Hosting a Fairy Tale Birthday Party for Little Girls

If you are looking to create a memorable birthday for a little girl, a Pixie Production can definitely bring in the magic. Using fairies as a theme is perfect for the little darling who loves pink, ballerinas and all things girly. This party also has many ways for your daughter to get engaged in the preparation, which is half the fun! Best of all, this 2-hour party (which includes no meal) can be done on a budget. So, if you have a birthday party around the corner and are looking to invent a fairy tale, check out these ideas - beginning to end - full of giggles and glitter for your little princess.

(Don't miss the check list at the end, which will help you pull it altogether without missing a twinkle.)

Set Up
On the invitations, suggest that everyone wear their fairy best. This sets the expectation for all girls coming - that fairy magic waits. In addition, some parents may get into the theme for the gift, or the way they dress their little girl. It can help make for very cute pictures.

Dress Up
Little girls love "dress up." So, give them a fairy make-over upon arrival. Make or buy tutus for each girl. If you know how to sew, this can be really inexpensive with 1/2 inch elastic, pink tulle and a pink satin ribbon to tie them in the back. Next, purchase fairy wings to complete the look. This may be the biggest expense, depending on the number invited. But keep in mind, you are having this at home, or a park and not providing a meal.

The final touch of the outfit is a wand, which can easily be made from sticks. Gather 2 foot sticks from your yard with your daughter. Cut stars out of foam, or buy foam stars. Cover the stars with glitter and hot glue them to the stick. All of this "dress up" makes little girls so happy and with all of them in "uniform," birthday pictures are sure to turn out with extra snap!

As the girls arrive, have your birthday girl decked out and share the outfits with her friends. This helps get everyone in a party spirit right away!

Photo Op and Face Painting
Two things you can do while you wait for all of your guests to arrive: take a flying photo and face painting.

Your goal is to get a picture of every fairy flying. Once they are dressed, guide them over for a flying picture! Set up a log or something several feet off the ground the girls can safely jump down from. (The bottom few steps of a porch work too. Improvise!) Ideally, a trampoline would be fabulous if you have one, even an exercise trampoline. Have the darling take a jump down in her outfit and snap away. It might be a good idea to take a couple (have her jump again.) This way, you are more likely to get a great shot. These pictures can be used on a personalized "thank you" card later to that girl.

If you have an artistic friend, sister or grandmother, fairy face painting is a hit! Buy a few craft paints if you don't have any and set up a face painting station. Paint simple flowers and swirling stems on one cheek of the girl. This really completes the look and takes a little time as you wait for all to arrive.

The Gathering Place
To set the mood for a fabulous affair, the perfect setting must be created. The gathering place might be best suited outside, since everyone knows fairies live in forests. Use any outdoor structure to cover your table setting - for a tea party. A four-post tent works great. If you don't have one, consider borrowing. Many families have tents for the beach or sporting events. Perhaps you have, or know of, a Gazebo where the party can be held. That would be perfect. Whatever your structure, be sure to buy lots of tulle. Wind it around everything and use wide pink satin ribbon as tie backs. When the wind blows, the airy scene of flight will be set!

The Table
Cover your table with a white or pink tablecloth. Doilies add a very dainty effect for placemats. Make sure there are fresh flowers on the table (which can be fun to pick and tuck in a ponytail) and enough teacups and saucers for every guest. Use your child's toy teacups, or teacups of your own, or family members. They don't have to match. It's not a dinner party. These are kids. So mix and match if you have to.

Fill teapots with lemonade (which your daughter can help make) and allow the girls pour their own. Something about using a teapot really makes them feel grown-up and fancy. Be sure to do a pinky-high toast for the birthday girl.

For the cutest chairs ever, use tree logs turned on their side, like a stump (see picture)- perfect for perching and a good height for fairy behinds! Make little butterfly's with your daughter out of construction paper, or colored typing paper. These can be tacked into the wood of the stool. Making butterflies is an easy project to get your birthday girl in the spirit.

The Games
Fairy, Fairy, Toad
"Fairy, Fairy, Toad" can be played using the rules of "Duck, Duck, Goose." To give the game its own spin, have the child who is "it" hold a wand, as described in the previous paragraphs. This keeps the game in theme and allows the one who is "it", to feel like the Fairy Godmother, tapping girls on the head with her sparkling star. This is a great way to start the party, using the wands and getting everyone smiling. Once they are all wound up and ready to run, time to hunt for Pixie Dust!

Hunt for Pixie Dust
Hide Pixie Stix everywhere and like an Easter egg hunt, have the girls search for them. This game is the greatest, because it requires minimal set up - and takes a while to execute. A sibling of the birthday girl would probably be happy to help hide the sticks and because a Pixie Stix is so slim, they can go almost anywhere. Their color helps them to be easily found, too. Refer to the Pixie Stix as "fairy dust" for that extra pizzazz. Bubbles can also be hidden and provide a lot of fun (and good pictures) after they are found. Many stores sell party packs of small bubbles. Those are perfect for the masses.

After all of this running, have the girls come to the table to calm down and get a drink. (Remember: let them pour their own from the teapots.)

Butterfly Craft
Now that the kids have come to the table, it is a perfect time to address the group as everyone settles. While they are waiting their turn to pour their own lemonade into their teacups, you can explain the craft. Just the word "craft" gets most little girls excited.

Look online for cute butterfly crafts. There are 100's that cost next to nothing to do with kids. This is a quiet activity, but allows the girls to talk and to create! As the craft winds down, light the candles and prep to sing to the Birthday Girl.

The Cake
This is a no brainer. A fairy cake can be bought at any bakery or grocery store. If you make your own cake, buy a figurine of a fairy, or Tinkerbelle and surround her with glittering sprinkles. Wah-lah! While the girls have cake, encourage your daughter to open presents (after she has enjoyed her cake), so the friends can all share what they brought.

The Favors
Great party favors for a fairy party could include anything Tinkerbelle. Fairy coloring books are also an easy, inexpensive score. But, a great idea is to purchase each girl a fairy charm and buy thin twine at a craft store. As each girl leaves, give her a fairy necklace to remember the party by. Goodie bags can add up! Often times, a simple, more substantial give-away is the way to go.

Yes, this party is the stuff fairy tales are made of. And when you kiss your princess goodnight, with a year-older-smile on her face...it will all be worth it! After all, little fairies are only little once.

Fairy Godmothers Checklist:

O - Tulle
O - 3" Pink Satin Ribbon
O - Tutu - Tulle, Elastic, 3" Pink Satin Ribbon
O - Wings
O - Wand - Sticks, Foam, Glitter, Hot Glue
O - Craft Paint (Green, Yellow, Pink), Paint Brush
O - Logs for Seats
O - Fresh Flowers
O - Table Cloth and Doilies
O - Tea Cups and Saucers and Teapots
O - Lemonade
O - Pixie Sticks
O - Butterfly Craft
O - Fairy Cake
O - Fairy Charms, Twine, Fairy Coloring Book