Last year, my daughter turned 7 and was TOTALLY into American Idol.  For her winter birthday party theme, we decided that EVERYBODY would wanna be a rock star and to celebrate that idea. (Warning - not an INEXPENSIVE party, but there are ways to cut corners if you think about 'em.)  On my home computer, and keeping the Idol" graphics in mind I made invitations with the "Wanna be a Rock Star?" theme on them. Because of a working relationship my family has with a local hotel we were able to rent one of their party rooms for next-to-free. We hired a DJ to spin records with a bubble machine a strobe light and a fog machine.  He also did the Karaoke for us.  The hotel set up long buffet tables with pizza pops chips etc.  We decorated the doorway with those beaded streamers so it felt like you were walking into a rockin' pad! Prior to the start of the party the DJ started the fog and bubble machines to give it a cool look. Of course the music was rockin' throughout the party!  We had a dance floor set up and small tables set up with 4 chairs at each so the kids could munch.  Several of the more outgoing kids were thrilled to start the karaoke and the others happily followed suit!  The kids were dancing like crazy!  In the kids loot bags we gave them each an (inflated inflatable) guitar and fake microphone.  These came in super handy during the party because all the kids were playing air guitar and singing into their microphone while they weren't doing the karaoke.  Then we ran some games/contests: the limbo contest freeze dancing and a Mini-Idol contest where everyone got a tiny trophy for being the best "something" - the loudest the highest pitch the funniest the best singer etc.  Also in each loot bag we had put a CD that we burned ourselves of the b-day girls favorite music (alot of Kids Bop stuff) so the kids got to play it long after the party was over.  The birthday "cake" was a beautiful batch of cupcakes that I made and had airbrushed with a purpley-pink tone then sprinkled with that sparkly edible glitter.  Each cupcake had a small silver cardboard star on it set on an angle for "wow!"  For each child's thank you we took a picture of my birthday girl and the guest together rockin' with their air guitars or singing into their microphones. Then I found these neat frames which were brushed silver-tone with real shiny silver stars popping off all around the frame - we used these to frame the pictures we took.  All the parents couldn't BELIEVE how these little 7-year olds were rockin' the house! It was deja vu to some old 80's parties loud and wild and crazy! - but the kids LOVED it and they STILL talk about it as "the party of the century!" "