Tiny Party = Big Fun

There's nothing small about turning 8 (Noah said, "It's life-changing.")...unless you are throwing a tiny party. When I asked Natalie what kind of party she wanted, she said, "tiny." Tiny. I love this girl who knows just how to put my creativity into overdrive.

Since Party City doesn't offer a "tiny" collection, I had my work cut out for me. And, I must admit I felt a little pressure to perform.  Every year I feel her moving just a tiny bit further away from me and I know my mom-made party days are numbered.

Natalie was pretty insistent about making her own invites.  But, I enjoyed watching her work and create special cards for her friends.  Using trading card-size paper, she dipped found objects into paint to create funky textures and designs.  I used Avery address labels to type up the party business info using a tiny 8pt font.  We sealed the invites in several layers of envelopes  -- each one a little bigger than the last.

 Party-goers entered via a tiny door we constructed from a cardboard box. Thank you, Lemke's TV & Appliance!

The party sign came from a prize she won for selling Girl Scout cookies.
Steve fashioned the handle using a piece of ribbon.

As the girls trickled in, we played mini Jenga (from Dollar Tree) and Finger Twister (thanks to Later Gator Crafts templates)

Natalie and I made a tiny party banner by decorating Avery address labels with colored markers.  Next, we folded them in half over a piece of twine and I cut each one into a triangle shape. 
The party hats were actually cake toppers I found in the 75% off section of Michael’s $1 for 12 hats.

We  played "what's in the box". 
Each girl was tasked with guessing what 15 tiny items were in the box. 
Such a simple idea but they loved it!

For crafts we made elf donuts and mini vial necklaces. The donuts were made from Cheerios.  We  rolled them in powdered sugar and frosted them with a bit of Nutella and rainbow sprinkles.  Each girl received an elf-sized Dunkin Donuts box to tote their tiny treat home. Thank you, Pinterest!

For the necklaces, I ordered mini glass vials with cork tops through eBay for about 50 cents a piece.  I brought lots of odds n' ends from my caboodle of craft supplies including sequins, glitter, grass, sea shells and beans painted blue to look like a robin's egg and beach sand (thanks to my FL transplant friend, Michelle).  The craft was simple, fill the container with a bit of stuff then add clear Elmer's glue and voila!

 

Steve took pictures of each girl sitting on a small chair.  We used a black, plastic tablecloth as a backdrop.  My brother's father-in-law worked his Photoshop magic to make them appear tiny and regal. 
Each girl will receive their tiny photo as a thank you gift.
Thank you, Art!

For dessert, the girls enjoyed mini layered cakes with yellow cake and vanilla buttercream.  I baked the cake in a jelly roll pan and cut out circles using a 1.5" cookie cutter.  To add to the tiny fun, I served the cakes with mini appetizer forks.

To run off some of their sugar rush energy, we played a game I called "seek n'find" relay.  I divided the girls into two teams.  At the opposite end of the room, sat two buckets filled with uncooked rice and half a dozen hidden objects.  Each girl received a slip of paper -- on it was written the name of the object she was to find before running back to tag the next person on her team.  They enjoyed this game so much -- we played it twice!

For being good sports, Natalie handed out little medals. 
I overhead a couple of girls shout, "I'm a winner!"
$1 for a pack of 8 - thanks again, Dollar Tree!

Lastly, I read Thumblelina by Amy Ehrlich. 
For many of the girls, it was the first time they had heard the tale and they were mesmerized by the story.

While the party was tiny, I didn't have to break the bank.  It's turns out BIG fun only requires a little imagination.