Monday, January 18, 2010

May the Fourth be With You

So, to welcome Four with some fanfare we decided to train some Jedi Knights in the backyard. You know, how people do.

As is my wont, I am mashing what should be four posts into one gigunda post. Because I am tired.

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The invitation promised that we would arm & outfit our potential Jedis. The light sabers (light-up & inflatable for $2.99 a piece!) came from here. I made the robes out of craft felt. They were fairly simple--just a long rectangle, folded in half with a slit cut up to the fold on one side. I made a couple of 2" seams for arm holes and freeballed cutting out the Jedi symbol from black felt (still don't have full feeling in my hand after that. I suffer for the cause). The belt was burlap ribbon from Joann.


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
Action shot!


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
I am a gift bag obsessive. I didn't want to fill them with garbage, but I also didn't want to spend a fortune on Star Wars stuff. So I made a lot of the goods and bought a few key items.


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
These are little personalized coloring books. I downloaded the Star Wars font (free) from here.


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
The coloring pages came from here.


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
I also bought a lot of 25 Star Wars Pez fairly inexpensively on Ebay. Ebay is awesome.


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
And I made pretzel "light sabers." Just pretzel rods dipped in melted dark & white chocolate. The white sabers were sprinkled with red, blue & green sugar and the dark chocolate ones got some stars. I figured this stuff--along with a few magnets, colored pencils and the light saber & robe--was a fair haul.


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I'll spare you pictures of the food. I have the amazing ability to make all photographs of food look absolutely disgusting. But here are the little tags I made for each item on the buffet table. Yoda Soda is Sprite mixed with lime sherbet and was even too gross for Dash to bother with--and that's saying something. I know that the Star Wars Cookbook has an actual recipe for Wookie Cookies, but I just made chocolate chip cookies. Cloud City Subs were sandwiches from ToGo's & I think everything else is pretty self-explanatory.


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I'm clearly off the rails for meatball picks. Since we had regular & vegetarian mini-meatballs, I made different kinds of picks so people could differentiate. I'm a giver.


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These are the cupcakes I made. I made the light sabers by cutting strips from rainbow-colored candy (Airheads Xtreme) with a ruler & pizza cutter. Then I dipped the ends into melted chocolate to make the handles. And yes, I do know that I'm fucked in the head.


Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
Now onto the hot Jedi action. We have the great good fortune of being friends with a dude who is 1. excellent with kids, 2. totally hilarious & 3. willing to put on a costume and train 4-year-olds in the way of the Jedi. Friends, meet Jedi Knight Mursyn Cassio (aka Mike Cass).


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Once we gave them the light sabers they pretty much just beat the shit out of each other with them.

Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
That is, until Darth Vader arrived.

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Then they beat the shit out of him instead.

Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
The universe is just a little bit safer (if slightly less predictable) with these newly knighted Jedis.

Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
Here are the certificates I made. I printed these on resume paper that looked kinda like parchment & added each kid's name in silver Sharpie.

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I don't know why I insist on crafts at every party. I don't know about what happens at your house, but here the only people even vaguely interested in making whatever crazy shit I dream up are the half-drunk adults.

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Awesome.

Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
Here's the amazing cake Aunty got from a local bakery. You'll notice that little hands removed most of the figurines & poked holes in the frosting in the full ten seconds it took me to grab the camera.

Dash's 4th Bday Jedi Party
Also, bouncer. Always bouncer. No matter what else, bouncer.


39 comments:

MFAMB said...

ummm...you are awesome.

molly:: apple cyder said...

word. you are awesome. and your little jedi is so darn handsome. happy bday to him!

The Yutz said...

You are thoroughly and delightfully insane.

jengel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jengel said...

This post doesn't do the party justice -- it was seriously the best shindig I've ever seen. I need to start a petition to convince you to be a professional party planner!

Unknown said...

Wow. That is really impressive. You ought to write a book about cool, inexpensive kid's birthday schemes. We may have to steal your idea for our son's fourth birthday next year.

testing 1 said...

My two boys are Star Wars fanatics, so I'm a little partial, but this is an amazing party with so many great details! I would love to share with my readers.

Nicole said...

Amazing. And yes I would love the certificate word doc!

oceansideprefab@gmail.com. Thank you!

Unknown said...

Great party! My daughter loves Darth Vader and wants a Star Wars party for her 6th. I would love the certificate, if possible.

Liz said...

Hi Verna, I'll be happy to send you the certificate if you leave your email address. Best! Liz

Unknown said...

You are wonderful to share. Thank goodness for creative people like you. My email is verna651@gmail.com.

Jamie said...

Love the party pics - you've ispired us to try and do something similar for our son next month.

We'd love a copy of the certificate please.

