I planned a Yu-Gi-Oh sleepover party for my son's 7th birthday. We made our own invitations using MS Picture It and the Yu-Gi-Oh website.
We copied my son's favorite card and altered it so that his name was on the top and "The Birthday celebrating warrior who is turning 7. Use this card to enter birthday party at the Battle Dome," was on the bottom of the card. The back of the invitation read: PREPARE TO DUEL, WHERE: BATTLE DOME "OUR LAST NAME" AT "OUR ADDRESS," DUEL STARTS AT "TIME AND DATE," BATTLE GEAR: SLEEPING BAG AND PILLOW. We used Yu-Gi-Oh paper products (cups, plates, napkins, table cloths) purchased from Party City. We decorated with purple balloons, purple and black crepe paper, and a string of black lights. We made a balloon centerpiece using three "7-years old" balloons. The balloons were mounted on a stick and placed in a glass soda bottle, which was covered with purple and black tissue paper, then tied with purple curling ribbon. We made our own Yu-Gi-Oh card, paper mache piñata. We covered a shirt box with paper mache (newspaper strips dipped in a flour and water mixture). When it dried, we covered the box with black tissue paper. We went to Office Max and enlarged a front and back of a Yu-Gi-Oh card, then glued these to the black box. While at office max we enlarged a few more card fronts and had them laminated. These were used as wall decorations. The cake was two tiered. We used a deep 6-inch pan for the top, and two 10-inch pans for the bottom. We iced the cake with purple icing. Using Wilton star tip 16 we added a dark yellow zigzag line on the 6-inch top. We continued the pattern to fill in to the bottom of the 6-inch tier (the idea was to resemble Yu-Gi's hair). On the two-layer bottom we added 7 Yu-Gi-Oh cards that we also made at Office Max. We copied 7 cards, reduced to %80 percent of their original size, and then had them laminated. We outlined them with purple stars. In between the cards we added a red, ½ inch in diameter, circle, then placed a yellow star in the middle. We finished the edges with purple stars. On the very top of the cake we used cookie cutters to make an outline for about a 3-inch in diameter, red circle with a yellow star in the middle. In the center of the star, we added a Slot Machine Yu-Gi-Oh figure, which ironically had a number 7 on it (purchased at Wal-mart). On top of the bottom layer of the cake, we added three more Yu-Gi-Oh figures. For a craft, the boys made decoupage boxes to store their Yu-Gi-Oh cards in. We purchased the boxes in the craft section at Wal-mart. The boys painted them first. The paint dried quickly, but I used a blow dryer to speed some of them along. Using a thinned Elmer's Glue mix, the boys glued color photo copied Yu-Gi-Oh cards all around the outside of the box. After they dried, I sprayed them with a clear acrylic sealer. We made our own pizzas, served cake, opened presents, and took turns swinging at the piñata while blindfolded. For additional activities, the boys dueled a little with Yu-Gi-Oh cards and watch a rented Yu-Gi-Oh movie. I had other games planned, (a modified version of a cake walk, where the winners win a Yu-Gi-Oh card; and flash light tag), but the boys were getting tired, so we wound down with the Tower of Terror movie. For breakfast the next morning, the boys had General Mills' Yu-Gi-Oh cereal and an assortment of fruit. When their parents picked them up, I handed out treat bags: black paper lunch bags tied with purple ribbon. Inside I included a few Yu-Gi-Oh cards, a Yu-Gi-Oh bubble gum pack (Target) and some other goodies. All of my children enjoyed helping to prepare for this party. The guests all had a great time and were very excited to see so many Yu-Gi-Oh things.
