Mermaid Grotto Birthday Party

This review is based strictly on my opinion. I was provided the sample free of charge by Oriental Trading Company to provide my honest review. No other type of compensation was received. All ideas and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Let's Be Mermaids

I'm pretty sure every little girl ( ok, let's face it, us adults too!) want to be a mermaid for a day, right?! We were granted our wish this past weekend when we had our own mermaid party complete with mini oceans in bottles, seashell adorned tiaras and adorable mermaid terrariums. We decorated a DIY teepee from Oriental Trading  to create our own mermaid grotto. We loved how it turned out and the little mermaids had a blast "swimming" in and out of the magical cove.  

Here is what you'll need to create your own Let's Be Mermaids party:

DIY Teepee

Seashells

Shimmering Pastel Tiaras

Iridescent Gems

Starfish

Glass Jar Set

Blue Sand

Corked Glass Bottles

Glitter

Ocean Pearl Bead Mix

Blue and Aqua Shell Beads

This darling letter board from DCWV welcomed all the little mermaids into the party. This was the fist thing the girls saw when they entered the grotto and it set the stage for the magical party!

Every mermaid needs a beautiful tiara adorned with sparkles and shells from the deep blue sea. The little mermaids loved designing their own tiaras and it was so fun to see all their creativity shining through with each crown they made. Click  HERE to see how easy it is to make mermaid crowns of your own. 

 Each little mermaid made their own tiny mermaid terrarium. Find out how to put one together  HERE. How sweet is this?!

You can't have a mermaid party without an ocean, the mermaids need a place to swim!  To make your own tiny ocean in a bottle, click HERE.

I fell in love with these gorgeous watercolor ombre paper and glitter papers from DCWV and knew they'd make perfect goodie bag favors and party hats. I loved how the papers looked like mermaid scales and the glitter tails were the icing on the cake. The darling goodie bags and mermaid tails were cut with my Cricut Explore Air 2 machine. 

 

 I used canvas wristlet bags from DCWV to create these pretty mermaid favors. 

The mermaid pins are from DCWV as well and I cut out mermaid tails with my Cricut machine and attached them to the bags. I had the little guests thread some ocean beads from Oriental Trading to complete the bags. They turned out just beautiful and the girls were thrilled to receive them! 

How perfect are these mermaid cups and plates?!  Crowning Details makes the most adorable mermaid partyware line that coordinated beautifully with the theme. The mini mermaids nibbled on snacks and drank "ocean water" and they loved eating off these gorgeous plates.  

Confection Deception made this gorgeous cake for the party. Just look at all that beautiful detail! 

I added my own mermaid cake topper I made using my Cricut and the Pastel Glitter Cardstock from DCWV. 

Thanks so much for joining us in our mermaid grotto! 

This review is based strictly on my opinion. I was provided the sample free of charge by Oriental Trading Company to provide my honest review. No other type of compensation was received. All ideas and opinions are my own.

Mermaid Crown Tutorial

Every mermaid princess needs a beautiful tiara. We couldn't have a party without the mermaids creating their own  under the sea crown. The girls had a ball designing these magical headpieces. See how easy it is to put these together below! 

Here's what you'll need:

Shimmering Pastel Tiaras

Seashell Assortment

Starfish

Iridescent Gems

Zip Dry

Add adhesive where you want to attach the gems, seashells and starfish. Zip Dry is strong enough to bond the items to the crown. Once all your items are attached, allow to dry completely.

Didn't they turn out beautifully? I love how each mermaid designed her own tiara and how her creativity shone through with each piece.

Ocean in a Bottle

Your mermaid guests will love to make their own ocean in a bottle with just a few supplies!

Here's what you'll need:

Glitter Jar

Coked Glass Bottle

Natural Starfish Assortment

Ocean and Pearl Bead Mix

Clear Stretchy Cording

Water

Cooking Oil

Step 1

Add mini starfish and glitter into the bottles and fill the bottles with water and just a drop of cooking oil. Attach cork top.

Embellish the tops of the bottles by threading three beads to stretchy cording and wrap around the tops of the bottles. Adhere starfish to the front of the bottle with glue and allow to dry.

Let the fun begin! Tip the bottle upside down and watch your mini ocean come to life. Watch the waves roll and the glitter sparkle.

