DIY Pirate Party

I have three boys, and Pirates are VERY popular in our house.  So... for my oldest son's fourth birthday, we had a really easy DIY Pirate Party.

The cake was my son's favorite part.  I made it using a few modifications to the one I found here.  It was super simple, and I think it turned out pretty cute.

When the guests arrived, they were given a Pirate Treasure Map {which you can download here}.  They had to complete each task, and at the end, they got their own little treasure.

Task #1 - Make a Pirate Treasure (necklace).  Everyone was given a piece of shoe string licorice and a bowl of fruit loops.  They strung them together to make a necklace.  Fun, eh?

My Pirate Birthday Boy

Task #2 - Make a Pirate Telescope.  To keep it easy, I made the telescopes ahead of time, so all the kids had to do was decorate them with markers and stickers.  (I covered a paper towel roll with black paper.  Then, I covered one end with plastic wrap, taped it, and hid the tape with a strip of yellow paper.) 

Final Task -- Get a Pirate Tattoo, and collect the prize (a treasure box filled with treats).  

I think this was a lovely, simple pirate party.  All the kids were busy, everything ran smoothly, no one cried, and a good time was had by all.  You can't ask for more than that! 

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (If you like Pirates, you might also like our "Pirate Play Date".)

Foam Super Hero Masks

These foam Super Hero masks are really simple to make, and they turn out "super" cute.  {I can't resist a pun.}  I am making a bunch for my boys' Super Hero party, but they will also make a great addition to our dress up box.

To make your own foam Super Hero masks, you'll need:

• foam sheets (I used Elmer's foam sheets in Royal Blue)
• thin elastic
• scissors and a hole punch
• a paper super hero mask template

Then:

1) Use a paper template to cut out a mask "shape" from the foam. (You can draw your own, or you can download the one I drew here.) Use the hole punch to punch a hole on each side.

2) Measure the elastic to fit the child's head.  (Mine were a little over 12 inches.)

3) Tie the elastic through the holes in the mask, and secure with a double knot.

That's it!  Don't you just love this foam Super Hero mask?  They are easy, inexpensive, and a lot of fun!

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS... if you are looking for an easy "no-sew" matching Super Hero cape, you can find a tutorial here.

Last Day of School

Today was the last day of Grade Primary for my oldest son.  Where did the year go? 

I have seen a number of "Welcome Summer" banners around the blogosphere, so I thought I would adapt the idea and make a "Grade Primary Finish Line" banner.  {So much fun!}

My son was sad to say goodbye to his very first teacher, but excited to run through his banner and head out for ice cream. Now we are all ready for the carefree days of summer! :-)

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)  

End of Year Presents

I have always thought it was important for my boys to give little presents to their classmates and teachers at the end of a school year.  I think it helps them learn that it "feels good" to give.  Here is what we did this year:

1)  My three year old made some adorable "Have a Ball This Summer" treats for his preschool class.  I printed some labels, bought some balls from the dollar store, and voila... a super cute gift for his little friends!

2)  For his Preschool teachers, my three year old added a special touch to his gift by making super cute personalized tote bags. He drew the pictures and printed the names with a sharpie, and I stitched over it in black embroidery thread. He was super proud of his creations!

My five year old made one for his teacher too.  

3)  My five year loves to bake, so for his Grade Primary class, we made some cookies for the "Smart Cookies" that just completed their first year of "big school".  We packaged them up individually with a cute little label... have a look at how they turned out.

 

Are these sweet little treats for kids to share with the friends and teachers on the last day of school? Which one is your favourite?

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like these adorable last day of school treats.

DIY Monkey Themed First Birthday

My oldest son is about to finish Grade Primary, and today I was thinking about his first birthday {which I loved!}.  I hosted the party before I had the blog, so today, I am sharing the fun elements of his {simple} Monkey themed first birthday party.

The color scheme was yellow... and we decorated with things that were "Monkey" related.

I made monkey bibs for the guests, and the snacks were "baby-friendly" (bananas, Cheerios, and Mum Mum crackers).

I made a simple monkey cake... a round cake and two cupcake ears.  No special cake decorating skills required, and the guest of honor loved it!

Cute, eh???

Here are 5 easy party planning tips that will help you plan a successful DIY birthday party:

1) Pick a theme. Decorations can revolve around a character, an activity or a color. Just make sure there is something to bring everything together.  (For the monkey party, the focus was "monkeys" and the color yellow.)

