8 Simple DIY Star Wars Party Ideas / Jedi Training Camp

My three boys loved Star Wars from an early age, so a Star Wars party was a theme they could really get behind. I structured the party as a Jedi Training Camp, and it was a lot of fun. Check out all the DIY details (and the video I made) below.

To get a closer look at all the easy and inexpensive Star Wars party details, keep reading, or watch the video I made below:

1) The invite - To make a fun invite, I took a picture of the birthday boy with his hand extended in a fist. Then, I used an x acto knife to cut slits above and below the fist, and inserted a glow bracelet in the slot. Pretty cute, right?

2) The signs and schedule - To set the tone for the event, and let the guests know what to expect, I made a few signs using dollar store supplies. I put a "Jedi Training Academy" sign at the door, I framed a schedule of party activities, and I drew large R2D2 for guests to get their photo taken with.

3) Security Badge - I made "security badges" for the guests to colour and wear during the party. I always like to have an activity for party guests to do while waiting for everyone to arrive. This was simple and fun!

4) Agility Training - At a kid's birthday party, it's important to provide an opportunity for little ones to run around and burn off some energy. We played "freeze dance" to songs from Star Wars.

5) Dinner Break - Jedi trainees have big appetites, so we had lots of tasty treats--including Star Wars cookies and cake. For the cake, I made a simple rectangle cake, and added some clean, new toys to the top. The toys went to the birthday boy, and he was thrilled!

6) Light Saber Training - I wanted the kids to be able to have their own light sabers to play with at the party (and to take home after the party), so I made a bunch from dollar store pool noodles. I cut the pool noodles in half and used silver duct tape to cover the bottoms. Then, I used black electrical tape and red dot stickers to embellish it. They were a big hit, and they were easy and inexpensive to make.

7) Final Test (destroy the death star pinata) - At the end of the party, the kids were given their final test. They had to use their light sabers to destroy the death star pinata I made. I used a glue-based paper Mache mixture to cover a balloon.

Then, I used duct tape to attach a hanger, busted the balloon, cut a hole near the top, filled it with candy, and covered the hole with black electrical tape.

I painted the whole thing grey, and added a circle of electrical tape around the middle.

Then, the kids took turns whacking at it and trying to bust it open.

8) Graduation (presentation of certificate and party favor) - After all the jedi training was complete, all the kids were awarded graduation certificate, and they were given a cupcake party favor. I made the cupcakes, inserted plastic Star Wars rings, and packaged them up with a thank you note. The kids loved them!

I hope you like these budget-friendly Star Wars party ideas. Unique details really are the key to making a celebration memorable. Happy party planning!

♥

Gina Bell
(Mom and Amateur Party Planner)

Budget-friendly GRADUATION Party Ideas

My oldest son is graduating from high school, and of course, we'll be doing a lot of hosting and entertaining. I have some fabulous budget-friendly graduation party details to share today, and you are definitely going to want to include them in YOUR celebration.

Check out this graduation photo prop made from a piece of dollar store foam board and stickers. Seriously... it's soooo easy and cute! Find the step by step instructions here.

And how adorable is this graduation centre piece made by gluing dollar store frames together? I LOVE a piece of decor that includes photos, don't you? Find the step by step instructions here.

And I LOVE this graduation tiered tray made from dollar store plates and candle stick holders! It takes a few minutes to glue together, and it looks fantastic! Find the step by step instructions here.

You'll also want to make sure you get lots of photos, and a hashtag will make photo sharing easy. This graduation photo hashtag sign is free at EastCoastMommy.com, and you can pop it in a dollar store frame. Easy peasy! Grab your free download here.

Get a closer look at these four pieces of DIY graduation decor below.

Guests will also need fun food, and I think this DIY graduation candy bar is perfect. Grab your free tags here, and check out the instructional video below.