Mermaid Terrarium

For our Mermaid Grotto Party, each little mermaid was able to make her own tiny mermaid terrarium to take home. It was a darling activity and each girl was able to put her own thought and  creativity into her mini mermaid grotto.  They're quick and easy to put together and your girls will have a blast designing their own to take home. 

Here's what you'll need:

Glass Jar Set

Light Blue Sand

Starfish Assortment

Seashell Assortment

Resin Mermaid

Sea Glass

Step 1

Pour about 1 cup of sand into the glass jars. 

Step 2

Add starfish, seashells, mermaid and  coral on top of the sand and arrange them however you like!

And that's it!

 Sweet and adorable mermaid terrariums that your little guest will love! 

Outdoor Rehearsal Dinner

If you're planning on an outdoor rehearsal dinner this summer, be sure to check out a few lovely ideas I have over on the Oriental Trading Blog.
xox

4th of July

Looking for some fun 4th of July Birthday ideas? Head over to Love the Day to check out a few festive ideas I have for the big day! 

Golden Girls Party

This review is based strictly on my opinion. I was provided the sample free of charge by Oriental Trading Company to provide my honest review. No other type of compensation was received. All ideas and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Raise your hand if you're a Golden Girls fan!

 Who doesn't love the geriatric hi-jinks of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia?  

 My friends and I are huge lovers of the show and when I found out one of my friends was moving out of state, I knew I had to throw her the ultimate send off, Golden Girls style! When harnessing your inner Golden Girl, you can't have too many bright pinks and lime greens to inject some Miami flair into your party. So sit back and relax out on the lanai, grab yourself a slice of cheesecake and enjoy a party featuring your favorite sassy senior citizens! 

ORIENTAL TRADING had everything I needed for the party, right down to pink flamingos and palm leaves.  Blanche would be so proud...

Here's what you'll need  to create a fabulous Golden Girls inspired party:

Lime Green Polka Dot Table Runner

Lime Green 11" Latex Balloons

White 11" Latex Balloons

Pink 11" Latex Balloons

Medium Silk Palm Leaves

Clear Acrylic Insertable Tumbler

Palm Tree Favor Container

Hot Pink Jelly Beans

Lime Green Jelly Beans

Flamingo Pinwheels

Pink Flamingo Yard Ornaments

Light Pink Parchment Bags

Hot Pink Parchment Bags

Palm Tree Plastic Tablecloth Roll

These "Thank you for being a friend" ( now that song is in your head) favors were so quick and easy to make. Find the tutorial HERE along with the free printable. You can't go wrong with palm trees and jelly beans! 

I'm a bit of a favor freak and my guests are always sent home with at least a couple fun favors from the party. I used hot pink parchment treat bags to create these goodie bags and my CRICUT machine to cut out the golden silhouettes of the ladies. 

Check out how easy it was to make these "Stay Golden" favor bags HERE. 

 I used pink vinyl, my CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2  and clear acrylic insertable tumblers to make these classic quotes tumbler favors. 

"Shady Pines, Ma."

 I love when Dorothy repeats this veiled threat to send her mom, Sophia, to a nursing home when she is about to do something rebellious or if she says something out of line. Each guest received a tumbler with a Golden Girls quote on it. They were quite the hit!  

Rose's hilarious and bizarre St. Olaf stories were the highlight of any Golden Girls episode. 

"Back in St.Olaf, that moose not only raised Yimminy, he put him through medical school."

Oh, how I love Rose! 

And of course, we can't forget Sophia's Sicily stories! 

I used flamingo pinwheels (very Miami-esque) as table decor and each guest home was sent home with one. How cute are they?!

What's a Golden Girls party without cheesecake? How many times did the girls talk it out over cheesecake...I'm thinking in the hundreds! Cheesecake solves everything, right?!  The oh-so-incredibly talented  Ali from Paperly Press designed these awesome Golden Girls toppers for the cheesecake. 

Rose:

 "Like we say in St. Olaf — Christmas without fruitcake is like St. Sigmund's Day without the headless boy."

Sophia:

"Jealousy is a very ugly thing, Dorothy. And so are you in anything backless." 

Blanche:

"Nobody ever believes me when I'm telling the truth. I guess it's the curse of being a devastatingly beautiful woman."

Dorothy:

"No, I will NOT have a nice day." 

Thank you for being a friend and checking out this fun party! 

Now 'scuse me while I go binge watch Golden Girls with a slice of cheesecake. ;-)