The Perfect Party!

By Melissa Tedrow & Laura Kelly, The Handwork Studio

Every mother wants to throw the perfect party: not too long, not to short, just the right amount of kids, entertainment that doesn’t cost a fortune, all while maneuvering the politics of the invitation list.  If you aren’t careful, suddenly you are so absorbed in all of the details, you forget what is really important…a party to celebrate what was probably one of the most important days of your life, your child’s birth day.

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If you have two or three kids, you could possibly throw anywhere from 20-30 parties in a lifetime.   (Bet you never thought of it that way!)  Imagine if you have four or five children!

At The Handwork Studio, a kids’ needle arts and fashion community, we throw three or four birthday parties a week.  Add it up and we’ve probably hosted well over 600 parties, if not a thousand.  So, we wanted to share with you some of our thoughts on what makes for a great party and some different craft ideas, since you’ll have plenty to host.

First, an obvious point, but one that we see overlooked every week.  Remember who the party is about, not you, your likes and dislikes, your friends or your favorite food.  Let your child be involved in the decision making process.  Now, if they are asking for the circus to show up in your backyard and the invitation list includes the entire school, you’ll want to set some limitations.

Which leads me to our second point, keep it simple.  Here is what we, at The Handwork Studio, suggest for the party logistics.  You don’t have to implement them all. (hey it is still your party).  However following just a few of our suggestions will allow you to focus on your baby whether they are age one or fifteen.

• Keep your numbers down - The more kids you have the less it is about your child
• Short and sweet – Keep the party to two hours.  You’ll have just enough time and kids won’t get bored
• Have focus – Center the party around an activity. We happen to love crafting. Whatever you choose give the kids something to hold their attention
• Craft first, food later – It’s easier to keep kids’ attention while they are fresh
• Clean transitions help move things along - After the craft, have the kids line up and wash their hands,  this lets the kids reset to zero and re-group and well, it is just healthy
• Instead of cake, craft your dessert  - Have unfrosted cupcakes, a can of chocolate and vanilla frosting (unless you want to make your own), colored sprinkles and let the kids decorate the cupcakes.  They love this, especially picking the frosting.  It is all about the frosting!
• Presents later – Opening presents after the party is over reduces the chances of chaos breaking out
• Keep food simple – Pizza and cake, sure to please most
• Want to reduce costs – have the party at 10:00am or 2:00pm, no one expects a meal at those hours, just cake
• Be attentive to conversations - A power struggle to sit next to the birthday child can escalate into a meltdown
• Less is more – Keep goodie bags to a minimum.  If you are making a craft that the guest takes home we feel that is gift enough.  The last thing our kids need is more stuff.

For craft activity ideas, try our fringed pillow or hobo bag below.

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Fringed Pillow or Hobo Bag

Age Range:  6-10 years

Materials:
Fleece (2/3 yard)
Stuffing (for pillow)
Ruler
Marker
Scissors

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1. Cut 2 pieces of fabric 20” x 20”.  Place one fabric square on top of the other square and line up the edges.
   
   
2. On the top square, draw a line 4” from one side.  Repeat for all sides.
   
   
   
   
3.  Cut out the small squares in the corners for both pieces.
   
   
   
   
4. Cut ½” wide fringe along one side of square.  Cut to line.  Cut through both pieces of fabric.
   
   
   
   
5. Tie a knot using a fringe strip from the top fabric piece and a fringe strip from the bottom fabric piece.  Continue tying each matching fringe strip across the side.
   
   
   
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for two more sides.

For the pillow:

1. Cut the fringe along the last side.  Place stuffing inside pillow. Tie the fringe strips to close the pillow.
   
   
   
   

For the bag:

1. Cut only the top fabric piece along the line.  The bottom fabric piece will be a flap to cover the top of the bag. 
   
   
   

2. Cut a 3” x 36” strip of fleece for the handle.  From the short end of the strip, cut a 4” slit in the center lengthwise.  Tie the end of the handle around a fringe knot at the top of the bag.  Repeat for the other end of the handle.
   
   
   
   

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