Craft Materials:

• Red plastic lids from milk jugs, spice jars, juice tops etc.
• Green craft foam
• Black sticky-backed craft foam
• Small black sticker dots, or black acrylic paint
• Small wiggle eyes
• Black permanent marker
• Glue dots (mini)
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Cotton swabs and fine paintbrushes  (optional if you are painting)

Before the Party:

Follow all of the steps below beforehand if you are making these to decorate your table with ladybug placeholders.
If the kids will be making their own during the party, have as many of the supplies ready as possible. Using glue dots and stickers will avoid drying time and mess. That being said,  black acrylic paint will dry quickly and you can have the children use cotton swabs to paint the dots.

1. Wash and dry all of the lids thoroughly. Prepare a few extras just in case.
2. Cut a 5″x5″ green craft foam square per child.
3. With a pencil, draw a teardrop or leaf shape on one side of the green foam.
4. On the back of the black foam, draw one small circle for each child. The size will vary depending on the size of the red lid. We used a water bottle lid to trace our circle. Cut the circles (optional).
5. Open sticker packages or collect paint trays. We use plastic lids from oatmeal, breadcrumb or yogurt containers. That way you can toss then out after the party.
6. Cover the work space.
7. If the children will be painting, collect small cups for water and paper towels.

Party Time:

1. Cut the green leaf shape.
2. Cut the black circle.
3. Stick the black circle on the leaf, leaving enough room for the ladybug body.
   
4. Draw a line down the center of the red lid to make the wings.
5. Now paint, draw or use stickers to add the dots on the wings.
   
6. Attach the ladybug body to the head leaving about half of the black circle exposed. We used glue dots, but a glue gun or craft foam glue will also work.
7. Use glue dots to add the wiggle eyes.
8. Draw antennae.
   
9. Write the guests name on the leaf and your done.

Craft Materials:

• Red, blue or yellow paper cups
• Red, blue or yellow craft feathers
• Orange, black and yellow sticker craft foam sheets
• White construction paper
• Plastic wiggle eyes
• Glue Dots
• Scissors

At first, I tried to get away with cutting simple triangles for the beak, but they just didn’t look right. You may have to practice cutting the breaks and eyebrows to get the right shape. But other than that, they are easy to make. The pictures will help you get it just right!

Craft Directions:

1. Cut small strips of black foam for eyebrows.
2. Cut two triangle shapes for each beak.
3. Trace a circle on the white paper and cut the circle into halves.
4. Use the glue dots to attach 3-5 feathers to the back the cup.
5. Attach the half circle.
6. Glue the beak just over the edge of the white belly.
7. Add the eyes keeping them close together.
8. Now glue the the eyebrows overlapping and pointing inward.
9. I drew a little red line in between the two beak pieces to finish the look.
10. Write the guests name on the back of the cup.
11. Now fill these bird treats with prizes, nuts, chips or sweet treats!

1-2-3 Craft Tip:
I found the little blue plastic cups in the paper plate aisle at a Target Store I think they are Dixie brand and intended for little water cup dispensers but they are the perfect treat cup size, don’t you think?

Game Materials:
None required.

Before the Party:
No preparation is required, but you may want to write category titles on 3×5 cards such as farm animals, jungle animals, food, furniture, clothing, pets, dinosaurs. If your playing with older kids, select advanced categories like mammals, European countries, musicians, presidents etc.

Party Time:

1. Gather the children in a circle, group or around a table.
2. A grown up leader will begin the game by selecting a category and then begin listing items that belong in the category.
3. Speak quickly and clearly and then sneak one item that does not belong.
4. The object of the game is for the players to put up thumbs and holler out when they hear the word that that doesn’t belong…or sticks out like a sore thumb.
   Example:
   Fruit
   Banana, strawberry, orange, apples, BACKPACK, peach, grape, HAMSTER…and so on.
5. Use your discretion for how long the rounds should last and let the children take turns being the leader.

We have a better idea, serve a fresh sparkling berry lemonade that you kids can help to prepare.There is still some sugar and berries stain a bit, but if you use a natural Lemonade diluted with seltzer it’s much better. This is so easy it is barely a recipe!

