Ahoy, Mateys! {GIVEAWAYS}

I've been researching all things related to parties for weeks now and today's post is about one of my favorite themes of all - pirates!  There are so many fun and easy ideas around throwing a pirate party that it's hard to narrow them down for just one post but I'm going to give it a try.  Let's kick things off with some great sources of inspiration I've found out there.

Bunny Cakes threw an absolutely amazing example for her twins' 5th birthday and what's really great about this bash is that almost all of the elements were handmade.  I love the custom skull and crossbones she used on the invitation.

 
She made all of these fun flags using ribbon, bamboo sticks and wonder under.

They even adorned the cakes.

And they came up with a great activity to keep the kids occupied.  Each guest got a treasure map....

And set off on hunt for booty.

When they found their loot, they could use it in the "Booty Store" to buy treats and toys.

For more pictures and details about Connor and Jackson's pirate party, visit Bunny Cakes.

Another terrific twin buccaneer bash comes from Erin and Aaron for their sons, Mason and Owen.

Guests knew they'd come to the right place when they saw the Jolly Roger flying throughout their backyard.

Food was served in individual bags, adorned with skull and crossbones stickers with matching labels telling what was what.

Using red, black and white tied all of the party elements together. 

I like the whimsical touch of pairing striped plates with polka dot napkins.  It's still a kid's party after all!

And the cake was a perfect!

But that's not all that was in store for the wannabe Captain Jacks!  Just outside their back door, Erin and Aaron set up a "transform yourself into a pirate" station with sashes, eye patches and hooks.

Each box included a spyglass and a treasure map and this checklist helped make sure the kids didn't miss a step.

Once they got into their gear, the kids stepped into a Treasure Island wonderland!  There was a plank to walk (made from a board and two old buckets):

And treasure to dig for in a kiddie pool lined in burlap and filled with sand and goodies.

Each pirate received a list of list of loot to locate in the sand.

Mason and Owen's party had lots more fantastic features which you find here on Erin and Aaron's blog.

Tania McCartney threw Riley a treasure hunt for Riley's 7th birthday party.  Check out the great personalized invitations she made.

The food was all customized to the theme.  Pirate cupcakes:

Chocolate crackle topped with loot.

Skull cookie pops.

 And my personal favorite - pirate jello shots (non-alcoholic, of course)!

Tania even made personalized pirate cups and booty boxes filled with chicken fingers and fries for each buccaneer.

When each sailor arrived aboard the SS Riley, he or she received a bandana, eye patch and brow-pencil stenciled scars and mustaches.

Then they played games including "X Marks the Spot."

And how amazing was the cake Tania made?

Yes, it's sitting in a sea of blue jello!  For more details and a complete how-to for that fabulous cake, visit Tania's blog.

Older kids aren't the only ones who'll appreciate a pirate party.  Vintage Junky threw one for her son's first birthday and it was fun for all!  Instead of the traditional balloons, X marked the party spot.

The cake featured a treasure chest on top that doubled as the birthday boy's smash cake.

The table was decorated with a burlap runner along with wooden swords and empty rum bottles.

And she used sheets to give their outdoor area a boat-like feel.

Who says all pirate parties have to be done in red, black and white?  The TomKat Studio designed this Captain Jack's celebration in shades of blue.

And guess what?  Girls are pirate fans too.  I love the party Honeyflake threw for her piratess.  How great is the custom skull and crossbones with the pigtails?

She made this adorable burlap dress and silk-screened on the party graphic.

They even used it on goodie bags with eye patches, bandanas and telescopes (made from paper towel rolls).

Food included Pirate's booty, of course!

And the guests hunted for loot like wooden coins (created by cutting up an old broomstick), parrot tattoos, handmade seashell necklaces and sand dollars.

Okay, you're probably inspired now.  So how can you pull off a pirate party yourself?  Here are some suggestions.

The invitation for your bash is going to set the tone from the start so why not do something fun?  Paper & Cake can help!  For less than $15, you can buy their printable pirate party pack which includes a customizable invitation, front door sign, birthday banner, cupcake toppers, cake decorations, favor tags, a treasure map craft activity..... You name it, it's part of this pack. I love the Birthday Captain crown.

And all of the other swashbucklers will get party hats of their own.

There are also food labels.

Cupcake wrappers:

And these fun photo frames you can send home as favors.

Paper & Cake makes a Princess Pirate version too in pink and black.

How fun is this banner?

And the favor tags can easily be personalized.

Like what you see?  Enter to win a free printable party from Paper & Cake here.

You can inexpensively outfit your buccaneer and his or her guests in hats, banadanas and eye patches from Oriental Trading.  But to really make your pirate stand out from the crowd, why not get him or her a fun shirt like this one from Jonah Bonah?

Want to win one?  Check out this great Jonah Bonah giveaway!

For activities, you can stage a burlap bag race, like this one I found at Party Perfect.

Or set up a design-your-own pirate ship craft station.

Find the templates and instructions on how to make these cardboard ships on Ikat Bag.

And then there's the cake.  You've seen some crazy confections in this post but here are two more to consider.  I love this fun guy.

You can get the instructions and the template at Betty Crocker.  And this ship looks totally seaworthy!

Get the full how to:

At Parenting.com.

So hoist the Jolly Roger and get ready to plan a pirate party to end all parties!  After writing that post, this wench is ready for a nap.

Images: Bunny Cakes, Erin & Aaron,Tania McCartney, Vintage Junky, The TomKat Studio, Honeyflake, Paper & Cake, Jonah Bonah, Party Perfect,Ikat Bag , Betty Crocker & Parenting.com