Everyone has a show that they want to watch with no interruption and complete silence. For my daughter, “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” is that show. So when her second birthday rolled around there was no question what her party theme would be. Those who know me know that I prefer to make our decorations and meals from scratch. There is nothing like that personal touch. So I set out on a search for the best possible ideas to make her party everything she could dream of without breaking the bank.
Decorations
Use one large bowl and one medium size bowl to trace the circular shape of Mickey’s head to make cut out shapes out of cardboard. Paint them all black and then add a pink bow with paint or ribbon to make some of them Minnie Mouse cut outs. Poke a hole in the top of the head, between the ears, to put wire or string through to hang them with. A simple pink or red plastic table cloth will do nicely on the cake table. Along with a combination of black and either pink or red, depending on your table cloth choice, plates, and napkins.
Desserts
I have always loved the idea of using cupcakes instead of a larger cake. It makes for individual servings, which for smaller children is much easier. For my daughter I used a basic boxed cake, homemade buttercream frosting and Oreo cookies. I frosted them, placed one large Oreo toward the middle of the top of the cupcake, and two bite-size Oreo’s on top of the larger one for ears. You could also add a small bow to the top for Minnie Mouse cupcakes out of tinted frosting or gel. If you would like to skip cake or would like another dessert option, dip one large Oreo about half way into melted red chocolate and then set it to dry on wax paper. Use white frosting to attach two small Oreo’s on top of the larger one for ears. Finally, place two small white dots of frosting toward the top of the red chocolate on the big cookie for buttons.
Game Time
Print off medium size pictures of all of the show’s characters and hide them around the party area for a game of hide and seek. Print out and laminate a larger picture of Minnie or Mickey, and then cut out a bow tie shape. Set out crayons and the bow ties for the kids to color and then play a game of pin the bow on Mickey or Minnie. Obviously the bow will need to go on top for Minnie or on bottom for Mickey.
Creating your own pinata is easier than you might think. Use the same pattern as you did for your hanging decorations to cut out two Mickey head shapes. Then cut a strip of cardboard long enough to go from ear to ear around the head shape. You will tape the two pieces together with the strip in the middle to hold the whole thing together and make a space for the candy. Cover the whole thing with tissue paper or crepe paper. Fill about half way and hang low enough for little ones to take a swing.
Creating your own party items will not only save money, but will ensure you are creating lasting memories for you and your toddler.
