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Planning A Worm Themed Birthday Party

As we mentioned for a hot minute back in this post, Clara picked her party theme this year. What does she love more than monkeys, ice cream, firetrucks, and the mailman? Worms.

So the first thing on the party agenda was settling on a date (this Saturday the 12th, two days before her actual b-day on the 14th) and figuring out the guest list (our closest family and friends totaling about 30 people, ten who are kiddos under the age of four). Then it was the fun part. Invitations! We made three versions of them before picking our favorite (yes, making invitations is our idea of a good time). For the first one we used some shots from her 22 month photoshoot and although we loved the shapes and the fabric and that cute smile, it just didn’t have any worminess.

Clara Invite Alternative 1

So we played around some more and came up with this guy, who runneth over with worminess:

Clara Invite Alternative 2

As cute (and worm-ish) as we thought it was, we just kept playing around (yes, we’re nerds, and we only get to do it once a year) and came up with this more graphic – and just as wormy – alternative:

Clara Invite Final

Third time was the charm. Yes, we made chevron worms (maybe worms are the new chevron?). Of course we thought any of the options above would be great (and some folks might prefer #1 or #2 more), but we just loved those three little worms inching their way onto the number two with our smily girl in the middle of the number and the promise that “there will be worms.”

So we ordered just enough to send out to our crew, and even saved $15.77 thanks to googling around for a Winkflash coupon code:

Invite Coupon Code

It ended up being $1.58 per invite including an envelope ($28.54 for eighteen 5 x 7″ invites on matte card stock – not photo paper). Which isn’t  pennies, but definitely was a nice discount from the original price of $2.19 per invite. As for why we went with Winkflash, we used them for last year’s invite and were really happy with them. A lot of services offer templates for folded cards but it’s hard to find postcard-ish offerings that are completely blank (so you can upload your entire design without them putting a frame or some type around it).

And when they arrived? Love! They do such a good job- no weird printing lines or cheap-o feeling – we liked going with the larger size (5 x 7″) and the thick matte card stock paper. So that’s probably more than you’ve ever wanted to know about a two year old’s party invitation, huh? Haha.

Invite Here

But now for the party deets. Of course we’ll be back with a post after this weekend’s festivities, but just like last year, we thought a little sneak peek of our supplies might be fun (here’s last year’s). This is our table o’ stuff, some of which we had around already, like the yellow napkin dish ($2 from a thrift store a few years back!) and the fabric banner I sewed for Clara’s first birthday (we’ll re-use the runner I sewed too) along with a paper one I made for that party as well and some cute bird napkins we grabbed from Ikea about a month ago (birds like worms, right?). Some of the stuff is new of course, like the plates, worm-ish candles, some balloons and streamers, some paper lanterns, etc (all hailing from Party City or Target).

Invite All Stuff

Oh and see that pink arrow in the top left corner of the picture above? It’s pointing to this ice tray that we picked up at Ikea last month, because we thought we could even make some worm-ish ice. Or fill it with jello and make little jello worms.

Invite Ice Cube

So that’s on the agenda along with blowing up some polka dot balloons and some worm ones too (there is close to zero actual worm paraphernalia at Target and Party City, so when we saw worm balloons we couldn’t believe it).

As for all of the worm-related ideas, here’s what’s on our crazy brain dump list:

  • Make pipe cleaner worms to hide outside for a worm hunt
  • Make a grass runner with gummy worms (or plastic worms) on it
  • Collect paper towel rolls for some sort of worm craft…
  • Use streamers taped in little swags to look like worms (maybe across the beams in the living room and out on the patio somehow)
  • Serve apples with a gummy worm coming out and other worm-ish snacks
  • Cut peppers, cucumbers, and cheese into worm-like sticks and serve with dressing (worm crudité? how fancy)
  • Skewer grapes or other sliced fruit onto straws (less pokey for the kiddos than skewers)
  • Worm pizza (we’ll serve regular pizza for adults but put some cooked spaghetti on the slices for the kids)
  • Worm dogs (these are just hot dogs, haha, but we could make ketchup or mustard eyes and a smile)
  • Make white frosted cupcakes with oreo “dirt” sprinkled on top with a gummy worm (we thought about “dirt cake” or “dirt pudding” in a mason jar but it’s just too messy and hard to eat for all the 2-3 year olds)
  • Worm jello (we could just toss some gummy worms into jello sort of like a jello mold but instead of fruit it’s worms…)

