Real Party: Under the Sea at Maddie’s Little Mermaid Party

The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake. Maddie dreamed about going up there, so mom Stephanie of Executive Create showed her what would await at her Under the Sea birthday party. “I loved the aqua that goes along with Ariel,” Stephanie said of her Little Mermaid day. “Aqua was a perfect color to move away from the traditional ‘pink’. I knew I wanted to make it look like it was under the sea rather than something ‘beachy’.” To accomplish the right flow, Stephanie combined elements from scenes in Little Mermaid with real aspects of ocean life.

If your under the sea, then everything is blue. Since Maddie is a true girly-girl, Stephanie had to be careful to use a blue that would fit her personality and not be too “boyish”.  Aqua was the perfect choice. “I am not a huge fan of commercial parties, but tell that to my four-year-old!  She loves Ariel, so I knew I had to incorporate her just enough to make Maddie happy.”

Sea shells and fish nets were ordered immediately. “The cool thing about the net is that it is an actual used fishing net!  It smelled like it too! I bought several “Little Mermaid” books from a thrift store and used them throughout the décor, including the banner, cupcake toppers, water bottle labels and gift tags!  We had balloons in the fish net, which was hung on the ceiling.  We cut out sea-animal shapes.  We bought small bowls for the live fish. Over the top, great parties do not have to be expensive. A little imagination will cut your budget in half!”

It’s always the little things that catch your eye with a party. “I loved the way the aqua Gatorade turned out with the “little mermaid” labels.  I also hit the jackpot when I found the starfish wands at a thrift store and stuck them in the donuts.  I also found the shell vases at the dollar store that I spray painted white and used for utensil holders.”

As a great lover of peanut butter sandwiches, Stephanie cut them into little star shapes to go with the theme. “She loves popcorn, powdered donuts and animal crackers. The cake was a white vanilla with a caramel butter cream icing coated in graham crackers and a special sugar mix, put on with olive oil to accomplish the sand effect.  It took forever, but was well worth it.  We had a lot of guests, so we had cupcakes as a backup”

As soon as Maddie’s guests arrived, they started on crafts. The girls made necklaces with aqua and white beads and sea charms. Stephanie also found a “little mermaid” board game, and set it up in her dining room.  She had the Disney “under the sea sing along songs” VHS playing in the background. After opening gifts and ice cream, they were sent on a treasure hunt. “I divided the teams so that each one had a strong reader to help with the clues.  They went from place to place, depending on the clue, and once complete, they received their “treasure chest”, which was the party favor.  I filled it with inexpensive “treasures” The kids loved it!” Thanks Stephanie for sharing this adorable under the sea fantasy with us!

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