NUTCRACKER BIRTHDAY  This was a December birthday party for my daughter who was turning 8. We had about 18 children, mostly girls, but some boys, and held the party in a Park District field house. 

INVITATIONS: For the invitations, we found a nutcracker-design outline online and let the birthday girl color it in using the paint" program on the computer. Then we printed out copies cut them out using pinking shears to get a zigzag edge and glued them onto blank cards from Michael's. She chose red gold and forest green for the Nutcracker's colors a shimmery brown for the blank cards and forest green for the envelopes. Each invitation was further decorated with some candy-themed stickers from the dollar section at Target and each envelope was sealed with a snowflake sticker. The invitations had the following text printed out and glued inside the card: A holiday party a festive house A Sugar Plum Fairy and a King who's a Mouse! The Land of Sweets and the Land of Snow Close your eyes and away we go. Russia, China, Arabia, and Spain - We'll travel the world --we won't need a plane - So please come join us to celebrate At a Nutcracker Birthday when (name) turns eight! And then the party and RSVP information. Guests were told to wear either an "international" costume or else their nightgown/pajamas.

DECORATIONS: Besides our big pinata (see below) we had lots of "candy" themed and "snow" themed decorations from the dollar store such as plastic candy canes and big styrofoam snowflakes. Plus we had a fire burning in the fireplace and a collection of nutcracker ornaments on the mantel. On the food buffet I had a green table runner some cotton batting "snow" and two little glitter foam Christmas trees with mini packages under them (from the dollar store).

GOODIE BAGS: I got red gift bags 2 for a dollar. Each bag was decorated with a nutcracker printout the same as on the invitation. I gave these out right away at the beginning of the party so that the kids could use them to collect their candy from the pinata (see below). 

COOKIE DECORATING: We had gingerbread man cookies plus sugar cookies in the shapes of snowflakes and ballerinas. The kids could decorate them using icing sprinkles etc. Then the cookies were packed up on small paper plates and put in a ziploc bag to go home. 

PINATA: After we had all gathered and made our cookies I told the children that we were going to act out the story of the Nutcracker. It begins with the holiday party where Clara receives a nutcracker as a present from her uncle. Then her naughty brother grabs her nutcracker and breaks it! To act this out we had a NUTCRACKER PINATA and each child took a turn playing the naughty brother and smashing it! I got a big "pirate" pinata which had more or less the right shape and the right clothes and made some modifications using cardstock and tissue paper so that it had a more appropriate face and hat. It was filled with holiday-themed candy such as chocolate gold coins Hershey kisses mini candy canes red and green individually wrapped Rice Krispie treats (Little Debbie) etc. There were also some Christmas pencils and some mini drum ornaments (the kind made from cardboard and foil six for a dollar). The candy canes were a mistake as they broke when they hit the floor but everything else went over well. 

NUTCRACKER VS MOUSE KING GAME In the next part of the story Clara falls asleep and dreams that her nutcracker becomes a real prince who has to battle the Mouse King. The Nutcracker Prince is losing the battle until Clara steps in and throws her shoe at the Mouse King which finishes him off. We had a beanbag toss game that my husband and daughter made. It was a wooden box with a picture of the Mouse King that my daughter drew cut out and glued on. On top of the box was a shelf and we placed a cardboard crown (also made by the birthday girl) on the shelf which the kids had to try and knock off with a beanbag. The beanbag was a real ballet slipper (from the dress-up box). I filled it with dried beans covered the opening with a piece of felt and sewed it on all around.

INTERNATIONAL ART STATIONS --Next we had the part of the story where the Nutcracker Prince takes Clara on a tour around the world and the dancers represent different countries. I mentioned that we had already been to the land of Mother Ginger (gingerbread cookies) and now we would travel to Russia, China, Arabia, and Spain, plus the Land of Snow. Snow --Steve Spangler Insta-Snow in a plastic wading pool with spoons etc. for playing in it. This stuff is so much fun --the kids love watching it expand when you add the water! Russia --I printed out a clip art of three graduated sizes of Russian dolls. (There was also one of a Russian boy doll in a fur coat and cap.) These were copied onto white cardstock.

