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Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

March 18, 2016
Whether you’re the “I planned this birthday party for a year!” type, or the parent who tends to get nervous about a one-guest play date, this Deep Blue Sea theme is the party for you. It’s easy, it’s impressive, and everyone loves the sea! Especially an easy-to-do sea party that's got fun DIY floating jellyfish, “seafood” sandwiches, and gooey (but not messy!) party favors. Celebrate your child’s growth (and your creative prowess) with a couple of these ideas—or try them all for a birthday bash worthy of King Titan!

Sea-lightful Decorations:

Wave-y wall

Transform any room into a splashy seaside with a few rolls of wrapping paper, scissors, and double-sided tape. Simply cut a wave shape into the upper edge of the paper, layer on the wall, and secure in place with tape. It also makes a great backdrop for photos or (spoiler alert) the activity below.

Sea-lightful Decorations:
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

Sea-themed table runners

Wrapping paper comes to the rescue again! For a fun, theme-tastic tablecloth, just lay your paper down the length of a table and embellish with a simple, sea themed hand-painted design. We used blue, white and aqua paint to make watery bubbles because they’re easy :) And best of all—a paper tablecloth makes cleanup easy breezy. Sea-themed table runners
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

Jellyfish Chandeliers

Take your decor to the next level (and by next, we mean higher) by suspending tentacle-riffic jellyfish over the kids’ dining table. Don’t let the word ‘chandelier’ fool you—this fun decoration is so easy a guppy could do it. Jellyfish Chandeliers
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

Materials

  • Ziploc® brand bags
  • uncooked rice
  • cheesecloth
  • scissors
  • rubber bands

Directions

  • 1 Turn a Ziploc® brand bag inside out, (this creates rounded corners) and fill it with uncooked rice.
  • 2 Zip the bag shut and place it in the center of a cheesecloth rectangle (approximately 18” x 24”).
  • 3 Use scissors to cut strips into the edges of the cheesecloth, creating a starburst. Pull the cheesecloth strips tightly together over the Ziploc® brand bag, and secure with a rubber band.
  • 4 Turn the bag over and separate the cheesecloth strips (now tentacles) with your fingertips to see the completed jellyfish!
  • 5 To suspend the jellyfish, create a cross with two long strips of cheesecloth, and make a hole at their intersection. Insert the jellyfish tentacles through the hole, and pull the long strips over the edges of the Ziploc® brand bag, forming a cradle that can be easily tied and  suspended to the ceiling or a light fixture.
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash
TIP: The longer the cheesecloth strips, the lower the jellyfish can hang.

SANDwich Snacks:

Swimmy Sammys

Bring your “seafood” to life by using classic metal cookie cutters to create under-the-sea themed sandwiches ahead of time (cookie cutters work on all kinds of sandwiches so it’s sure to fit most tastes). Then wrap them in Ziploc® brand bags, handwrite each child’s name on their respective bag and set at each place setting. The easy open tabs make it easy for little hands to get to their snacks, and the name helps with reading. Boom—you’ve got a learning-party-ready table.

SANDwich Snacks:
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bashs

Activities for Guppies:

Fishy Stamps
Remember that wave wall you put up? It’s time to decorate it with fish! No fancy stamps are needed—simply cut dish sponges into fish and sea life shapes. Set them out with a few washable paint colors and invite each kid to stamp the wall and write their name, too. They'll have a blast, and the birthday boy or girl will enjoy their artist-autographed artwork long after the tide has gone out and the party is over. Bonus: you can rinse the sponges clean and use them as bath toys. Activities for Guppies:
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

Ocean in a bag party favor

Don’t let guests go home empty handed! Bring the wonder of of the big blue sea to their fingertips with this fun do-it-yourself party favor. Tactile, colorful, and super inexpensive, children will be thrilled to continue the under-the-sea revelry at home. They’ll love playing with the goopy texture, and fortunately, Ziploc® brand bags keeps the mess contained! Ocean in a bag party favor
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

Materials

  • Blue Hair Gel
  • Sequins
  • Underwater animal figurines
  • Quart size Ziploc® brand bag

Directions

  • 1 To make this interactive party favor, simply squeeze approximately ¾ cup of classic blue hair gel into a Ziploc® brand bag.
  • 2 Insert sequins and a selection of plastic underwater animal figurines, zip the bag, and have little ones use their hands to manipulate their ocean scenes.
Last Minute Under-the-Sea Birthday Bash

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