2) Make every guest feel part of the celebration. One way to do this is to give everyone a loot bag or small gift.  (We gave out stuffed monkeys at this party, but here are some other unique loot bag ideas.)

3) Add a personal touch. Bake a special cake, craft your own decorations, or cook your signature dish to serve to your guests.  (The handmade monkey bibs and adorable monkey cake were big hits with our baby guests and their parents.)

4) Plan activities that everyone can participate in. Rent a karaoke machine, play board games, decorate cupcakes, or do a craft. Do something that keeps your guests entertained and together in one room. (Helium balloons and snacks seem to keep our one year old guest entertained... such an easy-to-please audience.  :-)

5) Make your event memorable. Take lots of pictures, and send copies to everyone that attended. Your loved ones and guests will appreciate the opportunity to re-live the memories.

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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Simple No-Sew Super Hero Cape

This cape is really fun and "super" easy {pun intended}.  I did a little hand-stitching to make it cuter and more durable, but you could easily use fabric glue if you want to make a "no-sew" version. I am planning on making a bunch of these capes for the boys and their guests at the Super Hero birthday party we are having in July.  The boys are "super" excited.  :-)

What I used:

• white felt (cheap and easy to work with)

• red and blue felt (any colors would work... these ones go with my birthday party color scheme)

• white embroidery thread and a needle (but fabric glue could be used instead)

• white button

• self sticking Velcro

• scissors

What I did:

1)  Using a word processing program, I made a letter template (inside a circle).

2)  I used the paper template to cut out a blue felt letter (the first letter of the child's name) and a red felt circle.  I then stitched the letter to the circle using white embroidery thread.  (Glue could be used if you are making a "no-sew" version.)

3)  I cut a basic "cape shape" out of the white felt.  My cape was about 26 inches from the neck to the bottom, and the straps where about 5 inches.

4)  I cut some red felt to attach to the straps for some color (but this step could be skipped for a "no-sew" version).  I then attached one piece of Velcro to the top of the right strap and the bottom of the left strap, and reinforced it with a couple of stitches.  I added a white button embellishment (for decoration only) and stitched the red felt to the straps.

5)  Finally, I stitched the red circle to the cape.  (Again, this could be done with glue if desired.)  That's it!  Done... and ready for your Super Hero in training!

At the birthday party, I am going to have the kids decorate their capes with foam star stickers.  Won't that be cute????

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (If you haven't already done so, "Like" me on facebook for lots of great info that doesn't get posted on this blog.  www.facebook.com/EastCoastMommy)

PPS (For a matching Super Hero Mask, check out this tutorial.)

5 Rainy Day Activities

I don't know about you, but rainy days can sometimes make me question my sanity {seriously!}  Here are 5 rainy day activities that I use to keep my boys busy and happy when we are stuck in the house all day.

1)  Build with Marshmallows:  This is so easy, and it doesn't require much adult assistance.  Aren't these the best activities?  All you need are:  toothpicks, marshmallows, and imagination.  The kids use the toothpicks to connect the marshmallows and "build" things.  Fun and simple!

2)  Have a Puppet Show:  For the puppet theatre, we use a spring loaded curtain rod and an old sheet in a doorway.  The sheet works well because it already has an opening for the rod -- no sewing required.  

For puppets, we print pictures off the internet, color them, cut them out, and attach a popsicle stick to the back.  

3)  Build Stuff Out of Boxes:  In this picture, we turned a cardboard box into a car that the boys named "The Imagination Car".  They had a great time decorating and "building" the car.  If you let the kids take the lead, they will come up with lots of great uses for a box; however, if you are looking for inspiration, you can find 5 fun ideas here.

4)  Make Playdough:  I use a great/easy "no cook" recipe that uses Kool Aid.  It makes great colors, and the playdough smells yummy.  (You can find the recipe here.)  My boys love to make playdough creatures using googly eyes and pipe cleaner.

5)  Indoor Camping:  We have an indoor tent, but a tent made out of chairs and blankets will work too.  We make a fire out of construction paper for "roasting" marshmallows, and the boys put on their bathing suits. 

Hopefully, these ideas will help to make your rainy days a little more "sunny"!  :-)

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (If you haven't already done so, "Like" me on facebook for lots of great info that doesn't get posted on this blog.  www.facebook.com/EastCoastMommy)

PPS (You might also like my Fishing Fun post -- really fun on a rainy day.)