Amy's Party Ideas: free

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Cinco de Mayo Party {Free Printables}

Cinco de Mayo is only three days away! Gather your amigos, whip up some easy appetizers, make a batch of margaritas & say "Olé"! I am hosting a party this year and in honor of this fun celebration, I wanted to share with you my own inspirations along with a set of Free Cinco de Mayo Party Printables!

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Here is a fun drink to add to your menu of margaritas & Coronas:

Mexican Cowboys

Combine fresh lemonade and any citrus flavored Vodka to taste. Add a few sliced jalapeños (be sure to seed them first!) to a glass, add some ice and pour lemonade/Vodka mix over ice. This drink has a kick! Whoa, cowboy!

Here are the FREE printables I created for my own party! Please feel free to use them, print them, & share them. But please do not sell them (smile!). {These are free for personal use only.} I will post photos from our celebration next week! I would love to see yours!

Fiesta Party Printables

{Ask Amy} Valentine's Day Sweet Shoppe

I was recently asked for some ideas for a Valentine's Sweet Shoppe! I love this theme and there are no shortage of ideas, images & fabulous party people who have spent the time effortlessly showing you how easy it is to pull off a Sweet Party!

Here are some of my favorites which have all been pinned to my Pinterest Board. So, sit back, browse through and get inspired! Don't miss the free printables from Party Box Design below! You have everything you need to pull off the sweetest event!

I adore this little girl sitting on a table full of pink sweets! Love that heart garland too! This next set is from the very talented Anders Ruff! I love everything the do and you can get all of the printables used in this photo shoot from their shop.

And for all of you DIY enthusiasts, don't miss these FREE printables from Party Box Design. They are extremely talented and I just love their designs! This set even includes treat boxes! So grab a large bag of conversation hearts and fill up your own box to give to your valentines this year!

Have a SWEET Valentine's Day! XO XO

{Real Party} "Where the Wild Things Are" Party!

So, my latest Ask Amy question was in regards to my Where the Wild Things Are party I gave for my little one when he turned 5. What a fun theme! And at the time I was planning his party, the movie had not been released so the ideas were very limited! But today as I was creating a FREE download to make your own Wild Thing party shirts, I came across this FABULOUS Where the Wild Things Are party created and photographed by Jackie Culmer Photography and Design.

The level of design & thought she put into every last detail is just precious! I had to share this with you! She has even shared links to some of her printables! Don't miss the links to these later in this post. So cute!

One of my most favorite details about this party that Jackie shared is that in the Korean tradition a child is given several objects to choose from. Based on what he or she chooses, is an indicator of what they will become. I just love this idea!

Be sure to read all of the details about this amazing party from Jackie on her blog, The Silver Spoon & Paper Plate. And here are those printables I mentioned!!!

5 x 7 Signs

Favor Tags

8 x 10 Signs

{Ask Amy} "Where the Wild Things Are" Party Shirts

When my son turned 5, we had a "Where the Wild Things Are" themed birthday party! Prior to the announcement that the movie was coming out, there were not a lot of options for party goods out there for this theme.

So we decided to have a "Wild Rumpus" through our local zoo! We planned a scavenger hunt and I created passports for each child with the clues on each page. The clues led us to all of my son's favorite animals throughout the zoo. And each time we reached a new animal, each child got a stamp in the their passport booklet (of a wild thing of course!). It was a really fun day!

We had 7 children with us and in an effort to keep up with everyone, I decided to make Wild Thing t-shirts for everyone which also doubled as a favor. My son got a shirt with 'Max' on the front and the back said "King of the Wild Things"...I also spray painted a free crown from Burger King metallic gold for him to wear.

Each of his friends received a shirt with a 'Wild Thing' of the front and the back said "I'm A Wild Thing!" The kids loved their shirts and I loved being able to see the group easily in our public zoo!

My most recent "Ask Amy" question was regarding how I made the shirts. So I decided to create a FREE downloadable file for you to create your own shirts for your party! Just click on the file below and print on iron-on transfer paper. Cut out designs, follow directions to apply transfer and you are ready for a Wild Rumpus!

