Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Princess Crowns

Ever since Rachel's birthday - Emily has been talking about what she wants for her birthday. Nevermind that it is still TWO months away! She is dreaming of everything princess - and we did a princess party last year, so I've been trying to come up with some new ideas to make this fun and a little different - yet still very princess.

I've decided to go with a princess tea party theme and had saved this great tutorial, I knew these little princesses needed some crowns! In my typical fashion, I did do a few things differently - but followed the main idea of this tutorial.

Total spent: $1.40 + lots of scraps I had on hand
Time spent: two nap times

I love how they look all piled up together and I wonder which one will be Emily's favorite?!


What would you serve several little girls at a tea party/lunch? I have a few ideas, but am curious to hear your thoughts!

42 comments:

Katy said...

oh, they look great Monica! :) How fun and special!!! :)
If it was me...I would serve mini muffins or cupcakes and cookies with the tea party. However....if you are trying to go for something more meal-like...you could do crackers and cheese, fruit etc! :) That's just what I would do! I bet it will be fantastic no matter what you decide! :) Have a wonderful day!

Christi said...

The crowns are adorable! I don't know what I would serve - can't wait to see what you come up with!

asnipofgoodness said...

These are really cute Monica. They look like they were a lot of fun to make!
You will come up with a perfect menu, as you always do. I hope you will share it all when the time comes.

Wendi said...

Those are really cute! You could serve finger sandwiches. Even peanut butter and jelly with the crust cut off and cut into cute little shapes. I like the idea of mini cupcakes. The possibilities are endless, have fun!

Melissa said...

I love the mini cupcake and shaped PB&J's idea. You could also make cookies in the shape of crowns and have the girls decorate them for fun.

Edi said...

Your crowns are adorable! I like how you used a variety of colors.

Some ideas for a tea (we had one last month for my dd's party)...sandwiches cut out with cookie cutters and ribbon sandwiches (alternate white/wheat bread and stack slices about 4 high - add filling usually PBJ and then slice into thin "ribbons")...mini cupcakes, veggie tray w/dip, tea w/sugar cubes and cream, little cream puff things (Aldi in the frozen section), petite fours (cake - made in a rectangle pan using only about 1/2 the batter so it doesn't get too high, cut into small squares then icing poured over top and an icing star or whatever shape on top).

Barbie @ Mamaology said...

I love the crowns:)great job!

I would serve mini sandwiches...PBJ cut into flowers, turkey and cheese in little triangles... on fancy plates.

Have fun!

Linda said...

Fancy british high tea stuff! ;)

We had this for our wedding dayguests, since a three-course dinner was too expensive for us broke students..

So..... scones with jam and cream, oatmeal muffins, little cucumber sandwiches, cupcakes, some bon-bons, maybe some little toasts with egg salad?

AND not to forget.. a pint of milk to pour into the tea.. can't have tea without milk ;)

greetings from holland! :)

Paige said...

Pigs in a blanket.
Baby carrots and ranch.
Apple slices.
Strawberries and chocolate sauce for dipping.
P~

Anonymous said...

LOVE the crowns!! They look so bright, cheery and royal.

This is kinda fairy princessy but how about cookies on some type of sticks like a (brain has come up blank on the word) but the stick that a queen holds.

Anonymous said...

No matter what you choose for the menu, it simply must be served on a sliver platter! You could even wrap the girls' plates in aluminum foil to create the look of silver. (A good way to use up mismatched leftover party plates.)A princess should have it no other way!
Please do share all of the party details at some point!
Angie

Brie said...

Great job on the crowns! They look so cheery & colorful!!

Jenny said...

The crowns are so cute! I am taking notes as I am planning on doing this type of party with one of my daughter's birthdays in a year or two. So please share all of your party details. I think I will make it a tea party where the guests also bring their doll. I have already bought a handful of the little white dress gloves on clearance after Easter to give to each girl and will also probably have goodie bags of pretend necklaces and dress-up items for each of the little princesses.

Tracy said...

I had a princess tea party lunch several years back for my youngest daughter. We served finger sandwiches cut into flower shapes by using a cookie cutter, goldfish crackers, teddy grahams, fruit, and petit four rather than a big cake.

Amy said...

Those are so cute! I can't wait to see your theme all pulled together- I know it will be AMAZING! I am bookmarking this for our notebook entry this week ;)

Elise said...

I love to serve pbj's at my kids' parties. However, I like to use my PC cut and seal. You could also use a crown cookie cutter. I love those little cucumber on rye bread squares. It has a cream cheese and other stuff between the bread and cucumber. Also fruit, mini muffins, a fruity tea-hot or cold. We vacationed in Gatlinburg, Tn. last November and went to a tearoom. I got their cookbook and it had some yummy recipes. When you get there they serve mini plum muffins and they had a fruity tea. I can give you the recipes if you like, just email me. I also like to make white chocolate dipped pretzel rods with colored sugar sprinkles. You could serve them in a fun glass jar or vase-it would be pretty. You could make a banner for the party-you could use those $1 letters from Joann's or you probably could come up with your own. I want to have a Sweet Shoppe birthday party for Lilly and make the girls aprons and have different candy and treats in various glass jars.
I can't wait to see what you come up with!!
Elise

Cheryl said...

