When Kate Landers Events, LLC challenged her readers with a party design contest (that you can read about here), I debated about whether or not to even enter. Then I was lying in bed one night and an idea just hit me. So I jumped up, went into our office and started typing away on the computer. Here is the idea that I came up with, and since I'm not the winner or a runner up, I am able to share with you the party that lived in my head for a total of two hours. I hope you enjoy and may you be inspired as well!
Theme - 1930 Girl Corn-husk Doll Birthday Party (country vibe - set in the Midwest of the United States for a nine year old). Because this year was the start of the Great Depression, I tried to keep everything as simple and rustic as possible.
Colors - Red and purple (colors based off of calico fabric of small red and purple flowers on a cream background). I was inspired by this retro fabric found here http://www.infantandkidsfabric.ecrater.com/p/7678484/rjr-everything-but-the-kitchen.
Invitation Design & Wording - Individually handwritten notes in beautiful and careful penmanship on brown wrapping-paper and carefully centered and glued to plain white paper that is one inch larger than the brown wrapping-paper. "Please join Jane on Saturday at our little house in the country, to celebrate her ninth birthday." Each invitation rolled up and tied with a bow using one inch red & purple calico fabric strips. Invitations hand delivered to each party guest.
Cake Design - "Vanity Cake". I took the recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/Vanity-Cakes-162057. Stack these little individual honey-colored cakes that are dusted in powdered sugar in a pyramid on top of each other and place them on a square of the red & purple calico fabric that is lining a cake stand. Red & purple calico fabric square corners hang generously off of the cake stand but do not quite touch tablecloth. Various wild flowers artfully arranged sporadically among the tiers of individual cakes.
Decorations - One main focal point of decorations for the party, and it will be the party table. Wild flowers (Chicory, Common Blue Violet, Spring Larkspur, Sampson's Snakeroot, Wild Bergamot, Columbine, Red Clover, Star of Bethlehem, Mayweed) in canning jars. Bows tied around the tops of the jars made out of one inch red & purple calico fabric strips. Red-checked tablecloth. Center of table is the cake stand with the cake(s). Underneath cake stand a square of plain white muslin or white lace. Four or Five wild flower jars (total eight or ten jars) on either side of the cake stand down middle of the table. Hanging above the table, long strips of brown wrapping-paper that is cut into a row of stars which all connected. Throughout the party room, glass jars and pitchers of various sizes filled with wild flowers. For the craft, stations clearly labeled and marked with the different materials each girl would need to make her own corn-husk doll.
Tableware - Tin cups and tin plates. Long wooden table with rustic wooden benches on either side. Wild flowers in canning jars. Bows tied around the tops of the jars made out of one inch red & purple calico fabric strips. Red-checked tablecloth. Center of table is the cake stand with the cake(s). Underneath cake stand a square of plain muslin or white lace. Four or Five wild flower jars (total eight or ten jars) on either side of the cake stand down middle of the table. Hanging above the table, long strips of brown wrapping-paper that is cut into a row of stars which all connected.
Party Ware & Favors - Wild flower wreaths worn in the girl's hair (in place of party hats). Simple red & purple calico aprons with a ruffle along the bottom edge made for each girl. Matching itty-bitty aprons (without the ruffle) made for each doll that is their favor and their craft. The party favor does double duty as the craft - corn husk doll.
Activities - Picking wild flowers (same flowers used in the decorations) and making/braiding the flowers into wreaths to wear on the girl's heads. (Two activities in one.)
Games - "Ring-Around-A-Rosy". I got rules on how to play this classic game from http://www.ehow.com/how_2083624_play-ring-around-rosie.html. Gather girls together. The kids should understand the object is to sit down after the singing is completed. Have the girls form a circle by joining hands with each other. Walk around in a circle while singing this song together: "Ring around the Rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down." Stop walking and quickly sit down on the word "down." The last one standing is out of the game and sits off to the side while the game continues. When only two girls remain in the game, the first girl sitting after the song is the winner. "Drop The Hankerchief" game using a swatch of red & purple calico fabric cut to the size of a hankerchief. The rules for this game were taken off of http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210182/games.html. This game is similar to Duck-duck-goose. The girls form a circle facing each other. The girl that is "it" will go around on the outside of the circle and drop a hankerchief behind one of the other players. The girl that drops the hankerchief will race around the circle in hopes that she won't get caught by the girl the hankerchief was dropped behind. The girl who had the hankerchief dropped behind her back must jump up and chase after the girl who was "it". The first one to sit in the empty spot wins. The one who loses will be "it" next. The girls around the circle have to keep checking to see if the hankerchief was dropped behind them.
Craft - Make your own corn-husk doll. I pulled instructions on how to make a corn-husk doll with detailed pictures off the internet from http://www.snowwowl.com/naartcornhuskdolls2.html. Materials needed (for each girl): string or twine, scissors, bowl of warm water, 9-12 pieces of green corn husk. Take four corn-husks and arrange them in a small cluster - all tops of husk together and bottoms of husk together. Using a small piece of string, tie the straight ends together tightly. Trim and round the edges with scissors. Turn upside down and pull long ends of husks down over the trimmed edges. Tie with string to form the "head." Take another husk, flatten it, and roll into a tight cylinder. Tie each end with string. This forms the doll’s arms. Fit the arms inside of the long husks, just below the "neck." Tie with string, as shown, to form a "waist." Drape a husk around the arms and upper body in a crisscross pattern to form "shoulders." Take four or five husks, straight edges together, and arrange around waist. These form a "skirt" for the doll. Tie with string. If desired, form legs for the doll. Tie legs with small strips of husks. Finish off the doll by tying small strips of husk around the neck and waist to hide the string. Dress the dolls in the red & purple calico aprons.
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