We decorated little planters and potted plants. Then each took home their plant with their bedazzled pot!

It went really well.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously the answer is friendship bracelets. These are very HOT right now, thanks to the ERAs tour. Kids are making them with their fave words, phrases, friends names, etc.

My dd just did this at her party. Some supplies from Michael’s and most from amazing. Set up a long table or two with the supplies. Give them cute little pouches (maybe with some candy or something else, too) to carry home the bracelets. Put out extra bags to take home more supplies to finish at home

My DD spent her summer making these bracelets and it’s so fun and popular. There are cheap kits on Amazon if you look up alphabet beads- get separate bags of alphabet beads to have enough. Buy separate spools of clear elastic because the stuff the kits come with is in hanks and the creases are annoying. Our stringing method is to tape one end of the elastic down on a table or tray and string from the other end. If you have jelly roll pans or plastic serving trays, use those for the beads. Seed beads are annoying. Clay beads (really flat plastic slices) and slightly larger than seed beads are ideal. Have some pony beads for kids with poor dexterity or little siblings.

Send the guests home with all of the extra beads if you can. I just found a few in my kitchen from 3 months ago (sadly no vowels).

Anonymous wrote:Obviously the answer is friendship bracelets. These are very HOT right now, thanks to the ERAs tour. Kids are making them with their fave words, phrases, friends names, etc.

My dd just did this at her party. Some supplies from Michael’s and most from amazing. Set up a long table or two with the supplies. Give them cute little pouches (maybe with some candy or something else, too) to carry home the bracelets. Put out extra bags to take home more supplies to finish at home

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to a jewelry making place and they can make bracelets, necklaces, etc. I know in DC area they host birthday parties.

Do you have a recommendation of where to go for this? This sounds like something my soon to be 10 year old would love.

I went to get the address for you and see the store closed. It was in Old Town Alexandria. Sorry!

We had them decorate little zippered canvas pouches with sharpies. We got the pouches on Amazon and a big assortment of sharpies at Costco. They can use them as pencil/supply pouches or for toiletries. It’s the craft and the the gift.

How about getting pouches like these:

https://a.co/d/eoDkK36

And an assortment of patches like these:

https://a.co/d/9d3QlvS

And get some bracelet kits like this:

https://www.target.com/p/squishmallows-hello-friends-charm-bracelet-kit/-/A-88660707

You can even get keyrings online or at Michaels if they want to make keychains instead.

I've also seen girls decorate socks and fabric headbands with fabric markers.

What about decorating shirts with fabric markers? My DD and a friend did this one a recent afternoon. There are also tote bags you can paint and or bedazzle.

Anonymous wrote:Go to a jewelry making place and they can make bracelets, necklaces, etc. I know in DC area they host birthday parties.

Do you have a recommendation of where to go for this? This sounds like something my soon to be 10 year old would love.

Dreamcatcher craft!

I did this with 12 yo recently; I was looking for a use for many, many old embroidery hoops.

https://www.artbarblog.com/diy-dream-catchers-made-by-kids/

You can go to the sale section of an art/craft store and find lots of items to use. I had wood hoops on hand, but a pack is not that expensive in Amazon.

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for friendship bracelets

Or, if you are confident it will be outdoors, make rockets. Lots of fun to shoot in the park. You just need a lot of paper towel tubes (can buy just the tubes at a craft store/amazon). And the "stomp rocket" base to launch them.

Instructions for rockets: https://www.fabscience.co.uk/diy-stomp-rockets/
You can make the launcher out of a soda bottle+pipe & tube

Another vote for friendship bracelets

Or, if you are confident it will be outdoors, make rockets. Lots of fun to shoot in the park. You just need a lot of paper towel tubes (can buy just the tubes at a craft store/amazon). And the "stomp rocket" base to launch them.

Cookie decorating. Bake or buy tons of sugar cookies in various shapes, have lots of icing, sprinkles, candies, etc.. Then cute food boxes from Michaels for them to package up their cookies to take home. That could be the gift bag, or you could give something related - cookie cutters and a mix maybe?

Hi - I am PP that said it sounded too large. Now that you explained, it makes sense. I think it sounds like a great childhood with neighborhood friends, including everyone, etc. Nice memories. I would go with the friendship bracelets and also maybe buy bead kits with letters, etc. and elastic wire (is that what is called?) so younger kids could easily make bracelets too. You could start by teaching everybody how to start and braid the friendship bracelets and have the cardboard and safety pins ready for everyone to get started. Do kids still do it that way? I know we did like that in the 80s. For goody bags, candy and fun chapstick for sure. Tie dye is a great idea, but I think it is more ideal for someone with a back yard and grass to spread out and it is messy for 20 kids.

We’ve done flower crowns or wreaths, decorating pumpkins or picture frames, Halloween treat bags. Also in nyc and we have done a ton of park parties. You could get pretty fall-themed paper flowers and they would make lovely crowns which could be the craft and the favor.

I would want something they can do and then immediately use and take home. No washing and drying of shirts or waiting for paint to dry. Jewelry or something involving markers would be easiest. What about cookie or cupcake decorating which they could then eat?