Eliza's Party Prep

This year for Eliza's birthday she was able to have a party. With Covid numbers up and down, places being open and closed, I started to think of what sort of party we could have for her. For Daniel's 7th birthday we had it at the Activities Centre at church, but church wasn't open to people outside church activities (because of Covid). We could have it at Hawkins Hall but for this age the kids are getting a bit big for a play equipment and I couldn't think how it would work. Then I had the idea - what is something that Eliza absolutely loves to do at this age? Art and Craft! 

I took a breath and decided that I would organise an art and craft party for my gorgeous girl. The ideas started and then I kinda got too organised and excited by it. I wanted to decorate the back room and try and game that I was thinking of doing with the kids so one of our Tuesday Fun Nights was an art and craft night.

We started by playing the drawing game. It's like pass the parcel, but instead you have to draw while the music is playing. When the music stops, you need to pass your picture to the person to your left. It was so fun doing it as a family and it worked! We had some serious pictures and some silly bits added to them. Eliza and Daniel found it hard that their picture didn't end up how they had planned it to because others changed the theme. But in the end it was so much fun to see the pictures that came and what they turned into. We had a lot of giggles when looking at them!

This was my thankful post on Facebook.

Day 347 - thankful for our Tuesday Fun Nights. This afternoon things were getting to me and we started the night with me saying ‘sorry guys. I’m starting the night quite frustrated but hopefully it will still be a fun night and I’ll get over it.’

Tonight was an art night and it totally turned my attitude around. We started with a drawing game. Each person started with their own drawing, when the music stopped they passed their paper to the next person. We repeated this until you got your drawing back. It was so funny to see how the pictures transformed with each person adding their own elements to them and the reactions at the end.

Then we had some free painting time. They really love painting.

I said to James when the kids were in bed that Tuesday fun nights just fill my cup. It’s so special spending time with my family, chatting, and making memories together weekly.

Daddy working out his picture

Daniel added a zombie to the picture

Alexander’s changed from landscape to portrait. He started with a hill, Eliza added a girl up the top, Daniel made it into a diving board and a water slide, James added a storm, I added a waterfall and a shark.

He wasn't a fan of the shark in the water

Eliza didn't like that there was a zombie in her picture (thanks to Daddy)

Daniel’s race track completely transformed! It became a unicorn monster about to eat a car on fire and a rainbow ice cream.

Surprised at the finished picture. Not what she had planned. 
Eliza drew the grass and a flower, Daniel drew the house, James drew the zombie monster, I drew the path, a person running away and the lake with a duck, Alexander coloured in the house and drew the sky.

Not sure about his finished picture

James drew a tree, I added a bird and the nest in the tree, Alexander added a pond and a frog, Eliza added the sky and a flower, Daniel added a zombie.

Mine was a hill, Alexander added a family on top, Eliza added the sky and a tree, Daniel added a tree and a game on the hull, James added the car and birds in the sky doing some bird poo.

We then pulled out the paints and had some free painting time. For Eliza's party I bought canvases for everyone to make their own painting. To give the kids some direction who would find this task overwhelming, we just had some time free painting. The kids (and James and I) loved it. It was so relaxing and fun. The room will look amazing with these around it to help provide some inspiration to everyone.

Our finished paintings

Later that week, Eliza got started on party bags for everyone. She was keen to decorate each party bag and I loved how creative she was and each picture was different!

Then the night before the party was time to make Eliza's cake. She looked through the cookbook and wanted to have the sewing box cake. I told her it was a craft party, not a sewing party, but then my mind got creative. I decided to that I would make it a craft box. The sewing box has a lid that was held up by 2 musk sticks. In my mind, the cake wouldn't stand a chance and gravity would take over. I adapted it to make it a craft box that could open after she blew out the candles. This was sort of my own design and I so hoped it would work. I did enjoy buying the lollies to fill the craft box.

I made 2 circle cakes, cut one like the swimming pool and put the other one on thick card that was covered in foil so it could be lifted off.

To make the basket I put bullets around the pink icing

I then wrote Eliza's name and age on the lid and used lolly snakes to make pretend handles

In the morning it was filling time. The ribbon sour lollies make the box and were perfect how they stuck out the side. The kids were very curious about what was inside. The other lollies were fun to fill - chocolate sticks for paddle pop sticks, musk lifesavers for beads, jelly beans, mini marshmallows, lolly snakes tied up, sprinkles and mini m&ms. All you would want to be crafty.

The lid fit on perfectly and was able to be lifted off easily without spoiling the cake. Check out the birthday post to see everyone's reaction!

This cake would be one of the easiest that I have made but also the hardest because I was using my mind to adapt it in so many ways. I was nervous about how it would work but I was so happy with the finished product and Eliza loved it too which is what is important!