We did it! Everything finally came together for our son’s Lego Star Wars party…after weeks of thinking about it, checking out ideas on Pinterest, the anticipation….and now it’s done! I’m afraid that I plan things in my head, then leave everything until the last minute…so I’m usually rushed. This time was a little better. About a week before, we made a trip to IKEA and I picked up some fun things (that I had wanted for a long time anyways) so that gave me some inspiration to work with. From the bulletin boards on Pinterest, I got a bunch of good ideas and free printables. And the final thing: a photo sale on at Costco, so really, the coolest items were ordered as photos from Costco.
I was kind of thinking about why I do these things, these detailed creative things. Really, I don’t do it to show off….I don’t like show-offs and I don’t want to be one, so I was investigating my real motives, and decided that this is not one of them. I don’t do it to impress others. I do want to impress my kids and husband, that I admit, and I like to do that! (it’s fun). I figured out that I also like to do these things because I get a picture in my mind and I want to see if I can do it: I guess that would be called a challenge. It’s a challenge to me to see if I can create what I can think up (ok, or what I can copy!! I’ve always been a good copy-cat and like to see something and try and copy it). And I guess my other motivation for right now was this: I was wondering if I could get into the party business….still wondering about that. Part of me really wants to and the other part of me says no way, only do it for your family!! And I guess the reasoning behind that is that I am organizationally deficient and tend to work up to the very last minute and improvise a lot! In fact, some of my best ideas are last-minute and made using something I find laying around in my basement or kitchen. So, I’m just playing with the business idea…
Anyways, for the fast version, here’s a slideshow of party photos, and following are individual photos and the links from where I grabbed the cool ideas!
The night before, Henry, Lyra and myself stayed up assembling these cute little paper cubees of Star War figures to decorate with. You can find them here http://www.cubeecraft.com/ then print them off, cut and some assembly required (they are about 3 inches high). Any paper geeks out there? you will love these!!
More paper stuff: these cute little lego brick boxes to fill with candy. They were originally large boxes, but I wanted them for the treat bags. You can find the printout here: http://deliacreates.blogspot.com/2011/01/lego-brick-favor-boxes-and-free.html
I found these cool shiny black bags at IKEA for treat bags, and printed out tags for the boys’ names here: http://www.livinglocurto.com/2009/08/star-wars-free-printable-tags-stickers/ I also included a “squinky” in each bag, from a cute little set of star wars toys.
And an “autographed” photo of Luke Skywalker. The rest of the candy in the treat bags, the boys were allowed to choose themselves from the Dessert Space Station.
A couple of my own ideas for the table setting: light saber straws and utensils. We found salad fork&spoons at IKEA in all the perfect colors, so I wrapped them up in green and black serviettes for the handle of the sabers, then the boys had to eat with them!! The straws were IKEA straws, bundled up in bunches and taped together at the top. They were surprisingly fun! The boys played with them and bent the tops around, and used them to slurp up their Yoda Soda punch!!
There were a few shiny metal things from IKEA that were great for serving at the table, the coolest being a plant pot stand on casters!! love it!
I had big plans for creating a Millenium Falcon spaceship from a lampshade (from IKEA of course) but it didnt’ get done, so I just set it on the table with a light in it…it was a good effect, even without all the work…eventually it will become a pinata I think… Also from IKEA, some cheap blue curtains and Christmas lights….
First we had lunch, complete with Wampa Burgers (“rib” sandwiches), Wookiee Veggies and Storm Trooper Cheese Ball.
I saw the idea here: http://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.blogspot.com/2011/05/lots-of-star-wars-party-ideas.html and other cool ideas.
At the last minute, there was no lime sherbet, so I put a few scoops of vanilla and dumped in the lemon/lime fizzy drink + a few drops of food coloring= Yoda Soda fun! Lyra helped serve the punch. This idea and the C-3PO H20 (idea and water bottle labels) were from here: http://imtopsyturvy.com/lego-star-wars-birthday-party/
After lunch, the boys went to play some Wii games, and Lyra and I quickly cleaned up lunch, and set up the Dessert Space Station and Birthday Banner.
The Banner and all the name cards, I had made up 2 nights before and printed at Costco. I had downloaded a font (Star Jedi Hollow from dafont.com) and I used a lego-ish digital kit by Lindsay Jane called “Brickworks” here’s her blog where you can find a store: http://lindsayjanedesigns.blogspot.com/ I like her digital scrapbooking kits!!
So we set up a bunch of candy and cupcakes with name tags….
This was the only orignal name I came up with!! haha, the rest were from others’ Star War parties (previous links and this one for the Tie Fighters: http://catchmyparty.com/photos/465815) But I liked mine “Death Star Droppings”! 
Hoth Chocolate Cupcakes (I broke down and bought a $1 cake mix, threw in some chocolate chips and iced with canned icing.) The cool parts were the silver cupcake liners and the blue sugar+chocolate cookie crumbs=topping. Since I was doing so many desserty things, I just printed out cupcake toppers and punched them out with a circle punch, instead of making things out of icing or whatever. The cute printables are here: http://www.skiptomylou.org/printable-lego-star-wars-cupcake-toppers/
A few more decorations:
Here’s the Storm Trooper “man doily” that I mentioned in my post yesterday. Here’s the link and template for that (recommended for a very handy adult, prob. not a kid!) : http://mattersofgrey.com/diy-star-wars-snowflakes/
Banner was my own invention, but wall art that I stuck onto my frames from here: http://pinterest.com/pin/201606520788779181/ and here: http://pinterest.com/pin/201606520788779184/ and this fun one from here: http://pinterest.com/pin/201606520788771057/ I recreated it myself from scratch and put on the doors,
Safe to say, there were Children at Play, and they all had fun!! Ahhh….yes, we all had fun!! 😉 Everything was worth it to see the smile on my son’s face!!
Happy Birthday!!
disclaimer: I have never watched any Star Wars movies, so please forgive any strange/wrong spellings or Star wars labels!
denna's ideas 