How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party! {Part 2}

Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away....

I've had that song stuck in my since I posted part one of How To Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party last week and why wouldn't I?  Visions of Cookie Monster and Big Bird and Oscar have been dancing in my head ever since.  I guess I should get used to it since it's time for part two!

My last post covered invitations, decorations and food, but what are you going to do with all of those Bert & Ernie lovers once the party starts?  I love this "Pin the Nose on Elmo" game that Melissa from Honey Scrap made for just 50 cents using poster board and construction paper.

There were two great activities at the party thrown by Libby from Libby's Little Addiction - make-your-own Sesame puppets, using foam cut out with scalloped circle punches, googly eyes, popsicle sticks and pom poms:

And this super cute "Toss Oscar in the Garbage Can" game:

Libby painted clothespins to look like Oscar (and even included a little Slimey worm!) and decorated paper bags to look like garbage cans.  Genius!

Jami from Freckled Laundry made this cookie-tastic pinata out of a paper bag and crepe paper for just $1!  You could probably make all of the characters using her simple tutorial.

I found another fun and inexpensive idea over on And Everything Sweet, where Kate set up a fake tattoo parlor for her daughter Olivia's birthday. {Psst- you can get 72 temporary Sesame Street tattoos for $7 at Oriental Trading!}

She also made this amazing photo stand where the kiddos could take a turn being Ernie.

Once the food has been eaten and the games are done, it's time for cake!  The Hudson Street sign on this one from Jenny Cookies is too cute.

Effi from Le Petit Party used fondant characters on her son's cake.

Over on And Everything Sweet, that term was an understatement when it came to Olivia's confection, which featured a huge cupcake on top!

But who says you have to have a cake?  You can keep it simple like Melissa from Honey Scrap, who made an Elmo out of cupcakes. 

Unfortunately, after the candles have been blown out, it can only mean one thing - the party's over.  But don't send your guests home empty handed!  Cookies shaped like the birthday boy or girl's age and initial (this party brought to you by the letter "H" and the number "2") are a fun favor, like these from Jenny Cookies:

And the character pails from Olivia's party on And Everything Sweet would also be fab.

I don't know where they're from but they look like they'd be pretty simple to DIY.

That's not what party goers at Olivia's party received, though.  Elmo inspired the actual favors:

Much to some parents' chagrin, when they left with his two favorite things - crayons and a real goldfish!

Want to do something similar but simpler?  These chocolate-covered Oreo Goldfish pops from Domesticated Lady will probably go over a little better with the 'rents.

And while we're making Elmo's picks edible, why not tackle crayons too?

Jenn from Parties by Hardie shows you how to make edible crayons (hint: they're pretzel rods dipped in chocolate):

And there's also a free printable for the wrappers!

So there you have it - what to do, what to eat and what to give out at your Sesame Street birthday bash.  Hmmmm, it seems like I'm forgetting something.  What could it be?  Of course!  What to wear!

There are tons of adorable Sesame Street outfits, shirts and dresses on Etsy and elsewhere but I'll leave you with two of my favorite ideas.  I adore these darling appliqued shirts from Peanut and Pumpkin Design.

How cute are the names and ages on the back?

Sara can make almost any character and you can pair the shirts with tutus, jeans or whatever. 

And if you're feeling a little crafty yourself, give these hats from Crafts by Amanda a go.  The how to is super simple.

Come to think of it, they'd make cute favors too!

So there you have it - How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party!  I hope you've enjoyed these posts.  If you have some Sesame ideas you want to share, post them in the comments and I'll include them in the future.  And stay tuned for our next "Ultimate Party" post on rock star bashes!  If you have something that ties into this theme that you think I should include, shoot me an e-mail at afomft@gmail.com.

Images: Honey Scrap, Libby's Little Addiction, And Everything Sweet, Freckled Laundry, Jenny Cookies, Le Petit Party, Domesticated Lady, Parties by Hardie, Peanut and Pumpkin Design & Crafts by Amanda

How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party! {Part 1}

I've gotten quite a few e-mails over the past few weeks asking for inspiration for Sesame Street-themed parties.  Well, as Abby Cadabby might say, your wish is my command!

First up - invitations.  You can go the DIY route and make something fun like these Cookie Monster invites from Jami at Freckled Laundry.

Can you believe she hand-made all of these from wash clothes?

And Libby at Libby's Little Addiction used a scalloped paper punch and other scrapbooking tools to make these adorable cards.

If you're looking for something a little less labor intensive, Etsy is filled with tons of fun printable options.  A few of my faves?  This colorful and modern take from Anders Ruff.

The sassy polka dot version from Less Ordinary Designs.

And this bright invite featuring the character of your choice from Shindig Parties to Go.

