Setting the Birthday Magic Party Mood

For this party, think black and white (accented by blue and/or purple) as your main color scheme. Simple black and white balloons and pretty pastel streamers work perfectly.

Here are a few more ideas for turning your party room into a magic oasis:

• Create easy centerpieces! Set one top hat upside-down on each table of the party area. Place a stuffed rabbit in one. Tie brightly-colored scarves together and attach one end inside the hat and the other end to the ceiling. Fill another hat with crinkle paper.
• Make oversized playing cards by drawing hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs, and numbers with black and red markers on rectangles of white poster board.
• Tie groups of three or four balloons together and tie them to the backs of chairs. Anchor them with balloon weights and set them near doorways or in the corners of the party area.
• Scatter playing cards on tables and windowsills.
• Cut starburst shapes out of dark purple, blue and black construction paper and write magical sayings on them with metallic gold and silver markers. Use words such as “Abracadabra”, “Hocus Pocus”, “Presto Change-O”, and “Alacazam”. Hang these around the party area.
• Hang regular items like pencils, drinking glasses, books, or spoons from the ceiling with fishing line, as if they are levitating.
  
• Hang a magic party banner over the entranceway to the party that says something like, “Say the Magic Words to Enter [birthday child]’s Party!” (Add the “magic words” to the invitations so your guests will know what to say. “Open Sesame” works well.)

Magic Munchies

Ready to make some magical treats? Voila!

• Serve chips, candy, crackers, and popcorn in upside down top hats lined with paper towels or bandanas.
• Make edible magic wands by dipping pretzel sticks in melted chocolate, letting them cool, and then sprinkling one end with coconut, white sprinkles, or sugar.
• Use cookie cutters in the shape of rabbits, stars, and top hats to cut out slices of cheese and serve with crackers. Serve shaped jello jigglers, pancakes, and watermelon as well.
• Serve soda, water, fruit punch, chocolate milk, or regular milk with silly straws.
  
• Serve “magic potion”. Freeze cranberry and grape juice in ice cube trays before the party. Serve a colorless soda at the party, such as ginger ale or lemon-lime. Let your guests select their ice cubes, which will “magically” change the color of their drinks.
  
• Make Rabbit in the Hat Cupcakes.
• Make a Magic cake by baking a 9”x13” cake and cutting it in the shape of a top hat. Frost the cake in chocolate frosting and sprinkle white sprinkles on the top to resemble the opening. Set a stuffed rabbit or rabbit figurine at the top of the cake.

And don't forget about the cake! Serve your magic party cake on a magic party cake plate.