Monica,
Those crowns are adorable and I thnk all the girls will just love them and will feel like princesses. All the gals that have posted before me gave some fabulous ideas for the menu. I am not sure how old the children will be, but a tea party can't be a tea party unless you use real silverware and tea cups. The girls would feel so grown up...but like I said, not sure how old they are. You may not want to use real tea cups...and by real tea cups I don't mean your fancy china. Even your everyday dishes would be fun for them to use.
Be sure to share pics of the special day. Your daughter will remember it always.

Unknown said...

little mini sandwiches on clear plastic plates...look like glass, but much more resilient!!

The crowns are adorable!

Anonymous said...

You could try mini cubes of cheese with a pineapple cube on top (if you are happy to use cocktail sticks) and I would go with mini cupcakes rather than muffins, topped with pastel icing and sprinkles, and tiny meringues! I saw a sweet (in both ways!)candy necklace on The Crafty Crow, which could be a nice activity! Gill.

Dianna said...

I am always so amazed at your craftiness. Those crowns are too cute!

I would serve everything pink. I immediately thought of the special pink lemonade that Mrs. Oleson served in On the Banks of Plum Creek.

Aubrey said...

Peti-fours! Most assuredly! And fruit and crackers and cheese to round it out.

I LOVE the crowns! They are adorable. We are in princess mode big time around here, so that will give us something to do on the next rainy day.

Mona said...

Monica, I just think you are so sweet and your girls so lucky to have you as a mom! They will look back at these years with much fondness. Mine do. I once had a tea party, and borrowing a tip from my mom from the 60's, I had bread from the bakery dyed pink, or you could do it yourself. Such a simple thing, but everyone was amazed! Mona

Tamara said...

The crowns are precious! Love them!

This isn't normal tea-party fare, but it is princessy: Mini Pavlovas. I have always loved them...when I was a little girl, I thought they were princess food! They're not hard to make, and they're so pretty. Here's a recipe I found on the internet after a quick search: http://jenyu.net/blog/2008/07/04/for-the-fourth/

Can't wait to see pictures of the party...I know it will be a special day!

Kelly @ The Barefoot Mama said...

ADORABLE!

Monica - I had a tea back in July for my daughter's two year old birthday, but it was more of a get-together with her aunties (my best friends) who I never get to see. Her actual birthday party was the weekend before.

Here's the post if it helps at all...have a wonderful time! These crowns are precious!

http://www.thebarefootmama.com/thebarefootmama/2008/07/an-enchanting-afternoon.html

P.S. My menu was more adult and the kids had popsicles, hotdogs (though they liked the bbq, too, yay!) and had the strawberry shortcake, too. You could do lots of different kid versions of popular tea treats, like peanut butter and banana (or chocolate...mmm) sandwiches cut into hearts or flowers, blueberry or chocolate chip scones, etc.

Have fun! I am so looking forward to pics! :o)

Anonymous said...

We had a tea party for my 7 year olds birthday party in may. I asked all the girls to wear their "party best" and when they arrived I had a basket full of tiaras, costume jewelry, feather boas and other dress up things for them to play with when they arrived. They were allowed to keep the items they wore at the end of the party.

For the menu I served sparkling lemonade in tea cups (it was too hot for anything warm); tiny pb&j and turkey/cheese sandwiches cut into little triangles with the crusts cut off; strawberries with the stem on; little tea cookies; mini pizzas (from Trader Joes if you have one near you) and birthday cake with pink frosting.

My key to making it special was the presentation, rather than the food. Cloth tablecloth, real napkins, real china, fresh flowers and all that stuff. My guests were a little older so I didn't worry about breakage so much though.

Enjoy the day when it comes.

rcsnickers said...

I sure could of use this for my 4yo girl's birthday party last week! I looked on line but could not find I liked to make! This is so cute! Thanks... hm, maybe I can make a crown for my son next month and add the princess too? :)

GranthamLynn said...

How adorable. And I have to look at the tutorial too. I love them!
My first thought is mini cupcakes and tea of course and tiny sandwichs cut with cookie cutters.
Keep us posted!
Smiles,
Sherry

Anonymous said...

These crowns are so cute!! :) You've gotten some really good suggestions about things to serve at this special party. I know whatever you come up with will be darling and delicious! :) Love, Mom

Jenny's Vegcafe said...

How wonderful those hats will be!
Mini grilled cheese sandwiches or butter sandwiches, broccoli crowns, brownie muffins, and lemonade would be on my menu.

