How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party! {Part 2}

Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away....

I've had that song stuck in my since I posted part one of How To Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party last week and why wouldn't I?  Visions of Cookie Monster and Big Bird and Oscar have been dancing in my head ever since.  I guess I should get used to it since it's time for part two!

My last post covered invitations, decorations and food, but what are you going to do with all of those Bert & Ernie lovers once the party starts?  I love this "Pin the Nose on Elmo" game that Melissa from Honey Scrap made for just 50 cents using poster board and construction paper.

There were two great activities at the party thrown by Libby from Libby's Little Addiction - make-your-own Sesame puppets, using foam cut out with scalloped circle punches, googly eyes, popsicle sticks and pom poms:

And this super cute "Toss Oscar in the Garbage Can" game:

Libby painted clothespins to look like Oscar (and even included a little Slimey worm!) and decorated paper bags to look like garbage cans.  Genius!

Jami from Freckled Laundry made this cookie-tastic pinata out of a paper bag and crepe paper for just $1!  You could probably make all of the characters using her simple tutorial.

I found another fun and inexpensive idea over on And Everything Sweet, where Kate set up a fake tattoo parlor for her daughter Olivia's birthday. {Psst- you can get 72 temporary Sesame Street tattoos for $7 at Oriental Trading!}

She also made this amazing photo stand where the kiddos could take a turn being Ernie.

Once the food has been eaten and the games are done, it's time for cake!  The Hudson Street sign on this one from Jenny Cookies is too cute.

Effi from Le Petit Party used fondant characters on her son's cake.

Over on And Everything Sweet, that term was an understatement when it came to Olivia's confection, which featured a huge cupcake on top!

But who says you have to have a cake?  You can keep it simple like Melissa from Honey Scrap, who made an Elmo out of cupcakes. 

Unfortunately, after the candles have been blown out, it can only mean one thing - the party's over.  But don't send your guests home empty handed!  Cookies shaped like the birthday boy or girl's age and initial (this party brought to you by the letter "H" and the number "2") are a fun favor, like these from Jenny Cookies:

And the character pails from Olivia's party on And Everything Sweet would also be fab.

I don't know where they're from but they look like they'd be pretty simple to DIY.

That's not what party goers at Olivia's party received, though.  Elmo inspired the actual favors:

Much to some parents' chagrin, when they left with his two favorite things - crayons and a real goldfish!

Want to do something similar but simpler?  These chocolate-covered Oreo Goldfish pops from Domesticated Lady will probably go over a little better with the 'rents.

And while we're making Elmo's picks edible, why not tackle crayons too?

Jenn from Parties by Hardie shows you how to make edible crayons (hint: they're pretzel rods dipped in chocolate):

And there's also a free printable for the wrappers!

So there you have it - what to do, what to eat and what to give out at your Sesame Street birthday bash.  Hmmmm, it seems like I'm forgetting something.  What could it be?  Of course!  What to wear!

There are tons of adorable Sesame Street outfits, shirts and dresses on Etsy and elsewhere but I'll leave you with two of my favorite ideas.  I adore these darling appliqued shirts from Peanut and Pumpkin Design.

How cute are the names and ages on the back?

Sara can make almost any character and you can pair the shirts with tutus, jeans or whatever. 

And if you're feeling a little crafty yourself, give these hats from Crafts by Amanda a go.  The how to is super simple.

Come to think of it, they'd make cute favors too!

So there you have it - How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party!  I hope you've enjoyed these posts.  If you have some Sesame ideas you want to share, post them in the comments and I'll include them in the future.  And stay tuned for our next "Ultimate Party" post on rock star bashes!  If you have something that ties into this theme that you think I should include, shoot me an e-mail at afomft@gmail.com.

Images: Honey Scrap, Libby's Little Addiction, And Everything Sweet, Freckled Laundry, Jenny Cookies, Le Petit Party, Domesticated Lady, Parties by Hardie, Peanut and Pumpkin Design & Crafts by Amanda

How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party! {Part 1}

I've gotten quite a few e-mails over the past few weeks asking for inspiration for Sesame Street-themed parties.  Well, as Abby Cadabby might say, your wish is my command!

First up - invitations.  You can go the DIY route and make something fun like these Cookie Monster invites from Jami at Freckled Laundry.

