Birthday bonanza! Every year we go to what seems like an endless stream of children’s birthday parties, and nine times out of ten, that birthday party has a theme. It may be a unique theme, like our dear friend Charlotte’s Pippi Longstocking fifth birthday party, or a more common theme like a friend’s “fireman” theme. “Theme” might be too strong – it could better be put as a child’s affinity, latest Disney promo, or obsession-of-the-week.
Recently, my oldest son Caden had a “pirate” party, and so I put together a pirate party package. My plan was to create custom labels to give the party a pop of originality without the cost. I used the labels for the paper cups and plates, party hats, gift bags and favors, the invitations and envelopes.
First, I used a bookplate label for the smaller items. The ships and stylized font were the perfect size for a simple name call-out. I put a handful of personalized M&Ms into a sandwich bag, cut off the top plastic zip, and tied it with a gold ribbon.
Next, I created a larger label that had a pirate’s map font. This one worked great on the larger favor bag. I also used this label with folded construction paper to make invitations.
Another super fun label I created was a photo label using a snapshot I took of Caden dressed up as a pirate. I selected the label by the shape I was looking for, combined with a simple font and a large selection of colors. This label worked great on just about everything I tried, from the plates and cups to the invites.
Tessa White has her MFA from the University of San Francisco. Her short fiction has been published in literary magazines such as Freight Train and Stones Throw, and she's currently at work on a collection of stories. Tessa lives in San Francisco with her husband and two boys.
