CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Craft activities are great for children's birthday parties, so whether you're looking for craft ideas to help you with your preparations when you're hosting a children's birthday party, or whether you're having a craft party theme, I've got some great craft activities for you to make and have fun with.

Whenever you're organising children's birthday parties you know how important it is to ensure that you don't overlook something and spoil the occasion, so to help you I've put together a Free Guide entitled "How to organise a successful kids birthday party" and it's yours free with my compliments. 

The craft activities here can be made either in advance of the birthday party, or during the birthday party itself, and they are all easy to do and great fun.

Happy crafting!

• White or light-coloured thick paper or thin card
• Foam or paper shapes or stickers or old greetings cards or magazines
• Pencil, scissors, ruler, glue, felt-tip pens or coloured pencils

1. Cut rectangles of paper or card approximately 15cm x 10cm and fold in half lengthways.
2. Stick on foam or paper shapes or stickers to decorate and add a guest's name with pens or pencils. You could also decorate the cards with small pictures cut from old greetings cards or magazines, or perhaps draw balloons or a birthday cake. The possibilities are endless!

• A5 thin card or thick paper for each guest
• Pencil, scissors, felt-tip pens or coloured pencils

1. Fold card in half (short edge to short edge to make A6).
2. Draw a flower and flower pot outline against the fold.



3. Cut round the shape but not along the fold.



4. Decorate with pens or pencils and add the guest's name to both sides. You could use different coloured card for each guest.
5. Make a slit between the lower 2 petals to allow the flower to hang on the side of the guest's cup or tumbler when you set the birthday party table.

• Thin card or thick paper in assorted colours
• Pencil, scissors, felt-tip pens or coloured pencils

1. Draw and cut out flower or butterfly shapes from the card or paper.
2. Decorate with felt-tip pens or coloured pencils and add a guest's name to each.
3. Make a slit in each shape so that it will slip over the rim of a cup or glass when you set the birthday party table.

CLOWN PLACE NAMES

• A5 thin card or thick paper for each guest
• Pencil, scissors, felt-tip pens or coloured pencils

1. Fold card in half (short edge to short edge to make A6).
2. Draw a clown outline against the fold.

 



 

3. Cut round the shape but not along the fold.
4. Decorate with pens or pencils and add the guest's name to both sides. You could use different coloured card for each guest.



 

5. Hang on the side of the guest's cup or tumbler when you set the party table.

Drinking Straw Place Names

• Drinking straws
• Paper shapes
• Felt-tip pens or coloured pencils
• Sticky tape

1. Cut out shapes from coloured paper or thin card, eg flowers or stars.
2. Add a guest's name with felt-tip pens or coloured pencils.
3. Attach near the top of the straw with sticky tape.

You will need:

• Paper in assorted colours
• Ruler, pencil, scissors and glue

1. From an assortment of coloured paper cut:

• 12 strips approximately 2cm x 30cm and
• 12 strips approximately 2cm x 27.5cm.

1. Lay out the 12 shorter strips vertically side by side.
2. Weave one of the longer strips between the shorter strips near the bottom of the row of shorter strips and use a little glue to secure in place.
3. Weave each of the rest of the longer strips between the shorter strips one at a time, as shown, alternating colours to form the design of your choice.
4. Use a little more glue to secure the strips where they meet at the edges of your place mat.
5. Trim the edges to neaten your place mat.
6. Add a name on each place mat by cutting and adding a paper rectangle (measuring approximately 8cm x 5cm) as shown.

coasters

Make some coasters in the same way as the place mats described above, but use 5 strips of paper approximately 2cm x 13cm and 5 strips approximately 2cm x 11.5cm.

Cone-shaped BIRTHDAY Party Hats

• Paper or thin card in assorted colours
• Pair of compasses or circular object to draw round
• Pencil, scissors, ruler, glue or sticky tape, felt-tip pens or coloured pencils
• Foam or paper shapes or stickers
• Thin elastic

1. Cut out a circle from the coloured paper or card. The larger the radius of the circle, the larger the hat. Small hats suitable for children can be made with a 10cm radius circle which allows you to use A4 sheets of card or paper.
2. Make two cuts from the circumference to the centre of the circle to take out a segment like slicing a cake. The smaller the segment, the flatter the hat.
3. Glue or tape the two edges of the hat together to make a cone shape.
4. Make two holes opposite each other near the base of the hat, thread in a piece of elastic and knot in place on the outside of the hat.
5. Decorate the hat with foam or paper shapes, stickers, felt-tip pens or coloured pencils, perhaps according to the theme of your party, if you have one.
6. Hats can be made before the birthday party or during the birthday party as one of the activities.