Enchanted Mermaid Party!

My friend, the author of my blog-spiration Oh Boy Cato, just returned from a beach vacay and kindly asked me to be a guest poster on her blog! Sharing the mer-peg craft as a guest writer created the desire in me to share a little post about the Dreamer's Enchanted Mermaid Party of last year!  

In addition to the Dreamer's love of all things feline, fairy, and dragon related, she is also a lover of merfolk. At the end of  last winter, the year that she turned six, she asked for a party with friends. It was her first ever party that wasn't a small family gathering, and she wanted a mermaid event! 

We made invitations out of colored paper and a sketch I drew of a mermaid on a rock, and we printed them on our computer. 

Next, we planned some party favor/games/activities.  We decided storytelling would be appropriate, so I formulated the a tale of merpeople and pirates that would peak with my divulging an ancient map for pirate treasure with which they could go for a little hunt about the yard.  

To create the map, Mister and I walked around the yard recording footstep counts from landmark to landmark (tree to fire pit to tree).  After marking down paces, I drew a map, folded, crinkled, and burned the edges with a match to age. 

For treasures, I created mermaid tears by modgepodging little paper illustrations of mermaids to flat marble pieces, starfish wands, mermaid stamped wooden star-shaped necklaces, and golden chocolate coins.

After the treasure hunt, Mister, Auntie A, and I managed three different activity stations: messages/wishes in a bottle--consisting of writing something on a tiny slip of paper, rolling up the message, and inserting it, along with a scoop of mini shells, into a  small, corked glass bottle. They all were very secretive about their messages.

The second station was the sewing of mermaid tapestries, where a fine cotton yarn was stitched in and out of burlap scraps and included flower petals.  The children were so focused and serious about their creations, and I was sure to celebrate each very unique tapestry created! 

Auntie A manned the dress up station, where she tied tulle scraps around each ankle and painted faces.  

Food and presents were last on the agenda, and all of the children decorated cupcakes, and enjoyed fruit kabobs, goldfish, and bite-sized seaweed (spinach) quiches.  

It all turned out to be perfectly wonderful, and the small crowd of sweet friends seemed to have a marvelous time!