Finally, you are going to want to make sure guests leave with a fun graduation party favor. You can check out my FIVE favourites in the video below, and you can download the 2024 tags for free here.

I hope you like these budget-friendly graduation party ideas. Unique details really are the key to making a celebration memorable. Happy graduation party planning!

♥

Gina Bell
(Mom and Amateur Party Planner)

DIY Bowling Party... with cute food and favour ideas

Hosting a party at a venue outside your home is a great option... but it's still fun to add some homemade DIY details to make the party memorable and special. When my oldest son turned 11, we hosted a party at a bowling alley, but of course we created some fun games, food, and party favours. Below, check out the DIY details that made our DIY bowling party unique and fun!

We started with a simple DIY invite that I created on Picmonkey. If you design a 4X6 invite on Picmonkey, you can print the photo invites inexpensively. Mine were $0.19 each.

The main activity at the party was obviously bowling, but I wanted to add a few more activities to make the party fun and unique.

After the kids finished bowling, they were able to "guess the candies in the jar". The party guest that guessed closest to the actual number of Skittles won the jar. Fun, right?

We also had a prize punch (which has become a staple at my boys' parties). It's always a hit with party guests, and you can get the full tutorial here.

Of course, we had to have festive bowling party food. We had pizza and lots of treats at my son's personal "canteen".

And I made a simple "bowling cake". I carved a bowling pin from a rectangular cake and a bowling ball from a round cake. They were simple cakes, but they were cute and went well with our party theme.

And finally, our guests left with adorable bowling party favours (with sweet tags that I designed). You can download the tags for free here. 

I thought the bowling party theme was fun, and I enjoyed planning out all the DIY details. Have you ever hosted a bowling party? What did you do to make the party fun and unique?

♥

Gina Bell
(Mom and Amateur Party Planner)

Thanksgiving Party Favours

Every party needs a good gift for guests to take home, and I am in love with these adorable Thanksgiving party favours. Today, I'm sharing an option for adults, something for the kids, and FREE printable tags. Fun, right?!?!

Both of these favours start out with a fantastic seasonal cookie recipe. These soft and chewy ginger cookies, smell great and taste delicious. You can find the recipe here.

After the cookies have cooled, you can put them in a clear cellophane bag, and add the cute tag I designed. Click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Trim it to look like a gift tag, and tie it to a bag of cookies.

These really are the sweetest little "take away" for your adult Thanksgiving guests.

For the kids, why not make these adorable turkey cookies. Put one of the ginger cookies in a bag, tape a faux Fall leave to the back, add a cardstock beak and wattle, and glue on some large googly eyes.

That's it! What kid wouldn't love taking one of these sweet cookies home after Thanksgiving dinner.

These Thanksgiving party favours are perfect for small dinners and large gatherings... and they are easy and inexpensive to make.

What do you think of these Thanksgiving party favours? Do you think you will share these tasty treats with your guests this year?

♥

Gina Bell

(Mom and Amateur Party Planner)

You might also be interested in the holiday celebration ideas here.

New Year's Eve Treats / Party Favours... KISS 2020 Goodbye!

2020 has been quite a year, and I think we are all ready for the goodbye party, am I right?!?! With Covid restrictions in place, New Year's Eve is going to look a lot different this year, so with that in mind, I thought it would be fun to create a fun treat for my family and friends to enjoy. Check out the perfect 2020 New Year's Eve treat (and free printable tags) below.

Isn't this a cute way to share Hershey kisses? I put a few kisses in a clear bag, and attached the tag I designed with a bit of curling ribbon.

To download the tags for FREE: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

It's pretty simple to make a bunch to share. You can enjoy them in your home, or you can deliver them for friends to enjoy while social distancing.

How are you celebrating New Year's Eve this year? Even if the group you are spending the evening with is small, it can still be a lot of fun with a few special treats.

♥

Gina Bell
(Mom and Amateur Party Planner)

 You can find MORE New Year's Eve ideas here.