Neverland 3rd Birthday

Description

Neverland themed birthday party

Design Inspiration

The Disney classic Peter Pan.  I kept the pallet to neutrals of cream, gold and tan with shades of green and pops of red.

Decorating Style

Traditional.  But I like the unpredictable nature of incorporating favorite pieces from other "styles".  I guess I still want to feel like I am mysterious.

Project Details

I made the invitations with inspiration from Swoon Studio.  I used red striped goodie bags from the dollar bins at Michaels as the envelope and cut the feathers from construction paper.

We had invited guests to dress as their favorite Peter Pan character if they wanted.  I was very pleasantly surprised that most did.  Vivianne was Wendy Darling.  I found her dress on Etsy and it was perfect!  My husband and I were Mary Darling and George Darling, respectively.  I dyed and sewed my costume.  For George Darling, I just drew the map from the beginning of the movie when Michael and Jon had drawn on Mr. Darling’s shirt front in chalk before the company party on an old t-shirt.  Some black pants, white button down, brown wig and moustache and he was telling Wendy it was her last night in the nursery in no time!

I made a direction sign out of cardboard pieces (Etsy inspiration) pointing to the Neverland locals laid out in the yard:

Pixie Hollow: I strung twine around the tree trunks and hung the dress-up items with clothes pins.  We had a Peter Pan shirt, wings, pirate hats, Indian headbands, glasses, umbrella and top hat.

Cannibal Cove: Flew a pirate flag and hid a treasure chest pinata in the sandbox.

Crocodile Creek: This was just old blue sheets with a blow-up crocodile, but I knew the kids would love it.  Plus old Tick Tock Croc was hiding a clue for the treasure hunt.

Indian Camp: I made a tee pee out of an old sheet and some boards.  We had a birch log set in the garage, so I stuffed it with red cellophane and it turned out pretty cute.

As the kids arrived they were given a bag with either pixie wings and a wand (hand-crafted) or a pirate hat and a hook (oriental trading) to wear during the party.

I had a snack table set up with Pirate's Bootie, chocolate chip cookies, CROC-amole and chips, Ahoy Ma-TEA and Pixie Punch.  We also had juice boxes, soda and water.  I stripped the labels off the water bottles and used duct tape in coordinating colors to wrap around where the label had been.

I had originally set up an obstacle course (walk the plank, swab the deck, balancing a sword on your head) in exchange for free tattoos from Capt. Hook - as with most best laid plans this also went astray.

For lunch the adults had croissant sandwiches, potato salad, fruit and caesar salad.  The kids had “Second Star to the Right Sandwiches” (turkey and cheese shaped like stars), Go Go Squeeze Apple Sauce (this was really just because the pouches are green and matched the pallet - but they ended up being a big hit), and orange slice pirate ships on blue jello water (pirate flag picks: Hobby Lobby).  I decorated the kitchen island after the London sky.  I made clouds out of pillow batting and wire hangers.  The Big Ben just came to me when I saw that long, slender box in the garage one day.  I had originally just planned on putting the picture of the Darling children with Peter Pan on the clock face on one side, drawing some lines.  But the husband went to task with the details - the sides of the box are just photocopies on brown paper of a drawing he did glued on - and we ended up with this amazing structure.

After lunch I led the kids on a treasure hunt.  They had 6 clues that led them back and forth over the yard to the treasure.  The final stop was at Cannibal Cove - they lifted the lid to the sandbox and uncovered, well, a treasure chest; a pinata, stuffed with ring pops, bead necklaces, rings, pencils, diamond ring shaped erasers, pirate coins, gems, small rubber crocodiles, fruit snacks, fruit rolls and yogurt raisins.  Most of the goodies for the pinata are from Amazon and the 99 cent store.

After the hunt and pinata we had cake.  The idea for the flying Pan characters came from Miss Party Mom.  After opening presents our guests received one more goodie bag before the left, a cellophane bag filled with a wooden crocodile to paint (Michaels) - I took the original label off and fashioned my own birthday greeting, a compass (Hobby Lobby) to find their way back to Neverland, a small jar of Pixie Dust (bottle & tag: Hobby Lobby), a CD I made from the movie soundtrack, and a small pouch of pirate loot (a bead necklace, rings, gems, a crocodile, and pirate tattoos) just in case they missed anything from the pinata and a Peter Pan hat.  I found the pattern at sew in harmony.  They were quicker to cut and sew than you would imagine.

The infants received a small green ball and link-a-doos in yellow, orange, and green and the toddlers received a green and white beach ball, plastic-cast animal and compass.

Favorite Items

I really enjoyed this party, that's hard.  One is definitely Big Ben and the London sky.  My daughters face when she saw it come together was priceless.  And the goodie bags I guess.  I love the packaging - the CD, the crocodile.  But the Pixie Dust and compass are my real favs.

Advice

For me, it's making the decisions.  I love the brainstorming process and can get myself wrapped up in too many details.  If you love an idea, really love an idea 3 months out, you are going to love it 4 days out - so just make the decision, start crafting and save yourself some sleep that week before.  Oh, and HAVE FUN!