You’ll Need:

• Fresh or frozen raspberries
• Green grapes
• Blueberries
• Natural lemonade
• Seltzer water
• Ice cube tray
• Lemon sorbet (optional)
• Clear cups or glasses
• Straws
• Party picks

Directions:

1. If you are using fresh berries, wash them and spread them on a parchment covered ccokie sheet in the freezer.
2. Freeze the grapes in a bowl or Ziploc bag in the freezer.
3. Make drink picks for each guest by “skewering” fruit on a cocktail pick or kid-safe kabob
   place them on a tray to freeze as well.
4. Add lemonade to the ice cube trays and freeze.
5. When its time to serve drop a few ice cubes along with frozen berries and grapes in each glass.
6. Add lemonade into the cups and top with seltzer.
7. Garnish with the frozen fruit pick.

1-2-3 Party Tips: This drink is perfect when hosting a Pinkalicious or Fancy Nancy party!
Make lemonade ice cubes for extra flavor!

I’m featuring this herd of adorable sugar-filled whimsy, not only because they are super cute, but also because they’re in keeping with the 1-2-3 philosophy that all supplies should be easy to find with instructions clear enough for anyone to follow…and I mean ANYONE! So get your sweet on and head over to Cookies and Cupcakes for her fabulous step by step Sweet Sheep cupcake instructions!

1-2-3 Review

Likes: super cute, easy supplies, don’t need a steady decorating hand, kids can help, seasonal, instructions are clear and they are a huge mouthful of sugary splendor!

Dislikes: Sheep cupcakes are not in my Weight Watchers book…oops.

Kids Parties 1-2-3 Tip: When using powdered donuts – if your frosting is too cold, it may not stick to the powder covered donuts. So be patient and don’t a little more frosting usually does the trick for me.

You’ll Need:

• Filling (see below)
• Tortillas or wraps
• Wax paper or plastic wrap
• Knife

Favorite Fillings:
For easy rolling, I prefer to prepare a spread by mixing the filling ingredients together in a bowl first and then I spread it on the tortilla.
Here are my favorites:

• Cream cheese and jam
• Cream cheese with finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• Cream cheese and deli sliced meat
• Peanut butter and honey
• Peanut and apple butter
• Peanut butter, honey, shaved carrots and raisins
• Cream cheese and shaved carrots
• Cream cheese, finely chopped apples and cinnamon
• Soft cheese like Laughing Cow and shaved carrots
• Laughing Cow cheese and deli sliced meat
• Hummus and shaved carrots (not all kids love this )

Directions:

1. Select your pinwheel fillings (see below)
2. Spread the filling onto the tortilla leaving about a ½ inch to the edge.
3. Distribute lunch meat or other ingredients evenly over the tortilla. Don’t over it – if the sandwich is too full and bulky it won’t roll up well or will tear.
4. Carefully roll up the tortilla and filling. Some filling will probably spill out at you reach the end.
5. Tightly wrap up the roll in plastic wrap or waxed paper and chill overnight or for as little as an hour.
6. Remove the wrap and slice the roll into 1-2 inch pieces. They should look a little like a snail shells.
7. Place pinwheels sandwiches on a platter. For fun, you can insert party picks but usually they’ll hold together without a pick.

1-2-3 Suggestions:

• Make a pink party snack with cream cheese and raspberry or strawberry jam and serve when you are hosting a tea, princess, butterfly or really any party with a girlie-girl theme.
• Yellow cheese spread or peanut butter and honey will make gold medallions to serve for a pirate party.
• Mix peanut butter and banana together for a monkey theme.
• Healthy snacks are in order for a spa party so try making pinwheels with cream cheese, shaved carrot and serve on top of a cucumber slice.

When fresh strawberries are in season, hop on over to Easy Baked to get the original Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake recipe which can be served for any occasion.

You’ll Need:

• One box of strawberry cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs as directed on box)
• 2- 8oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temp.)
• 1 packet (0.23oz.) of Kool-Aid Lemonade
• Yellow food coloring (as desired for color)
• 1- 7oz. container Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar
• 8 oz. Cool Whip Topping
• Rainbow sugar crystals

Directions:

1. Prepare the cake according to the instructions on the box using two 9 inch round cake pans. Turn finished cakes over on cake racks and allow to cool completely.
2. Cream together cream cheese, lemonade and yellow food coloring until smooth.
3. Mix in marshmallow creme and powdered sugar.
4. Fold in Whipped Topping until completely smooth.
5. Cut each cake layer in half.
6. Alternating layers of cake with layers of frosting, assemble cake.
7. Cover top and sides with frosting and sprinkle with rainbow sugar.
8. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Here are more photos of this strawberry lemon sprinkle cake and great recipes too!

