Party like a PRINCESS
A birthday party, tea party or perhaps even a ‘Disney on Ice’ pre-party… DIY damsels won’t be short of excuses to throw a princess party this month, writes Omeshnie Naidoo
PARTIES are great fun, except when they break the piggy bank. For parents, it’s a fine-tuned skill to balance the “oh-so trendy” with the budgetfriendly. You want to impress without having to hire unicorns.
And FYI, there’s nothing worse than deciding on a theme and then rushing out to purchase every branded paper cup, balloon and banner.
Ditch the commercial, forgettable decor and get creative – it is something you can involve your kids in and will make for a far more authentic little soirée. Set the scene with a pretty table.
Use what you have on hand. Dress up a small round table with a puffy ballgown or skirt and top it with a cardboard cut-out of the princess you have in mind.
Just have a regular table cloth? Print out motifs, snowflakes for example, and sprinkle the table with them. Add tasty treats. I prefer popcorn and fruit to sweets. Make a magic wand with skewered fruit. For the star use a cookie cutter on kiwi or watermelon. Colour your popcorn in the theme colour.
Forget about decorate-your-own-cupcake stations, an excellent idea for a table activity is an edible DIY kit. For Frozen Olaf – a couple of white marshmallows, chocolate sticks and chocolate chips, and one orange sweet will do the trick.
As a keepsake, slime is pretty last year. Think Sofia the First gems (actually made from soap).
Which would-be princess wouldn’t want that?
For a visually impressive cake, you could stand three round cake stands one on top of the other. Fill the bottom two layers with cupcakes and the top with a shop-bought cake or one you’ve baked.
You could also top a regular round cake with a plastic tiara or create a trendy doughnut cake by simply stacking them.
If you are forking out for a special cake, think back to the doll cakes of your childhood – they’re back! This time around the skirts are in ombre rosettes or frills made from fondant. Just ensure you buy the doll and your child can have it afterwards.
While playing princess is fun, most of us don’t want to raise one. Use every opportunity to show your little ones that happiness isn’t charged and coated in candy.