Who knows what we’ll end up doing (definitely not everything!) but it’s fun to write down a bunch of things to see which ones stick. Oh and check out the favors I love so much that I assembled them a full week before the party. Nerd alert.

Invites Favors1

One of Clara’s favorite things to play with outside is our watering can (filling it with leaves, rocks, sticks, you name it) so when we saw cute green ones at Ikea for 99 cents we grabbed one for each kid (hoping they’ll like them just as much as our girl does). Then in the toy aisle we came across tiny stuffed worms for 49 cents each! Just kidding, they were snakes, but we cut off the pointy red tongues and voila: happy little worms. We also tossed a bottle of bubbles in each watering can along with an orange or pink scoop from Target (50 cents each). Brown tissue paper (aka: dirt) finished things off and gave us a spot to stick our scoops full of worms. We’re so excited for Clara to see hers. We’ve been hiding them all (I made them during a nap and stashed them all in the guest room) so it should be a pretty good time when she realizes that everyone gets a watering can, bubbles, a scoop, and a worm of their own at her party.

Oh and look at these candles we found at Tar-jay. Wormy, right?

Invite Napkins

This = a typical trip to Target. We thought grabbing two outside balls for kids to play with on the patio might be a good idea. And of course Clara picked her two favorite colors (orange and pink – which are one of the reasons we picked those colors for things like her invitations and her streamers).

Invite Target Balls

So that’s the deal with party planning. The basic gist is that I’m wishing we bought one more watering can, scoop, and stuffed snake worm so I’d get one of my own. I’m totally 30 going on 2.

Invites Favors2

Any party prep going on for you guys? Do you have any tips for keeping it simple and fun? We generally like to order food (something inexpensive but crowd-pleaser-ish, like pizza) so we’re not slaving over the stove all day. But cooking is my mom’s favorite thing, so she’d rather cook for thirty people and just grab ready-made invites. So there’s definitely more than one way to get your par-tay on. Can’t wait to share pics from this Saturday! And we’re building Clara something for her b-day. Something big. Ok, I’ll just tell you – it’s a dollhouse!!!!!!

Dollhouse Started

So excited to share the breakdown with you guys when it’s done (as expected, we’re just getting started so we’ll be working overtime!). And now for the general trite mom statement (but it’s painfully true). Oh my gosh,  how is my baby two already??? Dude, she was just turning one like three months ago.

Psst – You know $herdog loves her some Eminem, Snoop, Dre, and Biggie, but the new Karmin CD is uh.mazing. Seriously. Anyone else in love? I’ve been “YouTube in love with them” for a while (since this) and adored when they were on Ellen. Their new songs make me want to finish that dollhouse double-time (while pausing for a few obligatory dance breaks).

Comments

  1. Susan says

    The theme looks awesome!!! Love the colors. And my favorite ever gift, ever was a doll house my parents got me for Christmas. It even had working electricity- don’t ask me how, I have no idea, but my dad is the best. I had it from probably age 6 on, and my parents built shelves in my room for it and over time created a lil village for me- general store, school house, barn. It was awesome. And my cat would jump up there and we would pretend it was Cat-Zilla coming to town. Clara will love it- and it will be a new house for you all to decorate!!