*carrie* said...

Monica,

Those turned out super cute. I also love how all of them look together--so colorful! Way to plan ahead. =)

~Babychaser~ said...

Depending on how many girls you have (looking at the crowns, I'd say 6?) you may want to plan it so the girls can help you prepare things. Though maybe they are still too young for that. I'd say try to find at least one thing (tea sandwiches of some kind) that they can help prepare.

Menu items? I like little egg salad triangles, scones (or other puff pastry if they may not like the scones) with yummy jelly or something. My favorite "tea party" treat is ginger cookies with lemon curd. Lemon curd sounds scarier than it is... it's yummy!

Milehimama @ Mama Says said...

We had a butterfly teaparty. One thing that was a hit was raisin bread (baked in one of those Pampered Chef fluted bread tubes) spread with cream cheese, and topped with colored sugar sprinkles.

Here's my post about our party:
Birthday Tea Party

Anonymous said...

Serve them ice cream sundaes in tea cups (let them top their own), Mini sandwiches (cheese/pbj)cut into flower shapes, mini muffins or cupcakes and of course hot(warm) chocolate served from a tea pot.

Anonymous said...

Hi Monica:

The crowns are adorable...very colorful too!

Of course, as you know, the teaparty theme is "right down my alley" You've had a lot of great suggestions already and I'm sure you'll come up with more.

I always try to serve some kind of dainty tea sandwiches. I know you've said the girls don't like pnut butter, but you could use just butter & honey. (I know they like that) Also, I have found that little girls usually like egg salad sandwiches cut in dainty shapes. (I use a teapot-shaped cookie cutter.)
Then some kind of fruit (grapes are a fovorite) and a sweet treat. I liked the suggestion one of your friends made of the mini cream puffs from Aldis. Also tiny cookies or cupcakes.
I know you'll come up with something cute & tasty for the little princesses.
The "tea" can be either an herbal tea or pink lemonade, I think.

Also, I always liked the idea of a "dress up party". your Mom will tell you that is one of her faorite childhood memories.

Wish I could be there to help!!

Love, Grandma

Eleanor Joyce said...

Monica - the crowns are beautiful! They will be such keepsakes.

Tamra said...

This sounds like so much fun. And i know exactly what you mean about your girls planning their birthday months in advance. My January and April birthday girls already talk about their next party.

Just a little idea. The kids here love "fairy bread". It's basically bread spread with butter and covered in 100s-and-1000s (sprinkles). It's not really healthy or anything but cute especially when cut with cute cookie cutters instead of the usual triangles.

Monica Wilkinson said...

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions! I am excited to dig through them and come up with a tasty menu!

Rebecca Ann said...

those crowns are totally adorable! I love the colors and I am sure your girls and their friends will love them.

Well I would serve definately cookies, maybe lemon bars?? I don't know if they would like them. Or maybe a cake that is chocolate frosted with brightly colored sprinkles on top with bright candles. It sounds kind of simple, but it could go with the crown color sceme.

Maybe fruit as something not sweet and I will have to get back to you on other foods that are not sweet.

Anonymous said...

We did this last year for my daughters 5th birthday. We saw a Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade show and got some great ideas. The best one were fruit wands (a huge hit)!! Take a wooden skewer (or chopstick) and skewer cubed fruits (watermelon, canteloupe, grapes, and honeydew...pretty colors) and put an upside down strawberry on the top for the point. Peel, halve, and scoop out a seperate canteloupe, flatten the bottom, and use it as a serving bowl for vanilla yogurt (colored pink with food coloring) as dip. Use the other half upside down to stick the wands in. Each girl can choose her own "princess" fruit wand. And, instead of "tea" which was apple juice, all of the girls chose the pink milk (strawberry milk)

Jenny said...

Someone probably already mentioned this, but I've dipped pretzel rods in white chocolate, covered the chocolate-dipped end with sprinkles, and then tied curling ribbon around them to make scepters.

Also, I've cut "jewels" out jello, and they turned out great! If you use the recipe for jello jigglers and purchase jewel tone colors--purple (grape), turquoise (blue raspberry) and deep red (black cherry)--you can easily cut out diamond shapes and display them on a crystal platter. They'll even sparkle!

Renee said...

Monica,

Good Morning! I have been really enjoying all your crafty posts. I love the princess crowns and will have to make some for my children for Christmas.

One craft that I have been really thinking about is trying to figure out how to make look alike Lelli Kelli sneakers. They are the cutest things BUT are so expensive and I will not pay that much for shoes. I figure the first step is to buy either keds white canvas sneakers, or cheap Walmart ones then get some fabric paint make some neat designs, then somehow sew beads, and sequins on with a special large needle.

Well thanks for all the great posts!

Renee
Mama to four

Our Creative Day said...

These are just ADORABLE & FUN!!! I can't wait to do this with DD!