 1-2-3 Recipe Tip

• For easy cake pan removal, line the bottom of your cake pan with a round of parchment paper.
• To make slicing and frosting cakes easier, put them in a the freezer for a few hours or over night. Then slice them with a long serrated knife.

Invitations and Decorations

Party Games and Crafts

Party Food and Favors

Invitations and Decorations for an Angry Birds Party

• Cut circles from  red cardstock to make your red bird party invitations and toss a red craft feather or two into the envelope. Your message can read…
  “Don’t get Angry… you’re invited to Birthday Party!”
• Start your party decor with primary colored party supplies in red, yellow blue and maybe a touch of bright green.
• Mix up red, yellow, blue and bright green for balloon bouquets and streamers.
• Make Green Pigs to hang from ribbons or for a party banner.
• Tie balloon bouquets to cinder blocks or blocks of wood and toss several balloons randomly on the floor.
• Use permanent markers to draw simple bird and pig faces.
• Draw and cut feathers to tape on the wall, hang from the ceiling and/or make a garland.
• Cover the table and make a centerpiece with stacked building blocks and bright green frosted cupcakes pigs.
• Angry Birds toys can serve as place holders and take-away party favors.
• Add  DIY party Angry Birds favor cups as place settings.

Games and Crafts for an Angry Birds Birthday Party

Toss, throw and fling! The theme games for Angry birds party games are simple and kids of many ages will be entertained.

• Use Angry Birds beans bags (red, yellow, blue or black) to knock down towers of stacked building blocks, bottles, shoe boxes, cereal boxes etc. Have the kids take turns stacking and knocking down the towers.
• Roll or toss balls at water bottle pins (only 0ne-third filled). Tape the faces of the green pigs on the on the pins to complete the theme.
• Purchase Angry Birds plush toys for your tossing games or hide them around the yard.
• Play the balloon stomp game with bright green balloon pigs.
• Play a game of Tag with Angry Birds against the Green Pigs tag…colored tees shirts or armbands will establish the teams.
• Make an Angry Birds Green Pig puppet to take home.
• Buy or make a Green Pig Pinata …add some red, blue and yellow craft feathers to the filler.
• Older kids will have a blast with a water balloon slingshot target game!
• Search for hidden red, blue, yellow and black feathers a few green tennis balls or dyed green eggs (add faces for pigs). Players that find the pigs get an extra prize!
• Have a water balloon toss with red, blue yellow and green water balloons.

Angry Birds Party Food and Favors

Serve hungry guests Angry Birds themed party foods and send them home with unique treat-filled party cup!

• Mix red raspberry lemonade or punch with lemon-lime soda and pour it
  over scoops of lime sherbet or lemon for a tasty thirst quencher.
• Tiffany over at “Cute Food for Kids” created fabulous Angry Birds Cheese snacks . Serve them in blue cupcake liners with some pretzels.
• Fill these DIY Angry Birds party cups with party favors like Angry Birds Silly Bandz or stickers.
  
• Top green frosted cupcakes with these Angry Birds Cupcake Toppers and create a centerpiece scene with blocks.

This Angry Birds birthday cake is incredible! I love the creative use of candy bars, and is that a stick of butter and cheese wedges I see?

Invitations and Decorations

Games and Crafts

Food and Favors

Invitations and Decorations for a Fancy Nancy Party

Just like Fancy Nancy, more is better when decorating for this party theme!  There are so many fancy ideas you’ll want to read the entire list and then select your favorites. Be sure to let your daughter join in the planning fun.

• “We’re getting Fancy & You’re Invited!”
  Handcraft invitations using the fanciest materials such as textured papyrus (fancy for paper) paper doilies, glitter, gel pens, feathers and stick on gems. Write your invitation details on one side and have your fancy birthday girl decorate the front.
• While planning the party decor we used Fancy Nancy’s bedroom for inspiration.
• This Fancy Nancy party kit from Celebrate Express is a great place to start.
• You don’t want to be confined by a color scheme but fuchsia, purple, silver and gold work well as a starting point for balloons, streamers and party ware.
• Gather helium balloons into bunches of 3 or 5 and place them by the entrance, party table and around the party area.
• Weigh down balloons bouquets with ornate purses or candy-filled cellophane bags.
• Decorate your walls and windows with photos from a Paris travel calendar. It’s also fun to tape the calendar photos of Paris on the backs of the dining chairs.
• Dangle sparkling paper stars from the ceiling with fishing line.
• Hang colored lights around the windows and on the ceiling.
• Dress up your table and chairs with shimmering organza or tulle and big ribbon sashes. Ooooh, so fancy!
• Place feather plumes in a vase or at each place setting.
• If the girls are old enough, set the table with a variety of tea place settings.
• Doilies on cake plates and serving platters add a fancy touch.
• Decorate paper cups with stick-on jewels to make a fancy table or favor cups.
• Make your own fancy two-tone party plates.
• Wrap up the flatware into pretty packages using a paper napkins and  ribbon.
• Dress up your entry way with streamers, tissue flowers, balloons and a red carpet(paper) walk.

