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Buzz Lightyear Party -3yr- Pizza Planet

March 2007

Rebecca in Phoenix, Arizona  United States

Special Mention

Corbyn's favorite character right now is Buzz Lightyear from the movie Toy Story.  So it was easy to decide to throw a themed party for his 3rd birthday this month.  But not so easy to find items to decorate with.  So even after looking on-line, had no great success to finding what all I was looking for.  There were somethings like plates, napkins, and some party favors.  But no real decorations.  So I decided to make them.  I did purchase Buzz Lightyear themed plates from a local party shop, then accented with lime green and purple napkins, the plastic ware were also in lime green, purple, and blue colors to coordinate with the plates. 

Since the invitations I found at the stores and on-line were too generic, I chose to make them myself.  I bought blank white postcards and matching envelopes from the craft store, download free Buzz Lightyear clipart from different websites and picked the best picture to put on the invite.  So the front had the download of Buzz that I had printed on cardstock and cut out, then used foam scrapbooking dots to make it pop out a little on the page, then added the phrase Your invited to infinity & beyond" then flipped the card over and printed the party details with a little extra flair using purple black and green font colors. 

This is how it read:  "Calling all space rangers!  This is star command.  Buzz Lightyear & space ranger Corbyn Lopez need your help!  Mission:  Come join team Lighyear & defeat the Emporer Zurg's plan to end all birthdays!  Star Date:  Saturday March 31st 2007  Sector:  Our home address of course  Time:  2:30-4:30  R.S.V.P. to Star Command no later than March 28th (and then listed contact numbers).  I used a font that had a space like feel to it.  When the envelopes were sealed I added some Buzz Lightyear stickers I had found to seal them.    

For the party decorations I decided to make different sized stars on posterboard and cut them out large - medium - and small sizes.  After cutting them out spray painted them purple blue & silver and added a clear glitter paint to them to make them sparkle.  Since the party is in our backyard they hang from the patio celing.  Which was first decorated with black wrapping paper from the party store.  I hung it from one end to the other covering the celing completely to look like space. 

Then hung the stars with curling ribbon all over.  I also used metalic green & purple wrapping paper found at the dollar store to wrap each individual wood post that supports the patio celing.  And using streamers in the coordinating colors wrapped the poles just for fun.  I ordered metalic colored mylar balloons from the party store 2 of each color - blue purple silver and green.  Then accented with blue and green latex balloons I found on clearance at Target.    

The tables were covered with black plastic table cloths and I used a styrofoam square wrapped like a present with black wrapping paper accented with a styrafoam starshape found at the craft stores covered in a sticky back felt in green and accented with purple and glitter puff paint to outline the stars.  Then used some painted skewer sticks inserted in the star and then into the wrapped square.  I had also found at the Home Depot some Buzz Lightyear wall stickers that I adhered to black poster board and cut out to also insert into the wrapped squares - making a boquet of "Buzz's".  The larger decals that were in the package I had blown up at the copy shop and then mounted them to posterboard as well and hung outside around the patio and trees.    

The party favors consisted of a clear celophane bag with white stars on it filled with glow in the dark stars pop rocks candy suckers fruit roll-ups plastic dinosaurs green army men miniature slinky's and a buzz lightyear keychain hanging on the outside of the bag with curling ribbon.  The girls bags had most of the same items except instead of dinosaurs & army men they had plastic necklaces and star hair ties. 

I also used some of the toy story clipart coloring pages I downloaded on-line to create a coloring book for each child to take home or color at the party.  I made a cover page for each book with a clipart icon of a rocketship and a special message from the birthday boy expressing how grateful he was for everyone coming to his party.  Then purchased dollar store crayons in large boxes and wrapped 6 crayons for each child with curling ribbon to go along with each book.  

For the party food I chose to order pizza since in the movie they go to "Pizza Planet" just had low sugar drinks for the kids and soda's for the parents.  A simple cake from our local Sam's Club decorated in the same colors as the party.     Activities for the kids including sponge balls I made out of sponges.  You take 2 different colored sponges cutting each sponge into 4 strips then stacking 2 of each color alternating on the bottom row and repeat on the top of those 4 alternating colors again.  Then take some twine and tie in tightly in the middle of the 2 rows trim string and let sponges dry until needed.  It makes a spiky colorful ball of sponge.  Then the kids can soak them in a tub of water and play catch with them.  We also have a huge sandbox for the kids to play in. 

And a few other things around the house to keep toddlers occupied.  I set up stations of toys and activities around the yard.  I had also made galaxies in a bottle for the kids to experiment with using an empty soda bottle take 1/2 water and then the other 1/2 with vegetable oil.  Add a few drops of food coloring glitter and some star confetti…glue the lids on so the kids can't undo them!  Then let them shake the bottles up and watch what a galaxy looks like.   The front door was adorned with a 3-d star that stated you were entering Star Command. 

Thank you cards were made the same way as the invites just a little simpler.     Thanks for letting me share our party with you hope you enjoy and get some good ideas for yours.  Next year it's bull-dozers and dump trucks!"

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