    Reply

  4. Sara Beth says

    OK – I’ve been following you for over a year and I don’t think I’ve ever commented on anything besides giveaways, but I am so excited I just have to tell you: I have 2 kids, a 3 y.o. and 18 mo., and our crayons invariably turn to broken bits over time. So I have previously done the thing where you melt them down in the oven to reform bigger crayons (I used a silicone muffin tray). The problem is that the shape isn’t very easy for a kid to hold. Even cutting the muffin crayons in half didn’t really help. So I have wanted something more tubular in which to melt them but hadn’t found anything yet. Enter your ice cube trays!! I am so excited to run to Ikea and buy some and make some awesome crayons! And they should have a flat side once melted so no rolling! Thanks!

    Reply

  5. Paula says

    Have you planned a cake yet? If you make a couple of ring shaped cakes, then cut them into curves, you can make a snaky/wormy shaped cake which you can then cover in icing and decorate with whatever you fancy – does this make sense at all?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Totally makes sense! Clara loves cupcakes so that’ll be the big dessert (with two candles in hers of course) but a cake would be fun too!

      xo,
      s

  6. Jackie says

    The third invitation was definitely my favorite! It looks amazing and fun. Who wouldn’t want to go to a party with the promise that there will be worms?!?!

    We just had my son’s second birthday and did a bug theme! It was amazingly fun. We did the dirt pies with large gummy worms in it and it wasn’t as messy as we thought it might be. You can se here: http://www.tealandlime.com/2012/03/bug-party-decorations-and-food/

    We also got temporary insect tattoos from Amazon for a fun party activity. Even the adults got in on the tattoo action. Maybe they have temporary worm tattoos?

    Reply

  7. Dana says

    Have you thought about vermicomposting? I love my worm bin – it sits quietly on my patio, doesn’t smell, and keeps my food scraps out of the trash.

    And then of course there’s the benefit that you’ve got a whole box of worms to look at. :) Happy Birthday Clara!

    Reply

  8. Kim says

    I love that Clara’s party themes match what she likes at that time. I started out doing the obligatory Winnie the Pooh, Elmo, Dora and Diego when my first was younger, but then a few years ago, I decided to start diying the invites, cakes and even the pinata and my 2 girls have a blast coming up with the ideas – and their themes of course!

    And Sherry – I LOVE those party favors – so adorable!!! And I guess I’m a nerd too, because I love getting the favors done early too and setting them up as a decoration as well :)

    Reply

  9. Jessica J says

    Pour jello into straws before it solidifies! Perfect worms when you pull them out! Even better if you can find ribbed straws!

    Reply

  10. Kierstin says

    This is an adorable post. How creative to have a worm themed party! I must tell you, when I looked at the “worm” balloons, I thought they looked very much like something else. Something adult. And I’m thinking that the 30 or so adults who are attending the birthday party might think so, too. LOL! I totally understand if you don’t want to post this reply. Thanks for the giggle!

    Reply

  11. Jill says

    My son turns two on Sunday the 13th, and we are also having his party on Saturday the 12th :) We’re going with a Curious George theme (his most favorite stuffed friend!). I’ve been having lots of fun planning these past few weeks, and now that I’ve been busy crafting decorations, it looks like Pinterest exploded all over my kitchen counter!

    I love your worm theme! Very cute, and I’m sure Clara will love it!!

    Reply

  13. AsianCajuns (Cath) says

    Just a warning, those worm balloons? They look all innocent in the package, but blown up they look a little more, uh, adult-oriented. My sister threw a party for her husband when he got his Phd. Since he experimented with worms for his research, she bought those very same worm balloons for the party. Most of us got a kick out the fact that blown up they looked like giant , colorful dildos floating around the room, but some of the more conservative guests were not as impressed. . . Then again, a party wouldn’t be a party without some awkwardness mixed in with the hilarity, no?

    Reply

  14. Aimee C. says

    So you are up to 650ish comments, I didn’t scroll through all of them so I don’t know if I’m repeating. My third daughter is a bug lover as well…if you cut hotdogs lengthwise into quarters then boil they curl up and look just like yummy worms! We do this for our Halloween party. Happy birthday to sweet Clara!

