Hello Tatertots and Jello!
I’m Rach H, and I blog at Family Ever After.
Here’s a little bit about me… my husband I and grew up in South Dakota. During college, I majored in Family and Consumer Science Education, then taught middle school sewing for a year. Now I’m a mom to 3. I’m very passionate about letting my kids “help” me do projects. Basically, my blog is a big mish mash of things I love: sewing, crafting, food, family, travel, gardening, pictures, and a big sewing contest called Sew-vivor. I also love country music, sunflowers, clogging, and running.
How to throw a Ballet Themed Birthday Party:
I recently put together a ballet birthday party for my 2 daughters. We rented their ballet studio on a Saturday afternoon for $10 an hour! Can you believe that? Today I’m going to share a few decorations, printables, and party ideas. First, here’s a glance at some pictures!
(a picture of my sister and I as kids)
Wreath Tutorials:
For the longest time, I’ve had all of my pointe shoes sitting in a pile in my hope chest. I’ve always wanted to decorate with them some how. So I decided to incorporate them into the decor. I used two pairs of my shoes to drape over the wreaths that I made. I think these wreaths will look really cute in my girls bedroom!
The first wreath was quite simple. Just spray paint a twig wreath, then add sprigs of silver!
The tutu wreath was easy too. Here’s how I did it:
I covered a straw wreath in pink ribbon.
Then I cut strips of tulle, about 16 inches long. They were from a spool, so I didn’t need to measure the width. I tied them into a double knot around the wreath. I did 10 pink pieces, then 5 white pieces all the way around.
Ta-Da! I LOVE how it resembles a tutu. Then I wrapped my old point shoes around the top.
Birthday Banner Tutorial:
I recently got a Silhouette Cameo, but I haven’t figured out how to use it yet. So I decided that I could still make a fun banner without it. Here’s how.
I recently got a Silhouette Cameo, but I haven’t figured out how to use it yet. So I decided that I could still make a fun banner without it. Here’s how.
I printed one very large letter on a piece of computer paper. I enlarged the font as high as it would go. I’m obsessed with the font, My Own Topher. It’s a free download if you google it. Then I cut the letter off the computer paper, and placed it on the pink paper for the banner.
I cut all my letters out in this manner. (It was more time consuming than using a Silhouette, but I didn’t have the energy to figure it out)! I also cut out some triangles, and made some paper fan medallions.
Then I took an ink pad to the edges of the letters and triangles, to give it a little more dimension.
I hot glued everything together, hole punched the triangles, and tied them together with tulle.
Rice Krispie Treat Cake and Cupcakes Tutorial:
Since we didn’t have the party at our house, I knew I wouldn’t be bringing ice cream to go with a cake, and I knew I didn’t want to deal with all the cake crumbs. So, I came up with an easy no-mess solution… a rice krispie treat cake and cupcakes!
It couldn’t have been easier… I made a few batches of rice krispie treats and added pink food coloring and sprinkles. Then I simply put the treats into greased cake pans and cupcake tins.
The cake was 2 layers. I added frosting in between the layers.
Then frosted the top.
I made ballet shoes out of rice krispie treats to go on top.
Then I decorated them the best I could in 5 minutes 🙂 Here’s the progress.
So easy, minimal clean up, and the kids were super happy!
Party Ideas and Activities:
Here is what we did….
-Danced to music!
-Played Ballerina Says
-Played Duck, Duck, Goose (or Ballet, Ballet, Tap!)
-Pinata
Other ideas I had planned but ran out of time for…
-Pin the Tutu on Angelina (I found a cute printable here, and enlarged it)
-Decorate birthday crowns/hats
-I brought a bunch of glitter makeup to put on all the kids, but I forgot!
-I brought a bunch of glitter makeup to put on all the kids, but I forgot!
Tip: We ate our food on the floor. I brought several plastic table cloths for the kids to sit on. When they were done eating, we wrapped the table cloths us and threw them away! Easiest clean up ever. 🙂
Printables:
The theme of the party was “Dance with your heart and your feet will follow.” I remember dancing to a song with these lyrics when I was a little girl! So I made printables using these lyrics.
Gift Bag Tops- cut, fold in half, and staple over gift bag
Water Bottle Wrapper
Ballet Sign- just fold in half
Blank Tags- can be used as name tags or food
Blank Tags Pink
Cupcake Toppers
Jen, thank you so much for letting me guest post on your incredibly inspiring blog! It has been one of my “blogging goals” to have this opportunity. xoxo, Rachel
And they live… Family Ever After.
I would LOVE to have you stop by and follow along. See you there!
ps- My link party, Once Upon a Weekend, goes up on Friday Night (just before the Weekend Wrap Up). I’d love for you to stop by and share your projects!
Thanks Rach!!
You are just amazing!!
And here are a couple other ideas I love:
Just in time — Summer Hairstyles
Be sure to head over to Family Ever After AND Sew-vivor!! You will love it!!
xoxo
PS — It’s Friday. How did that happen???
It’s time for my favorite highlight of the week — The Weekend Wrap Up Party!!
It starts at 6 pm MST – I hope you can stop by. I would love to see what YOU are doing!!
I love featuring YOU!!
Thanks for the wonderful ideas…. My son will be leaving for an in-residence ballet school and wanted to have a ballet Good Bye Party and am Excited to use some of these ideas in Black
how did you make the paper fan medallion? does the paper needs to be soft? tnx
Rach, I’ll have to see some of your clogging moves at SNAP–I love clogging, too! How cool that the dance studio was so inexpensive to rent out, and I love how you used the vintage ballet slippers as decor and the rice krispie cupcakes!
Kristen- vintage pointe shoes? Oh no….. LOL. I feel so old!!! I started pointe when I was twelve, so they’re 17 years old. Does that really classify them as vintage? hahahahaha. Oh, and I’ll bring my clogging shoes if you bring yours 🙂
I define vintage as not new. I’m older than you, so I’m vintage, too! I can’t wait to see your clogging moves;)
I love this party idea and love Rach’s blog as I’m a new follower. Thanks for sharing!!
I love Rach! This is such a fun post…with FABULOUS ideas! XO, Aimee
Be my mom! The both of ‘ya!
$10/hour?! That’s flipping amazing – It’s $300 for 1.5 hours by me 🙁
What a beautiful party!!
Jen- Thanks SOOO much for letting me guest post today!!! It is quite a treat to see my blog featured on YOUR amazing blog. Thank you thank you!!!!
I have another tip make rice krispy cakes with pink chocolate and silver balls. Also i bought some silli putty used a pair of ballet shoe from a charm bracelet with pink fondant made ballet shoes cake toppers. This looks amazing. .and can be made with chocolate or fondant.
That tutu wreath is awesome. I love that!
This came at a perfect time for me. My daughter wants a Ballerina party for her upcoming birthday. I have got to use these ideas for inspiration for the party now. Thanks Rachel for the awesome ideas–you know I just adore all of your work. 🙂 Thanks for letting her share here today Jen!
what a darling party set. thank you so much for all the goodies and ideas!
That should have been lovely cake
These are fantastic inspirations. The tutu wreath and the ley cake. That is one talented lady.
carolyn