Games and Crafts for a Fancy Nancy Party

Posh party girls adore these fabulously fancy birthday party games and crafts!

• Your guests will be feeling fancy right away when you give them a feather boa and tiara upon arrival.
• Play a game of “Plain or Fancy” using items from around the house and simple words.
  Ex: show the girls a tissue…plain is tissue or Kleenex but fancy is handkerchief or the word Great becomes Extraordinaire!
• Pack for Paris with this Fancy Nancy suitcase relay race.
• After the suitcase relay, play a Fancy Nancy dress-up race game.
• New twist on a party favorite – play Musical Chairs with a Fancy Nancy stride and feather boas of course.
  Instruct the players to say, “Excuse Moi!” as they battle to get a seat.
• Give playful etiquette lessons and have the girls practice their new manners at the party table.
• How about ballroom dancing lessons from grown-ups dressed up in their finery.
• Fancy Nancy loves to play Pass this Parcel game because it’s from Europe…
• New twist on a party favorite – Play Nancy is the leader instead of follow the leader with fancy moves and elegant music of course.
• Play a “guess how many game” with fancy pink candies  in a pretty jar…
• Don’t forget Fancy Nancy crafts! There are so many to choose from…
  • Make posh purses with small canvas totes, glitter glue, ribbons and fabric markers.
  • Decorate hats, gloves or socks using a glue gun, decorations and possibly fabric pens or paints.
  • Make and decorate paper fans.
  • Design edible jewelry with shoestring licorice, candies, cookies and cereal.
  • Make a fancy glitter-filled star jar.
  • Decorate dazzling jewelry boxes with kid-safe paints, aluminum foil, star stickers etc.
• Take photos of the girls dressed-up in their boas and tiaras and striking their fanciest pose.
• Settle the girls down a the end of the party with a Fancy Nancy story time.

Food and Favors for a Fancy Nancy Party

Serve fancy party treats to eat and send your guests home with a special thank- you gift.

• If your birthday party is held during a meal time serve fancy tea sandwiches, fruit and cheese kabobs, and lemonade.
• If you are not serving a lunch, include festive party snacks at each place setting such as fresh fruit kabobs or silver cupcake liners filled with trail mix, crackers or fresh berries.
• Make a batch of sweet lemon balls treats to serve in a fancy candy dish on the table or send some home as party favors.
• White chocolate dipped strawberries would be delightful!
• Crackers and cheese are especially nice. Try cream cheese on crackers with berries on top – delish!
• Serve fruit juice in party cups and add fruit juice and berry ice-cubes for a fancy touch.
• Don’t forget Fancy Nancy’s favorite parfait (ice cream sundae). For more party fun, let the kids add their own toppings such as caramel, fudge, strawberry sauce, nuts, sprinkles, and cookie crumbs etc.
• Pretty petit fours will go nicely with the ice cream parfait.
• Because this party involves make and take activities a bag with small party favors is appropriate here are out favorite small favors…. decorated sugar cookies , stickers , kid-safe make up , hair ties , crayons and paper

Get inspired with this Fancy Nancy birthday party video…

Imagine how cute these flowers will look surrounding a garden tea party! If you want to coordinate the tissue flowers with your party theme just switch up the tissue color. For example, try white pom-poms for a winter party, red and black for a teen Hollywood theme, pink pom-poms for a princess party, teal and lavender for a Mermaid party and so on. While your at it, hang other matching decorations like paper shells, gold stars and snowflakes from the garland.
Check out the complete DIY Pom-Pom Flower instructions.

1-2-3 Review

Likes: super festive, easy-to-get supplies, kids can help, versatile, instructions are clear and the garland can double as teen room decor long after the party is over

Dislikes: you will need to make lots of pom-poms for a garland.

Kids Parties 1-2-3 Tip: Don’t be intimidated by the amount of time it will take to make enough flowers, start early and make a few flowers every evening while watching TV and enlist the family in the process. Eventually you will have enough.