help for a OS bday....

debtmuncher

born_blonde wrote: »

Just to mention I also got fed up with the disposable nature of party bags so for the last two years we have given first of all, a pair of winter gloves stuffed with sweets a balloon and a bouncy ball and the next year a woolly hat similarly stuffed.
Both children and parents liked this.

thats a fab idea! another one is to get little plastic cups and fill with some sweets and a couple of other things. something like this one of my boys got one but it had an inbuilt drinking straw.

if you serve cake at the party dont give it in the party bag. not of fan of giving it in the party bag...gets all squashed.

home made birthday cake is delicious. i made a tray bake style one for one birthday party and it was practically demolished within half an hour. the boys kept coming back for more lol. you could do a choccie one or a plain one and top with sweeties if you wanted to. just the one layer of sponge.

L.L_2

I don't think there is a child or adult that won't eat homemade soup (blended) so cheap and you can make a massive pot. Nice crusty bread to help themselves.

PollyFlinders_3

You could always roast a large chicken with a big bag of chips for the family, plus any veggies you have, e.g carrots or peas. This goes down a storm in our family as everyone likes it.

As far as party bags go, Tesco have reduced a lot of their back to school stuff so you could pick up pencils, notebooks, erasers etc there. When my dd was 6 I just gave a pencil and notebook each, plus 3 or 4 sweets from a multipack, and a slice of birthday cake. And everyone took home a balloon from the decorations. However, have to say I'm lucky as most of the parents include at least one stay at home per couple, so none of us has any interest in party bag inflation!

tinkerbellsmum_2

just reread your post and relised u wanted help with other stuff to

food how about curry or stew could put poperdoms and dips on table to or crusty bread for stew

party bags: my daugther had her birthday party on sat and we decorated canvas bags and they got them with some bangles and rings (pound for both 12 in a pack pound shop) and some light sticks (pound for 20) headbands they used at spa party and couple of pens they useed on bags.
have u thought about scrapping party bag idea and setting a trend by buying the children each a small gift (not expensive)

mummy2mygirls

thank you all for your ideas! i love the pics of the cakes you have made tinkerbellsmum - my dd would like the butterfly one she likes them... (and dd2 would like the night garden idea - did you put the little toy figures on?? good idea and makes things a little easier...)

Have lots to think of now - i like the idea of forgeting the party bags and doing something a bit different.....

I am soo hungry (but poorly sick with morning sickness) that all the food ideas sound lovely and just want them all and now!! yum yum

tinkerbellsmum_2

((( ))) i feel your pain with sickness had it all the way though with both my children.

butterfly cake: 2 asda sponges (cheap ones in green and white boxs) and 2 cheap asda swiss rolls (14p each i think) butter cream (made with butter and icing sugar) and food colouring of your choice and a cake board and choice deco (i used sweets and spinkles) chocolate i used asda own brand 25p only really need half a bar leaving rest for u.

cut both circle ones in half and trim alittle of the flat side off 2 of your halves to make the bottom bits smaller. use one and a half swiss rolls and place in butterfly shape. i cut the bottom and top so they slanted alittle but don't have to. i used some of the buttercream to stick the wings to the middle

melt the chocolate in a bowl in mircowave giving it 30 sec a most stir then put back if it needs it in 10 sec spread choco over middle.

with butter cream i dyed it all pink then added blue to make purple just don't add to much. i put pink on top then added colouring and put purple on bottom then spinkled and added sweets.
the antel things r just rolled paper pushed into the cake.
and in fridge it went to set choccy till was party time. (we used a sparkle from card shop as a candle dd was scared lol)

night garden: is 2 asda cakes, mazipan, food colouring i used paint one just for a stronger colour but liquid would work, smarties, icing but not nessary cause maizpan tastes better, cake boartd and firgures (i borrowed these from a friend)

take alittle maizan pan off your pack so u have some to add shapes or u could have 2 packs i only used one.

colour enough mazipan to cover 2 cakes roll it into 2 if u aren't sure. put a few drops in at a time till u get right colour u want then half and roll big enough to cover one cake lay it obn it and cut it to fit round. i cover cake board to.
cut the other cake so its smaller i used one of babies bowls and pushed it in abit as a out line the cut round it with my knife. i found it easier to ice that while it was off the other cake.
i then put 3 straws in the centre of the bottom cake and cut then so they was just sticking up alittle just to stedy cake. push the other cake onto the bottom one and use your imagination and decorate.

shout if u need anything else

ubamother

i haven't yet found a child who doesn't like garlic bread - cheap to make and easy to freeze and bake from frozen to save room

jackieglasgow

You've had loads of great advice about food etc. but I thought about the no partybags thign, and how about a book for each child? You could get one of those sets of ten or whatever from The Book People or Usborne for ten, twelve quid or so, and give each child one, that would be reasonable cost controlling, and most kids who are learning to read love books. I have boys, so couldn't suggest particular books, but you would know whta your own wee girls like?

Have a brilliant day! Oh just remembered, make a basic biscuit mix and some cookie cutters, and each child can cutout the decorate their own cookie, instead of taking sweeties etc. home. We do this at Halloween, and the kids love it!

Jackie x

whitewing

If you're going to Asda, they do some good, cheap party bag stuff too.

mummy2mygirls

thank you was going to have a practice on the chocolate cake but dh has eaten all the eggs so will have to get some before i can try it!! half the reason was i really need something sweet so i am going to make some tinks hobnobs now instead so i can have some yummy things tonight