Set Sail for the “7” Seas!  My son wanted a “Boat Party” for his birthday this year, and so we invited sailor friends over for a fun day of “boat-themed” activities.  Welcome Sailors!  Enjoy this fun day on the 7 Seas with these fun birthday party ideas!

 

 Sticking to the idea of having a boatload of sailors at the party, I asked Sachiko, of Mimi Cafe Union New York, if she could craft some of her amazing little creations to go on top of some of the cupcakes.  Her work amazes me as she gives each topper its own personality.  I knew these would be so fun to unpack and see each one’s unique look~

Every single topper had a different haircut, expression, and pose~

Sachiko even sent over a couple of little girl sailors for the girls at the party~

 Sailor Boy Cookies by Bee’s Knees Creative were so, so cute!  I was so happy with the designs that Renee came up with for the party!  These little guys were my favorite design that she made in the set!  Love them!

Sailor hats and shirts, the number 7, and the birthday boy’s name all were part of the cookie collection~

 I was also lucky enough to have Brenda, of Sugar High, work her fondant magic to create precious little sailors that were displayed on a second cupcake tower.  These little guys were adorable in every way!

The delicious and colorful cupcakes were from Kathi at My Sweet Things~

The sailor boys looked so cute in the boats with paper sails by Palm Beach PolkaDots that were used at the place settings!

The cake was ship-shape and so delicious!  Kate Petronis made the cake based on a design from Sweet Tiers.  We loved how it turned out- and chocolate chips were in the cake to make it even yummier!

Sailor Hat Cake Pops were another treat for the little skippers!  I asked Kerri, and her team at Sweet Indulgence, if they could make sailor hats with each child’s name.  They were topped with striped straws and “rope” yarn  The inside was red velvet~

Another fun addition to the sweets at the party…fish lollipops swimming in the waves of ribbon candy!

We made little sailboat push-up pops out of paper and Duct Tape (one of my son’s favorite things).  Rock candy is another huge favorite and so we sprinkled a little bit of blue rock candy on top and bottom for good measure~

I used a lot of sailor hats at the party!  For table centerpieces…

Each guest had his own~

I hung them as a chandelier over the drink table~

I also made a “G” out of the hats to put at the front entrance- with an oar, a “Welcome Sailors” sign, and a number 7 fishing marker that we found when we were on vacation this summer.

With lots of boys comes the need for lots of activities!  Straight out of Family Fun magazine- a foil ocean scene!  When the guests first arrived, they made sailboats out of plastic lids, clay, toothpicks, and paper sails.  Then, they raced them down the foil cheering their little boats on!

The hose was started at the top and provided the current- this works best on a flat surface.

They would have been happy doing this for a while!

My son wanted to use real tools and build a boat at his party.  Needless to say, that wasn’t probably the  best idea but I wanted to find a way that the boys could use “real” tools with one of the activites.  I saw a dino excavation activity done in a large block of ice, and so I adapted that idea to fit his party.

I filled styrofoam cups with water and added fishing “worms” and lures (without hooks) and froze the water in layers so that the “prizes” wouldn’t all float to the top.  I did 3 layers of ice and lures over a couple of days.  Just allow the cups of water to freeze and then add another layer and then another.  Have one for each guest.

The boys used screwdrivers to free their treasures from the glaciers in the sea.  Also, be ready with scissors or a knife to cut away each cup from the ice- some would tear but others needed help.  This kept them busy and strangely quiet!  And, they loved tossing the ice blocks into the lake water when they finished!  It was like a bonus activity!

Of course, we had to have a boat.  After making all of the little box cars for the Curious George party the week before, my son loved the idea of a big box boat.  With a lot of help from my husband, it was constructed, painted, and Duct-Taped with a 7 on the side!

We used streamers for the sails and blue balloons tied to my son’s golf tees for the water.  The golf tee idea worked really well- I saw it online and loved it for creating an ocean where there’s not one.

I had a mix of chair colors, and so I had sailor shirt chairback covers made to make it look more “uniform”!

I also had a game that the children played using a boat-shaped sandbox.  We hid containers with wooden numbers in the sand and they had to dig to find a number.  Then, they had to search for a bag with their number on it.  The bags had gold coins- some play and some real.

I also wanted to have snacks for the parents at the party and so we set up food inside for the parents to enjoy~

My favorite was the S’m{oars} made by my mom and displayed on oars~

The food signs were made from origami boats by Origami Delights and “sails” from Loralee Lewis~

We also had Sailor Snacks in muslin sacks that were perfect for taking on the boat ride (that actually didn’t happen due to a mechanical issue).  Thank goodness there was enough to do without the boat ride!

A box boat will do any day!

And, this little one had one thing in mind with this rope- tug of war.  I gave up on it being a “decoration”!

When the party was over, the kiddos received the cutest sailbox favor boxes by Piggy Bank Parties!  I can’t tell you enough how perfectly perfect these little boxes were!

They were assembled and ready to fill with a compass for each child.  AND, they each had an ANCHOR COOKIE attached to the sailboat.  The anchor cookies were from Goosie Girl and were connected with a piece of rope yarn.  Every boat needs an anchor, and I am crazy about Goosie Girl and her anchor design!

The gorgeous little boats set sail with a 7 on each side!  The sail slipped off to open and close the box- adorable and so well-designed!  There is nothing like a custom design (and customer-service) from Piggy Bank Parties!  Loralee Lewis created a sign thanking the friends for a “Boat-Load” of fun!

 It was such a fun day!  We loved celebrating our sailor as he “Set Sail for the Seven Seas”!

 

 

As always, these parties are never possible without the help of my family!  My mom-in-law is fantastic at hanging chandeliers and streamers.  My cousin, Andrew, is forever tall and can reach everything “up high” for me.  Thank you, Andrew for your huge amount of help in 24 hours!  My parents, husband, and sister know I would still be working right now without them!

I just have to say, that the amount of creative talent of the ladies that sent their products for the party is worth so much more than a simple mention on a credit list.  Please visit these shops and enjoy all that they have to offer.  They are incredible!

VENDOR CREDITS:

Fondant Sailor Children- MimiCafe Union New York

Fondant Sailor Boys- Sugar High

Cupcakes- My Sweet Things

Anchor Cookies- Goosie Girl

Sailor Cookie Collection- Bee’s Knees Creative

Cake- And Everything Sweet        Cake Inspiration from Sweet Tiers

Sailor Hat Cake Pops- Sweet Indulgence

Fish Lollipops- Vintage Confections

Ribbon Candy, Rock Candy, Blue Display Candy- Oh! Nuts

Favor Boxes- Piggy Bank Parties

Invitations and Place Setting Sails- Palm Beach Polka Dots

Muslin Bags with Printed Sailboat- Jacqandjillybeans

AHOY Banner, Welcome Sign, Food Labels Flags- Loralee Lewis

Origami Boats used as “table tents”- Origami Delights

Cupcake Wrappers, Mini Paper Loaf Pans used as boats at Table Setting, push-up pops- Shop Sweet Lulu

Sailor Hats- Oriental Trading

Monogramming on hats- Southern Belles and Beaus

Sailor Shirt Chair Covers- Brenda Sorrow

Party by The Party Wagon