Thanks for taking the time to share this with us all.

jwehbeh@btinternet.com

Jamie said...

Your blog has inspired us to try and do something similar for our son's birthday next month.

If you could send me a copy of the certificate I would be very grateful.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

Kind regards,

Jamie

jwehbeh@btinternet.com

Anonymous said...

this party is so beyond my creative/artistic/energy ability but I am attempting to recreate little pieces for my son's party in June. if possible please send me the document for the jedi training.......love it!

kristen.tompkins@vanderbilt.edu

Cristina HW said...

WOW! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing. Could I get a copy of your certificate template? alcottsepiphany@yahoo.com
Thanks!!

Tracy said...

Just came across this..Love the party!! Anyway you could send me the form for the Jedi Certificate? I would be so appreciative! You are a new bookmark on my blog list! Thanks! Tracy tslayne@mac.com

Emily said...

LOVE all your details. How fun!! My boy turns 4 in August and he is obsessed with Star Wars as well. I will definitely be using many of your creative ideas, thank you mucho!!

Anonymous said...

Such amazing creativity!! If you wouldn't mind, I would love for you to email me the certificate at jjbrick@optonline.net

Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Such amazing creativity!! If you wouldn't mind, I would love for you to email me the certificate at jjbrick@optonline.net

Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I love your ideas! My son is also having a Star Wars party this weekend, and I was wondering if you could email me the certificate you made for the kids. I too made one, but it doesn't look as great as yours. Could you please email it sweetxbutterflie@aol.com? Thank you!!!!

Nourishing the Nucleus said...

Wow.. what awesome ideas you have! I'm planning my son's 6th birthday party and we're doing a Jedi training course theme. We have made light sabers out of pool noodles but I would love to give the kids a certificate at the end of their "training", if you're willing to share I would love to have a copy of your certificate template. My e-mail address is doralevy@hotmail.com

Jedi Mom said...

Great party, we're having at a pool & I have the inflatable light sabers...gonna make pb&j with the star wars cookie cutters! Anyway that you could add me on the list to get the certificate?

Liz said...

Hi Jedi Mom, I'd love to send you the certificate. Can you reply with your email address?

Jedi Mom said...

oops...suzanne15@comcast.net

Anonymous said...

Great idea...my three year old is in love with these pics and is having his 4th party with the Star wars theme! Thanks for the great ideas and could you please send me the Jedi certificate as well!

Thanks again! Lori
tuckerlori@yahoo.com

Lil Mama Stuart said...

came from Sara's party perfect. SO many great ideas! Sending to my friend, thanks!

Katie said...

Love the ideas. Are the robes closed on one side? I need to look again. I'd love the certificate too. katiedixon719@gmail.com

Shirley said...

Hello Liz: you are such a wonderful, creative mommy. Your son & his friends looked thoroughly happy for the Star Wars party. Can you be so kind to email me the Jedi certificate document, I would highly appreciate it.
Shirl3g@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

hi just wondering if u could estimate how much per jedi coat in terms of yardage was used for the cute costume u made. ur party looked awesome btw!!!
if u cud email me i would so greatly appreciate it: christine_choi2@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

HI my son is turning 7 this year and he lovesss star wars. I love the jedi certificate if you could also send a the template of the certificate please my email is claudi329@yahoo.com
thanks in advance :)

Dominica said...

Hello, if it is possible can i get that certificate too? My friend is fanatic and it would be really great gift for her :) my e-mail adress is

dominica.szaboo@gmail.com

I would be happiest person on the Earth if you would send me that certificate :)))

Anonymous said...

Hi
Great party!
We're doing a SW party for our little guy and would love to get the certificate if you don't mind. My email is:llcx1@outlook.com
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I love what you did for this party. I am planning my son's Star Wars party and I am not that great with computer design stuff. Would it be possible to email the word doc for the training certificate? Cbuenger1@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Love what you did! Would it be possible to email me the certificate? I'm planning my boys party and am not the best with computer stuff. Cbuenger1@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Love your party! My son's 4th is also a Star Wars party. Can you please forward me the certificate? Thanks! Micheleg77@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

What an awesome birthday party! I am planning my sons 7th bday at the moment and have found this blog very useful. Thank you! Do you still have the certificate? I would love a copy of it if possible? Thanks Keri

keri_h@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Love it, great ideas. Is there any way you could share the Jedi Certificate? My email is mom404@gmail.com

Thank you so very much.

Meli said...

Omg your certificates are exactly what I'm looking for for my daughters birthday party! Can you let me in on how you did it? I'm racking my brain and not so computer savvy :/

Liz said...

Hi Meli--If you reply with your email address I can send you the form. Thanks!