Once you've got the invitations squared away, it's on to the next piece of the part puzzle - decorations.

You can easily set the tone for the party from the time the guests pull up!  Kerri from Elle Belle's Bows cut out these Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster tracks to lead party goers up to her front door.

And a client of Anders Ruff made this rainbow balloon wreath (here's a how to from How Does She) to welcome everyone....

To Owen Street. 

Notice the 1 on top for his first birthday.  Adorable!

What I love most about a Sesame Street theme is that it's based in bold, primary colors, which means you don't need to go over-the-top with decorations featuring the characters.  Take this bash thrown by Effi of Le Petit Party, which was featured on Amy Atlas. 

Most of the elements are done in simple, solid colors which you can easily create inexpensively on your own, allowing you to splurge on things like the Sesame Street cake and cupcakes.

Jenn from Hostess With the Mostess did something similar when she styled a party for Nancy O'Dell's daughter, Ashby's, birthday.

She created a giant candy buffet filled with solid colored treats, and interspersed framed photos of the characters as well as small plush dolls (similar ones can be found for $2 at Target) to bring in the theme.  I love how whimsical it all looks!

Even something as simple as grouping red, blue, yellow and green balloons like these from Lemiga Events gives you that Sesame Street vibe.

 
Want to add a little more pizzazz? Throw some polka dots into the mix too, like Jenny from Jenny Cookies did for her son, Hudson's birthday (she used the invitation from Less Ordinary Designs that I featured above, along with all of the coordinating printables).

Kate from And Everything Sweet used a solid backdrop, a polka dot garland and an assortment of rainbow colored tissue poms for her daughter's party. {learn how to make the poms here at Martha Stewart}

She also dressed up the kid's tables by adding colorful balloons and adorable DIY party hats.

Aren't they fun?

And while we're on the topic of tables, let's turn our attentions to what I think one of the most fun parts about a Sesame Street party is - the food!

It's so easy to stay on theme by serving items that the inhabitants of Sesame Street like to eat, like Eleven Cupcakes did here - goldfish for Dorothy, cookies for Cookie Monster and pizza for Elmo.  And the street sign labels she used are a wonderful touch!

Libby at Libby's Little Addiction used cookie cutters on the food at her daughter Caroline's 2nd birthday, which, appropriately, was being brought to guests by the letter C and the number 2.

She also cut the sandwiches into shapes.

At the Elle Belle's Bows bash, there were jars of Slimy's Pudding. 

And alphabet and number Jello jigglers.

And every party needs a signature drink, right?  So serve up some of this non-alcoholic Rubber Ducky Punch from Tidy Mom in Ernie's honor!

When it comes to sweet treats, Bakerella has a tutorial for these fabulous Sesame Street cake pops.

You can also make some cute character chocolate lollipops like these from And Everything Sweet.

And of course you're going to want some cupcakes!

Get the how to for these Cookie Monster cuties at Complete Deelite.

And Lovely Sprinkles has terrific tutes for almost all of the Sesame peeps, including my fave, Grover.

Now what are you going to do with the kiddos once they're hopped up on all of that sugar?  I've got tons of Sesame Street themed activities, plus fun favor ideas and more coming tomorrow in Part 2 of How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party.  You won't want to miss it.

And if you need help with a party theme, send me an e-mail at afomft@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do!


Images: Freckled Laundry, Libby's Little Addiction, Anders Ruff, Less Ordinary Designs, Shindig Parties To Go, Elle Belle's Bows, Le Petit Party, Hostess With the Mostess, Lemiga Events, Jenny Cookies, And Everything Sweet, Eleven Cupcakes, Tidy Mom, Bakerella, Complete Deelite & Lovely Sprinkles

Easy & Inexpensive DIY Easter Bags Tutorial

See these personalized Easter bags?

They cost less than $5 each and took about 15 minutes to make.  Want to know more?  Then head on over to one of my favorite blogs, 30 Handmade Days, where I'm guest posting, for the full how to.  You can tweak this project to make so many different things - shirts, onesies, tote bags, hats.... you name it, you can personalize it easily and inexpensively.  How fun is that?

And while you're there, be sure to check out all of the fun projects that Mique shares. Some of my recent faves?  The Hoppy Easter Cupcake Printables:

Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats:

And this fun "I'm Sew Lucky" Printable idea that makes me want to throw a crafting party just so I can give these out as favors:

And there's so much more where those came from!  So head on over and check out my DIY Easter Bag tutorial and all of the other projects at 30 Handmade Days.

AND THE WINNER IS....

Congratulations LORI A!  You've won a copy of Sarah Pekkanen's new book Skipping a Beat!

Please e-mail me at afomft@gmail.com by end of day Friday, April 8th to claim your prize. If I do not hear from you by then, a new winner will be chosen. 