    Reply

  15. Jamara Robinson says

    You may have already heard this idea (I wasn’t about to read all 600+ comments.) I’ve heard you can use bendable straws with jello. When it solidifies the jello comes out looking like a worm, with the wrinkles from the bendy part of the straw. Not sure how great it works, but may be worth looking in to. Have fun!!

    Reply

  20. Sherry from BC says

    Can’t wait to see the wormy pics…..bet Clara will love the dollhouse. My grandchildren both love playing with the one at my house that we build for their mom. Their favorite part is opening and closing the drawers & doors in the vintage tyco little kitchen cabinets and fridge and stove I found on ebay & moving the little food and other items around. The fridge is like this

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tyco-Kitchen-Littles-Refrigerator-with-Ice-Cubes-/290707722867?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43af87d273#ht_500wt_1286

    Maybe you want to buy this for the house?

    Reply

  22. Sarah says

    Maybe you could have a “worm parade” for the little ones… just a pink helium balloon on a string for each kiddo, with Clara up front with a cute smiley face on her balloon so she can be the worms head. Maybe tie one long ribbon horizontally between the balloons if keeping everyone lined up might be hard, so even if someone drops out of the parade the worm can stay intact(like how in preschools and the kids hold a rope so they have to stay in a straight line). I bet it’d be super cute for pictures, and way cheap to do!

    Reply

  24. John@RemodelingBIBLE says

    To tell you the truth, it’s my first time seeing a young girl who likes worms. I imagine unicorns may be a suitable candidate for a party theme but worms, just surprised me for a bit there. :D Joke time! What’s the difference between a worm and an apple? Have you ever tried worm pie?

    Reply

  26. Bethany says

    Sounds like a lot of fun. I saw on Pinterest where you put jello in a bendy straw and it totally looks like worms when you remove it. Might be fun.

    Reply

  27. Amy G. says

    I just LOVE great parents – some people are just born to have a child. You are two of the best. Keep up the wonderful work!

    Reply

  28. tami says

    love your blog! love the worms! my two year old always says she dreamed about bacon, bunnies and skateboards. too funny! anyway, great job with the invites, decorations and games! :)

    Reply

  29. Mizden says

    Can’t wait to see what things you choose and Clara’s reaction when she sees all the surprises!…They joy of being 2!

    Btw Sherry, Happy mother’s day! (In Mexico we celebrate it every May 10th) I know for you is until Sunday but down here is all about the great persons that cheers us up and look after us from the moment we were born!

    Virtual Flower going your way and have a great celebrating on Sunday! :)

    Reply

  32. Whitney Sharpe says

    Is the title of this post a 30 Rock reference?! I hope so. This worm party will be awesome, looks like so much fun–coming from the girl who had 4 consecutive McDonald’s parties each year growing up…. thanks a lot, mom! ;)

    Reply

  33. Laura says

    Maybe your library will have a copy of “Why Worms” by Gillian Davies. Here’s the summary: Andrew likes to draw worms in his drawing book. In fact, he likes to draw all kinds of worms in all sorts of places — that is, until Mom finds out! Clara might enjoy it with her current worm obsession. I could even send you our copy – my kids hve kind of outgrown it.
    -Laura

    Reply

  34. NYer says

    I see where someone mentioned the wonderful “Diary of a Worm” by Doreen Cronin. There are also these great finger puppets of Worm and friends, Fly & Spider. I had a puppet theatre when I was a girl that I just loved and spent hours playing with. When my son was young, there was no room for a theatre in our apartment, so I would hang a tension rod in a doorway between rooms, with a cafe curtain hanging from the rod, for Instant Puppet Theatre! My son & friends would put on puppet shows, for parents or each other.

    http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Friends-Finger-Puppet-Playset/dp/1579821979/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1336659567&sr=8-5