The kids could color cut out and also cut out matching back pieces. Then they could staple the front and back pieces together around three sides leaving one side open to make the paper dolls be puppets in three sizes which would nest together like real Russian dolls. I had a real Russian doll there at the table to show them plus a printout of the Russian flag.  China--The children could make lanterns made of colored paper (decorate with crayons then tape into a tube) ribbon and tissue paper streamers jingle bells to tie onto the ends of the ribbons and a yarn handle. This station was decorated with Chinese lanterns (from the store) and a printout of the Chinese flag.  Arabia--Arab art is mostly geometric patterns. At this station the children could make mosaics using small squares of paper in different colors glued to a background of black cardstock. I had some sample patterns there to show them. The station was decorated with some Turkish coffee pots and a printout of the flag of Saudi Arabia.  Spain--The children could make flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners. This station was decorated with a Spanish shawl a silk rose a mask and some beads plus a printout of the Spanish flag. 

SNACKS --When it was time to eat I announced that it was time for some international treats plus sweets from the Sugar Plum Fairy! We had an international buffet line with four red platters (from the dollar store). On the platters were potstickers and mini egg rolls for China, pierogies for Russia, hummus and pita chips for Arabia, and a tray of "tapas" (salami cheese bell peppers and olives on fancy toothpicks) for Spain. Each tray had the appropriate flag stuck in it. The tables had red and white cloths gingerbread man and candy cane confetti scattered red plates red cups decorated with candy-themed stickers and napkin bundles with red-white-and-green striped napkins, red forks, and red spoons tied up with ribbon. These napkin bundles are a great project to have your kids make before the party! We had red Hawaiian Punch to drink.

CAKE AND SWEETS --I baked two 9-inch cakes (one white and one red velvet) and two 6-inch cakes (one white and one red velvet) and split each one horizontally so that I had four thin 9-inch layers (two white and two red) and four thin 6-inch layers (two white and two red). Then I stacked up the layers so that I had a two-tiered cake made of red and white stripes like a candy cane. I covered it with white cream cheese frosting and let the birthday girl decorate it with mini candy canes, gingerbread man cookies, red and green birthday candles stuck into gumdrop holders etc.

On the top tier (where the bride and groom statue would go) I put a little wooden nutcracker ornament from Michael's. The cake was surrounded by Cherry Mice (see below) and there were some perched on the bottom tier also. It all looked very festive and pretty. To make the Cherry Mice you take maraschino cherries (be sure to get the kind with stems) blot them off well on paper towels and dip them in melted chocolate. We made some with white chocolate and some with dark. Then add almond slices for the ears dark or light sprinkles for the eyes (whatever is the opposite of the chocolate) a red sprinkle for the nose, and the cherry stem is the tail. These are really cute! Only you have to work fast to stick on the almonds and sprinkles before the chocolate hardens up.

With the cake and the cherry mice we also had blue jello jigglers (cut in snowflake shapes with a cookie cutter) and ice cream (chocolate vanilla or peppermint). I was going to also serve hot chocolate with whipped cream and crushed peppermint but we ran out of time. I always find that those jello jigglers colored and cut to fit whatever the party theme is are a big hit! Sometimes I wonder why I make the cake. For the parents I guess.  The dessert table was decorated with two wooden nutcrackers (Nutcracker Prince and Mouse King) and some stuffed mice. 

FAVORS --Everyone took home their favor bag that they were carrying around with their decorated cookies art projects and pinata candy. To each bag we added a few more items: a small wooden Nutcracker ornament ($1.50 each at Michael's craft store --the same kind that was on top of the cake) a sheet of candy-themed stickers (6 sheets for a dollar at Target) and a red and white striped drinking straw ($1 for 10 at Dollar Tree). 

THANK YOU NOTES --We used inexpensive Christmas cards red with a design of candy canes and snowflakes and matching envelopes.   "