Aspenn on December 7th, 2011

Birthday party ideas like an arts and crafts party are designed for guests that like to get hands-on while celebrating. Everyone will enjoy participating in projects at home or in an arts and crafts studio. Whether they are knitting, painting, or constructing, the result of their efforts is a party souvenir they can cherish for many years.

Some towns have their own arts and crafts centers and offer classes to local residents. If your town has one, learn whether private sessions are offered. The center may provide the decorations and materials, while you supply the food and beverages. Another option is to hold the event in a party hall or at home, supplying the decorations, art and craft materials, and menu.

When planning the party from scratch, choose a decorating theme that matches the event. For example, many colors of balloons, a painted happy birthday banner, and walls filled with artwork are perfect decorations for an art birthday party. Guests can receive goody bags containing paintbrushes, paints, a small canvas, and a coupon or gift card to the local art store.

Beading and painting pottery are two other popular arts and crafts birthday party ideas. At a beading party, guests can make jewelry, accent clothing, or even create beaded footwear like flip-flops. A pottery painting party is easy to set up at home by newspapering work surfaces and purchasing pottery pieces, paint, and paint brushes from a local craft store.

Since food is not the main focus of the party, offer easy items like a tray of sandwiches or subs and potato, garden, and macaroni salads. Beverages like iced tea, lemonade, water, and soft drinks are perfect accompaniments. Keep the party theme in mind when designing the cake and add realistic accents like fondant paintbrushes, beads, or small pieces of painted pottery.

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Aspenn on December 6th, 2011

The words “birthday cake” and “healthy” do not usually go hand in hand. However, there are plenty of birthday cake ideas that will not pack on the pounds. Keeping things healthy eliminates the typical guilt about eating birthday cake. Feel free to take second helpings of these treats- you will not even need to hit the gym afterward!

If you have a large crowd, consider preparing a healthy sheet cake like chocolate-cinnamon sheet cake with almond cream. This cake tastes like delicious Mexican chocolate and is easy to transport to a birthday party held at an offsite location. A variation on this cake features a cream cheese frosting with a smidgen of almond extract for some added flavor.

Red velvet cake is all the rage these days and you can make either a traditional round cake or individual cupcakes. The healthy version of the recipe features only 12 grams of fat and 285 calories per serving.

Lemon Pavlova is a classic dessert in Australia and New Zealand. It features a tart lemon curd and sweet meringue, similar to a lemon meringue pie. This is the perfect birthday cake for a warm summer day.

Chocolate lovers can still enjoy a chocolate decadence cake without having to worry about a lot of fat. The lighter version of the recipe features natural cocoa powder and high-quality bittersweet chocolate containing 70 percent cacao. For best results, chill this cake overnight before removing it from the pan and serving it.

Some of the best healthy birthday cake ideas come in small packages. Raspberry swirl cupcakes feature a lemony cake with raspberries and a pink cream cheese frosting with raspberry puree. The chopped cherries blended into chocolate cake give chocolate cherry cupcakes a delicious cherry flavor. Using sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese in the frosting lowers the fat and calorie content.

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Aspenn on December 3rd, 2011

The 1970s were a great time to be born because the world was a much simpler place. Those who were born during this decade are celebrating their 40th birthday during the coming years. If you are searching for 40th birthday party ideas, why not commemorate the year of their birth with a 70s theme party? Rather than making the person feel old, you will be reliving youthful times.

Disco clubs, gold chains, and leisure suits characterized most of this decade. Incorporate these into your 40th birthday party ideas by having everyone come dressed in 70s clothing. Decorations should feature earth tones like brown, pea green, yellow, and orange. Create an authentic atmosphere by burning patchouli or sandalwood incense.

Bring the lovable pet rock back to life as a party favor. Create a music list of disco tunes from Donna Summer, KC and the Sunshine Band, The Village People, and ABBA. Designate one room as the dance area and add a mirror ball, fog machine, and flashing colored lights. Have a television showing dance scenes from Fame and Saturday Night Fever so people can imitate the moves.

Food was a primary aspect of 1970s culture and none was more memorable than fondue. Melt cheese in one fondue pot and let guests cook meatballs and steak cubes in another. Slice cubes of French or Italian bread to dip in the cheese sauce and serve horseradish fondue for the meat. Add some sweetness by serving milk and dark chocolate fondue with pound cake and fruit for dipping.

If alcohol will be served, offer drinks like the Harvey Wallbanger, White Russian, and Disco Ball shots. Include Tab and iced tea among the non-alcoholic drinks. Top off the event with a 1970s-theme birthday cake featuring a happy face, peace sign, or shaped like a disco ball. Guests will love this 40th birthday party because it offers food, dancing, and fun!

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