Lakyn decided on her own theme for her 3rd birthday....a lollipop party. The idea came from a dress she received at Christmas with lollipops all over it. We were talking about her birthday coming up one day while I was dressing her. She pointed at her dress and said, "I want a lollipop party!" So, we started planning....
Tablecloth: no cheap, plastic tablecloths. I used 3 yards of pink gingham fabric which I will use for future projects. There were a few stains by the end of the party but nothing a little spay and wash couldn't handle.
banner: I am very proud of the banners. The large banner above the sliding doors consisted of a dozen large triangles with small triangles on top. I sewed bias tape to the top for hanging. I also made a smaller banner to hang over the chalkboard.
birthday hats: I couldn't find birthday hats I liked. I bought some cone shaped hats at Dollar General. 8 hats came in a package for $1. I took the hat apart, traced the shape onto pink wrapping paper, and secured a small pompom (made the same as the large ones (see below) just on a small scale) with a little hot glue.
gift bags: I used white gift bags purchased at Wal-Mart. I made a small pompom using the same tutorial as the large ones (see below). I left one side flat and glued it to the bag. Inside: monogrammed notebook, lip gloss (shaped like a piece of candy), a nice sized lollipop (some purchased from Whole Foods and some found at Wal-Mart with the Valentine goodies), and a polka dotted toothbrush (found at Dollar General).
game: I purchased a bubble blower from Wal-Mart and individual bottles of bubbles. The kids loved playing bubbles. I had the guests join Lakyn in the backyard to play bubbles until everyone arrived. The pinata was purchased here in town. I thought it gave the party a little south Texas flare!
PomPoms: I followed the tutorial on Martha Stewart's website. They were super easy once I got the hang of it. I recommend using nice tissue paper. The tissue paper with a slight glossy sheen seemed to hold up better and was easier to work with. I hung them from the ceiling using ribbon and tacks.
I used jars throughout the party as decoration. I did end up putting a nice ribbon on the jar with the flowers. The jars are so classic and pretty. You can fill them with anything.
A Cupcake Tower: I gathered up boxes of different sizes and wrapped them with wrapping paper and ribbons that I bought from Dollar General. I placed the cupcakes (not shown) on the tower just before the party. I took a red metal bucket from the Dollar General and spray painted it blue. I used hot glue to secure it to the top of the tower. I put a Styrofoam ball in the bottom of the bucket to hold the lollipop arrangement.
Cupcakes (not shown): strawberry with hot pink icing. I used regular white icing in the can and mixed in pink food coloring gel. I used lollipops as the toppers. I just cut the sticks down a little. Before the kids arrived, I placed a cupcake on their plate and put the rest on the tower. We also served strawberry ice cream. I put the ice cream out on the counter as the kids were arriving. This way, it was soft enough to dip easily when it came time to serve.
Gifts: We had time for Lakyn to open gifts. I've been to several parties where the gifts aren't opened, but that's not for us. I put 2 chairs side by side in the living room. Lakyn sat in one chair and the gift giver sat in the chair beside her while Lakyn opened the gift. The rest of the children sat in a circle to watch.
I think the party turned out very well. Conley's birthday isn't until July, but I'm already starting to think about his party. Oh, it is going to be soooooo cute!
