What girl wouldn't want to be princess for a day? You can turn any
special occasion — a birthday, bat mitzvah, or Quinceañera — into a
pretty-in-pink Princess Party that will make her feel like royalty! Bring
on the balloons and banners—it's time for Her Majesty's ballroom
bash!
A Date with Royalty
Request "the royal attendance" of your guests with pink heart
invitations made from pink construction paper and cut into heart
shapes. Place a picture of the princess on the front, outlined in ribbon,
puffy paints, or stick-on rhinestones and write the party details inside.
For a special touch, include a plastic tiara and mail the invitation in a
small padded box.
Princess Gowns
Ask the girls-in-waiting to come decked out in pink or dress like their
favorite princess. When they arrive, offer matching accessories such as
costume jewelry, tiaras, wands, boas, and silky slippers.
Create a Castle
Turn the party room into a pink princess parlor with pink crepe paper
streamers framing the doorways, and giant pink hearts along the top
of the walls. Use a Balloon Time Helium Balloon Kit to cover the ceiling
with pink balloons and hang up posters of popular princesses. Add pink
candles, flowers, soaps, and pillows around the room. Cover the table
with a pink tablecloth and serve the food with pink plastic utensils. Set
up a special chair for the princess at the head of the table, covered in
velveteen fabric and pillows, and decorated with balloons and crepe
paper. Make a centerpiece out of a tiara filled with pink flowers,
surrounding a princess doll.
Royal Games and Activities
If the Slipper Fits
Buy two pairs of fancy high-heeled shoes at the thrift shop and set up
an obstacle course. Divide the girls into two teams and have the first
two players put on the high heels. On the word "Go!" have them race
through the course in their stiletto slippers then pass them on to the
next players on their teams. Anyone who falls while navigating the
course must start again!
Princess Makeover
Let the girls give each other princess makeovers by providing costume
accessories, makeup, body glitter, hair paint and hair ribbons. Apply
temporary heart or butterfly tattoos to cheeks and hands for added
fun. Let them decorate their tiaras with rhinestones, feathers, and
jewels.
Kiss Prince Charming
Hang a large poster of a frog on the wall. Blindfold the girls one at a
time, spin them around, and have them place lip-shaped stickers or
real lipstick kisses on the frog. The person who "kisses" the frog
closest to its lips gets a cute stuffed frog that may one day turn into a
prince!
Pink Pearls for the Princesses
Have the girls make their own beaded necklaces, bracelets, and rings.
Supply the materials, set up a worktable, and let them create
whatever they want (you can buy inexpensive beading materials from
the craft store or online). Be sure to include some pink heart-shaped
beads.
Sweet Scrapbook
Let everyone make a special scrapbook page for the Princess of Honor
to keep as a memento and fill with entries during the upcoming year.
Supply decorative paper, alphabet letters, stampers, stickers and have
guests create titles for their pages, such as, "My Birthday Party," "The
Boys I Like," "Best Friends Forever," "My Plans and Dreams," "What's
Up At School," and "Awesome Vacation." Make sure to leave space for
comments and photos.
Royal Refreshments
Serve fun foods that princesses like such as pizza, hamburgers, a
salad bar, and chips and dips. Or make it a "royal high tea" and serve
herbal teas, dainty sandwiches and pink cookies. For a sweet treat,
think pink with strawberries dipped in white chocolate tinted pink, pink
lemonade, pink-tinted bread for sandwiches, and a pink cake with pink
icing decorated with hearts. Bake a bowl-shaped cake, invert it, stick a
princess doll in the middle, and frost the bodice and cake to complete
the ballroom dress of this beautiful fairy princess cake.
When the Ball is Over...
Send them home with heart suckers, pink, red or white helium-filled
balloons, red-foiled chocolate roses, pink Beanie Babies, princess dolls,
costume jewelry, tiaras, wands, and other princess accessories.
Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author
and party planner. She has published more than 50 books, including 16
specific to parties. Additionally, Warner writes a weekly newspaper
column on family life, penned a column for Sesame Street Parents
magazine and has appeared on several regional and national TV morning
programs. Her latest book, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, debuted in
February 2010 from NAL/Penguin.
Balloon Time is the leading brand of consumer helium balloon kits
in North America. Balloon Time kits feature a helium-filled tank, latex
or foil balloons and ribbon, and are available at national retail
chains, party goods and grocery stores nationwide.