    Reply

  35. Amy @ this DIY life says

    I soooo love party planning!!!! I totally missed my calling as a party planner :) I’m currently planning my brother’s wedding, my SILTB’s bridal shower and my uncle’s wedding reception. The possibilities are just so endless! I love all the ideas that you have for the party! My favorite recent party was a gender reveal party I planned for my friend Ashley: http://thisdiylife.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/a-revealing-party-and-now-we-know/

    Reply

  36. Erin says

    Somebody may have already suggested this, but you should totally freeze those gummy worms in the ice trays so there are worms in the ice! Might be fun! Looks like a great party! :)

    Reply

  40. Erin says

    I think this is probably the most adorable post I have read on your site! Clara is such a lucky girl!

    On another wormy note, my little sister’s birthday is near Halloween. So one year my parents threw her Halloween themed party. We had piles of “worms” for dessert that were actually jello squeezed out of straws. I remember it being labor intensive, but I was 7ish when I helped so that’s a matter of perspective. It’s also helpful that you can do it ahead of time, but you may too busy with the doll house bonanza.

    Reply

  41. Stacey says

    Thanks for the WinkFlash tip…missed that last time. I can see using it for our upcoming save the date wedding cards. So, at WinkFlash you chose the “just your image” option and then just created your own design/”image” through photoshop or another image design program and uploaded it as your image? Which program did you use to design your image?
    Great work!

    Reply

  42. Johanna says

    My mom used to make dirt pudding in a clear gallon bucket (the kind ice cream comes in) and it was alway a staple at summer family birthday parties and get togethers! The cupcake idea is super cute too, but maybe while her worm obsession continues you can make it an afternoon snack, or have a picnic outside and have it, she’d love it I’m sure! :)

    Reply

  44. Megan B says

    We just celebrated our daughter’s 2nd birthday this morning! (Her actual birthday is tomorrow) It would have worked well with your theme–we met up with some friends at our local botanic garden’s children’s garden. The kids ran around, dug in the dirt, and had a picnic and ladybug cake. Our daughter likes to say hi to worms and throw them back into the dirt when they slither into our garage after it rains, but they don’t seem to end up in her dreams ;) Therefore, the ladybug theme won out. I hope Clara enjoys her party–I’m sure she will!

    Reply

  45. Nicole says

    Everything is too cute! Have you seen the recipe on Pinterest where you cook hot dogs with the spaghetti through them? They look like worms to me every time! Just a thought! She is going to be over the moon for all of this stuff!

    Reply

  46. binhtheredonethat says

    Love all the versions of invite, but #3 is awesome I’ve been in love with chevron. Thanks for sharing your experience with Winkflash, my nephew is turning 1 in three weeks and I’m in charge of the invitation.

    Reply

  48. Shawn says

    This post made me so happy. This party sounds so fun and I don’t even have any kids. Can’t wait to read about how it turns out – hope you all have a blast!

    Reply

  49. Jessica G says

    Hey! I didn’t scroll through all of the comments and I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned it before, but have you read her Diary of a Worm? It may be a bit over her head right now, but it’s an AWESOME book. It’s hilarious, fictional, with non-fictional (not a word?) facts thrown in. My 2nd graders love it AND it’s buddy-book, Diary of a Spider. They’re super funny and Clara-obsession-appropriate! :)

    Happy 2nd birthday, Clara! Have a great party! :)

    Reply

  50. Ellie says

    I’ve had years of birthday party experience (my girls are past the age where I get to plan fun parties) but your worm theme reminded me we also once had a snake party. I made an indoor obstacle course featuring hills and valleys to slither over (pillows and cushions), low-hanging branches to slither under (crepe paper streamers hung in a doorway almost to the ground), and the perfect finish — one of those pop-up tunnels (which I think was from Ikea) to slither through. This could easily be modified for a worm party!
    Also, dancing is a must for a two-year-old party — put on “The Twist” and let them do their best “Worm” — prizes for all, of course. Have a blast and happy birthday to your cutie.

    Reply

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