After weeks of preparation, the boys’ joint pirate and mermaid birthday party is nearly here. Activity centers filled with crafts and games are mostly finished, and the non-catered food preparation will happen closer to the end of the week.
Since the spirit of a party is in the details, I have been using this downtime to clean up and make a few extras for the party. I always like to include a “photo booth” type area that allows me to catch silly, staged photos of the kids. For the pirate and mermaid theme, I doodled the image below onto a large sheet of cardboard that came with an IKEA table top that I had ordered for my craft room.
The kid below is not doodled. He is mine.
Are you sick of pirate and mermaid themed party crafts, yet? This weekend it is all over, and then we can go back to our regular home decor and kids’ themed DIY projects. (But not until we show off how the party pulled together and all of the details so you can recreate them yourself for a birthday party, Talk Like a Pirate Day, or a themed-unit at school.)
Love the doodled photo booth/cutout! That’s genius! 🙂
Stacy Uncorked recently posted…Daylight Saving Time, Cat-Scratch Fever, Toothpaste Shortage: RTT Rebel
I love the photo booth idea-how clever. But it looks perfect; I’m sure the one I would do would not be perfect. Can you give tips next time on how to do a perfect cardboard cut-out? Thanks,
Estelle
Estelle recently posted…The Flawless-Finish Face Cream I Just Had to Try
Thanks! They really are not too hard at all. The trick is choosing a simple, cartoony character without too many extraneous parts (e.g., arms or little details sticking off of it). I draw it in pencil, fill the color with acrylic paint, and then outline the whole thing in black to make the colors pop. I then use a box cutter to trip off the extra cardboard on the top and to carve out the faces. If your lines are smooth, this will only take a couple minutes. The last step is to attach an empty box or something in the back with duct tape so it stands up on its own!
That is adorable!! Can I rent it after the party? My MOMS club is planning a pirate party and that would be perfect.
Jeannette recently posted…Cut Apples for Toddlers
I LOVE all of your pirate and mermaid posts! You are one rockstar mom! We had a pirate birthday for G last year and it was a blast. They walked the plank, found hidden treasure, played pass the octopus, and hooked pretzels. You are going to have SO much fun!
Lauryn recently posted…Cradle & Thread {Review and Giveaway}
You can have it! Sounds like a fun party….
Heather recently posted…All’s Calm at Sea For Now {Pirate and Mermaid Party Preparations}
Ooh! I wish I could see your party for inspiration!
Heather recently posted…All’s Calm at Sea For Now {Pirate and Mermaid Party Preparations}
That photo booth cutout is fantastic! You are very talented! Any chance you plan to sell them anywhere?
Oh, thank you! They are just doodles on old boxes. If you don’t feel very confident with sketching by hand, you could use an overhead projector to trace your image big! Right now I am working on some backdrops for a carnival…should be interesting!!!!