(Note: I used dark t-shirts to create my son's shirts. But honestly, it is a much more involved process to create these. I highly recommend using white or light colored t-shirts for an easier and cleaner look!)

I would love to see your creative take on your shirts! Share your photos on my facebook page and I will share them here!

Have fun!

Harry Potter Wizarding Party Ideas

I have to admit, I have never seen a Harry Potter film nor have I read any of the books...my son is still a bit young to get into the books, but he has discovered the films through the advertisements although he has yet to see any just yet. We went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure this summer and we all got bit by the Harry Potter bug!

We got to eat breakfast at The Three Broomsticks restaurant in the Harry Potter world and I felt like we had just stepped into the movie! And who could help but get caught up in it all with all of the "super fans" that were swarming around as the last movie had just been released!

So, it inspired me to seek out some really fabulous Harry Potter party ideas and I can't wait to share them with you! These would be perfect for a movie watching party, any birthday party of course, and I love these ideas for a Halloween party too!

To start, what Harry Potter party isn't complete without Butterbeer! Heather Bailey shares a quick and easy recipe and even describes how to make that gorgeous yellow crusted sugar rim around the glass! And to top it off, she even shares how to make those magical broomstick stir sticks!

Some of the desserts, sweets, & treats I came across are so clever, I may just have to throw my own Harry Potter party to try these out! So creative! To start, these magic wands are so simple. Licorice sticks dipped in white candy melts and sprinkled with white nonpareils. Laid on a bed of orange M&M's, these wands are a perfect addition! Complete step by step instructions can be found here.

And these chocolate frogs by photographed by Melissa Prosser Photography are amazing! Take a frog candy mold and chocolate candy melts along with butterscotch candy chips and you are set with a treat good enough to eat! For an extra sparkle, add edible gold dust to the butterscotch frogs.

These Golden Snitch cake pops are another fabulous addition to any Harry Potter dessert table! Quidditch anyone?

And these Harry Potter inspired cupcakes are so cute! I can't decide which ones I like best but all of them are the perfect reference to all things Harry Potter.

A golden snitch and Quidditch broom top these cupcakes from Clare's Cupcakes in the UK.

These cupcakes look so yummy with that extra butterscotch drizzled on top! Check out more photos from PJ's Baby Cakes to see all the details!

A collection of Harry Potter icons top these cupcakes also from Clare's Cupcakes in the UK.

And I adore these cupcakes! The simplicity says it all!

Now, what Harry Potter party would be complete without the wands and the costumes? My son paid $30 for an authentic Harry Potter wand at Universal this summer. While it is pretty cool, $30???? I love this idea to make your own wands from Sweet P Parties. "The wands were made from wooden dowels. I rounded the end, dropped hot glue along the sides then spray painted brown." Brilliant!

And these props are perfect for any photo booth! No need for every guest to come in costume. Just have these items ready and take a Polaroid picture for a great keepsake for your guests to take home with them! Or do what I did and print a photo of each child in costume and include them in your thank you notes. Check out these ideas for an easy photo booth.

More inspiration for props to make your Harry Potter party authentic. Hang your Hogwarts banner & your Platform 9 3/4 sign. And don't forget your wall scrolls...Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Syltherin, & Hufflepuff. Check out all of the DIY tutorials and free printable labels to download here!

Now for games and activities to play, these ideas are easy and fun for all ages! One great activity is to have each child make their own Harry Potter glasses. Check out this free template for the glasses. Play the sorting hat game with your very own Harry Potter Sorting Hat! And how clever is this idea for Magical Color Changing Drinks! Dried food coloring at the bottom of plastic cups are revealed when liquid is added. Your color reveals something about you! Complete tutorial here!

And I love this idea for a Magical Creature Hunt! Who doesn't have a few of these toys laying around?

We attended a friend's Harry Potter party this afternoon and had a blast! I would love to see and hear all about how you pull your own Harry Potter party together! Submit your photos and be featured!

UPDATE! January 18th, 2012, check out these wizardly printables available from Eye Candy Event Details! These are sure to be the hit of any Harry Potter Party! She also has coordinating invites!