blast decorating these homemade cardboard boats.

I got the template and wonderful directions from IKAT blog here

(Go check out her Polly Pockets and PlayMobil friends

sailing off with their adorable anchors and life boats in tow!)

Mine are a simpler, mini version of hers.

I cut them out from

leftover boxes in my garage

when we were snowed in during the blizzard a few weeks ago.

Hooray for box cutters, a self healing mat,

a garage full of random recyclables, and a glue gun!

(there is a reason why you can't park a car in my garage)

The table with supplies ready to go:

colored masking tape

markers

dot paints

foam letter stickers

scrap-booking letter stickers

Arrgh...busy pirates

a very POPULAR activity!

Bonus: it's a craftivity

(my word for crafty activities that keep your kids busy)

and a party favor!

One happy birthday girl!

Next post ... fishing at our party...

For more Pirate and Mermaid Birthday party Fun check out my other posts!
Pirate and Mermaid Party Highlights Post One.
Pirate and Mermaid Party Games Post Two
Pirate and Mermaid Party Crafts Post Three
Pirate and Mermaid Party Photo Props Post Four 
Pirate and Mermaid Party Thank You Notes Post Five

Birthday Party Highlights: Pirates and Mermaid Party

The Mini Saurus "C" celebrated her third birthday

this weekend with a Pirates and Mermaids bash!

Cake was homemade by mom.

Brown sugar sand/beach for C's favorite polly pockets and Play Mobil dolphins.

Decorated AS the first guests were arriving...

Long story involving our cupcake holders

Pirates and Mermaids (so cute -- from Meri Meri)

Lost by FedEx because of the blizzard and not arriving till super late

the night before the party... after I baked the cake.

(Meri Meri even refunded my money and told me to keep them, how nice are they?!)

Snacks... kitchen table draped with a white table cloth and

3.5 yards of mermaid fabric from Walmart, folded in half as a no-sew table runner.

Topped off with three yards of blue tulle.

Goodie buckets (from the dollar store)

line the stairs and add welcome color to the entryway.
A good place to deposit treasures during the party!

They are waiting to be filled by the guests with buried treasure and craft projects!

(psst...there is a pirate eye patch waiting in each one)

A tribute to "C"s betta fish, "Baby Gippy"

(recycled decor from E's fishy 3rd bday party)

CRAFTS
Cardboard boat decorating station.

(Will post more details about this project in a separate post!)

PLAY and EXPLORE
What is everyone looking for in the ball pit?

(our wading pool with a bag of ball pit balls... also great for snowy and rainy day play)

"Buried Treasure" of course! (aka Dollar store glass beads

and gravel that I spray painted metallic gold)

Popping bubbles from the battery operated bubble machine

was a popular past time for kids of all ages.

A full bucket at the end of the party...

The kids got paper mache treasure boxes to collect their "buried treasure"

A view from upstairs... when I went to check on this

An impromptu talent show and dance party in the Frog Princess' room!

I colored the cake batter her favorite colors, pink and purple

with a skinny white layer in between.

(a test drive for E's cake next month!)

Favorite cousin checking out our fish tank

(I put a cut out mermaid on the glass in the back of the tank!)

One very happy Mermaid Princess Birthday Girl!

Love you cutie pie!

xoxo,

mama


For more Pirate and Mermaid Birthday party Fun check out my other posts!

Pirate and Mermaid Party Games Post Two
Pirate and Mermaid Party Crafts Post Three
Pirate and Mermaid Party Photo Props Post Four 
Pirate and Mermaid Party Thank You Notes Post Five

Felt Happy Birthday Banner

We had a very busy weekend.

The Mini Saurus celebrated her birthday!

The felt birthday banner

made by yours truly

is finished and hanging

between our kitchen table

and the family room...

(same place as the advent countdown)

It will get

more use

in three weeks

for the Frog Princess' 7th birthday.

Mini Saurus was

actually due ON

the Frog Princess' birthday...

thank goodness I have my babies early.

I don't think I could take

back-to-back

birthday parties around here!

So much love

in one little room.

We had a much quieter celebration,

a just the four of us day

for her "real" birthday.

I need to make

2 felt birthday crowns

for next year!

Working on her new

Kumon activity book

(she loves it!)

Thank you Grammy and Grandpa!

One last cupcake before bed.

More to come...

I promise!

Aaaarrrgh.

Kid Craft: Birthday Cupcake Card

My sweet Mini Saurus "C" turns three this weekend.

Seems like a perfect time to show and tell this cute cupcake card

she made this fall for a family member.

We've made several more since for friend's birthday cards.

First, we cut a paper cup cake wrapper in half and glued it to a blank card.

Then she scribbled with a magic marker the brown cup cake on top.

We finished it off with a generous helping of white elmer's school glue

(dries clear) and real sprinkles!

Happy Birthday Sweet "C"!!

Work In Progress: Felt Birthday Banner Sneak Peek

Here's a little sneak peek

at what I've been doing

in my art studio

this week.

Two little girls are having

birthdays here.

Mini Saurus "C" this month

and big sister Frog Princess "E" in a few weeks.

Mama is in

full throttle

birthday party planning,

making,

crafting mode.

I promise I'll have lots of fun

pictures and posts to show and tell

as soon as I catch my breath

and get photos uploaded!

until then,

here's a work in progress...