Can you believe she hand-made all of these from wash clothes?

And Libby at Libby's Little Addiction used a scalloped paper punch and other scrapbooking tools to make these adorable cards.

If you're looking for something a little less labor intensive, Etsy is filled with tons of fun printable options.  A few of my faves?  This colorful and modern take from Anders Ruff.

The sassy polka dot version from Less Ordinary Designs.

And this bright invite featuring the character of your choice from Shindig Parties to Go.

Once you've got the invitations squared away, it's on to the next piece of the part puzzle - decorations.

You can easily set the tone for the party from the time the guests pull up!  Kerri from Elle Belle's Bows cut out these Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster tracks to lead party goers up to her front door.

And a client of Anders Ruff made this rainbow balloon wreath (here's a how to from How Does She) to welcome everyone....

To Owen Street. 

Notice the 1 on top for his first birthday.  Adorable!

What I love most about a Sesame Street theme is that it's based in bold, primary colors, which means you don't need to go over-the-top with decorations featuring the characters.  Take this bash thrown by Effi of Le Petit Party, which was featured on Amy Atlas. 

Most of the elements are done in simple, solid colors which you can easily create inexpensively on your own, allowing you to splurge on things like the Sesame Street cake and cupcakes.

Jenn from Hostess With the Mostess did something similar when she styled a party for Nancy O'Dell's daughter, Ashby's, birthday.

She created a giant candy buffet filled with solid colored treats, and interspersed framed photos of the characters as well as small plush dolls (similar ones can be found for $2 at Target) to bring in the theme.  I love how whimsical it all looks!

Even something as simple as grouping red, blue, yellow and green balloons like these from Lemiga Events gives you that Sesame Street vibe.

 
Want to add a little more pizzazz? Throw some polka dots into the mix too, like Jenny from Jenny Cookies did for her son, Hudson's birthday (she used the invitation from Less Ordinary Designs that I featured above, along with all of the coordinating printables).

Kate from And Everything Sweet used a solid backdrop, a polka dot garland and an assortment of rainbow colored tissue poms for her daughter's party. {learn how to make the poms here at Martha Stewart}

She also dressed up the kid's tables by adding colorful balloons and adorable DIY party hats.

Aren't they fun?

And while we're on the topic of tables, let's turn our attentions to what I think one of the most fun parts about a Sesame Street party is - the food!

It's so easy to stay on theme by serving items that the inhabitants of Sesame Street like to eat, like Eleven Cupcakes did here - goldfish for Dorothy, cookies for Cookie Monster and pizza for Elmo.  And the street sign labels she used are a wonderful touch!

Libby at Libby's Little Addiction used cookie cutters on the food at her daughter Caroline's 2nd birthday, which, appropriately, was being brought to guests by the letter C and the number 2.

She also cut the sandwiches into shapes.

At the Elle Belle's Bows bash, there were jars of Slimy's Pudding. 

And alphabet and number Jello jigglers.

And every party needs a signature drink, right?  So serve up some of this non-alcoholic Rubber Ducky Punch from Tidy Mom in Ernie's honor!

When it comes to sweet treats, Bakerella has a tutorial for these fabulous Sesame Street cake pops.

You can also make some cute character chocolate lollipops like these from And Everything Sweet.

And of course you're going to want some cupcakes!

Get the how to for these Cookie Monster cuties at Complete Deelite.

And Lovely Sprinkles has terrific tutes for almost all of the Sesame peeps, including my fave, Grover.

Now what are you going to do with the kiddos once they're hopped up on all of that sugar?  I've got tons of Sesame Street themed activities, plus fun favor ideas and more coming tomorrow in Part 2 of How to Throw the Ultimate Sesame Street Party.  You won't want to miss it.

And if you need help with a party theme, send me an e-mail at afomft@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do!


Images: Freckled Laundry, Libby's Little Addiction, Anders Ruff, Less Ordinary Designs, Shindig Parties To Go, Elle Belle's Bows, Le Petit Party, Hostess With the Mostess, Lemiga Events, Jenny Cookies, And Everything Sweet, Eleven Cupcakes, Tidy Mom, Bakerella, Complete Deelite & Lovely Sprinkles