Big thanks to Sarah Pekkanen for generously offering this wonderful giveaway!  If you haven't already, be sure to check out Shipping a Beat and her other novel, The Opposite of Me.  You can read my reviews of both here - I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Show Me the Bling! {GIVEAWAY}

I've posted about lilsteinstyles featuring sam-n-i several times before, but I love their adorable and wallet-friendly clothing so much that I just had to share their latest design with you.  Behold the Gold Chain Initial tee:

I mean really!  Can you stand it?  This bad boy comes in sizes ranging from 0-3 months for lil' ballers:

To 12-14 for teens who want a little bling.  And here's my favorite part - they're just $9 each!  I think they're technically meant for boys, but I don't care - Gabrielle and Alaina are going to ROCK these big time.  Now I just need to get them some Adidas....

And two of you are going to be blinging big time, too, because lilsteinstyles featuring sam-n-i has generously offered to give away TWO Gold Chain Initial Tees to TWO different AFOMFT readers!  That's right - we'll be picking two winners who will get two shirts each.  To enter, visit lilsteinstyles and post a comment here telling me what your favorite item in the store is besides the Gold Initial Tees (this is mandatory).  For additional entries:

• Publicly follow the lilsteinstyles blog Then There Was Five
• "Like" AFOMFT on Facebook 
• "Like" lilsteinstyles on Facebook and leave a comment that A Few of My Favorite Things sent you.
• Follow lilsteinstyles & AFOMFT on Twitter (@lilsteinstyles & @AFOMFT or click the birdie icon on the sidebar) and tweet this post by clicking the graphic above or this giveaway:  #Win two blinged out Gold Chain Initial tees for your kiddos from @lilsteinstyles at @AFOMFT- http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT
• Click here - - to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs and post a comment here that you did. You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to post one comment for each one.
• Blog or post on Facebook about this giveaway with a link to this post (worth 2 entries so please post two comments) and make sure your comments include a link to your status or blog post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (two if you've blogged about the giveaway) and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. All entries must be posted on AFOMFT as a direct comment to this post.  Comments on Facebook will not count as entries.  This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and ends April 12th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on April 13th. If the winner doesn't contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

Images: lilsteinstyles

Easter & Springtime: They're in the Cards {GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT}

If you read AFOMFT regularly, you know all too well that I love to send photo cards.  Valentine's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas - you name the holiday and I'll dress Gabrielle and Alaina up and make sure we have a picture to send out for it.  So I was super excited to see the new Easter card designs from Pear Tree Greetings.  How cute is this one with the butterfly silhouettes?

You can also go more traditional with a sweet bunny.

Or a darling duckie.

Easter not your thing?  Don't worry - Pear Tree has some adorable Spring Fling cards too.  This one is perfect to celebrate April showers:

 
Which bring, as you know, May flowers!

C'mon, admit it - you totally want to follow my lead and start sending out photo cards for every occasion, don't you? Then you're in luck because we've got a giveaway and a discount that will help you do just that!

Pear Tree Greetings has generously offered to give away a $20 credit toward anything in their store.  Graduation announcements, birth announcements, birthday invitations, thank you notes - you can apply it toward anything you want!  To enter, post a comment here telling me what you love most about Easter or springtime (this is mandatory). For additional entries:

• Visit Pear Tree Greetings and post a comment telling me what you'll put the credit toward if you win.
• Subscribe to AFOMFT or let us know you are a subscriber
• "Like" AFOMFT on Facebook
• Follow Pear Tree Greetings & AFOMFT on Twitter (@PearTreeGrtngs & @AFOMFT or click the birdie icon on the sidebar) and tweet this post by clicking the graphic above or this giveaway: #Win a $20 credit to @PearTreeGrtngs at @AFOMFT - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT
• Click here - - to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs and post a comment here that you did. You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to post one comment for each one.
• Grab our button and put it on your blog or website and post a link here showing us.
• Blog or post on Facebook about this giveaway with a link to this post (worth 2 entries so please post two comments) and make sure your comments include a link to your status or blog post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (two if you've blogged about the giveaway) and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. All entries must be posted on AFOMFT as a direct comment to this post. Comments on Facebook will not count as entries. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends April 11th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on April 12th. If the winner does not contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

If you can't wait to order your Easter cards from Pear Tree Greetings, use code EASTER11 to get 10% off your order of $25 or more!  Happy shopping!

Please note that I am a Pearista, which means I have partnered with Pear Tree Greetings to offer great giveaways and discounts to my readers. I do not receive any monetary compensation from them but they will occasionally send me free product to try out. Whether I choose to post about their company or not is totally up to me and my opinion of their products is solely based on my experience using them.

Images: Pear Tree Greetings