Read The blog
Tutorial: How to Make a Nutcracker Wreath
I love an easy wreath. They are a great way to start your party at the front door. This nutcracker wreath definitely qualifies as easy — here's how to make it. If you want to try this idea for a birthday party, any narrow Christmas ornament would work. Just change up...
Mini Party Plan: How to Plan a Barbie Birthday Party
My darling little niece (actually great-niece, but let's not go there because it makes me feel old) has chosen a Barbie birthday party. Her "Kitty" will host the party, but I get to help out with some ideas! And that means, you get a Barbie birthday party mini party...
Mini Party Plan: How to Plan a Strawberry Birthday Party
One of our summer plans for this year was a trip to the pick your own strawberry patch. With my broken foot, we've had to skip that plan. But at least I could dream up a mini party plan for a strawberry birthday party for you! It's got bright colors and a modern...
How to Make Rhubarb Strawberry Tarts
Growing up in Minnesota, we grew rhubarb in our backyard garden, and rhubarb pie was a summer staple. So I had in my mind to create a version of my Grandma's rhubarb pie for the 4th of July, but we can't find her recipe. I swear we made it just last year, so it has to...
Mini Party Plan: How to Plan a Construction Birthday Party
I love making these mini party plans for ya'll! They really satisfy my need to plan All. The. Parties. even though I can't afford to host All. The. Parties. Also, boy parties are so much fun! So today, here is my mini party plan for a construction birthday party. All...
My Parties: How to Style A Middle School Graduation Party
My kids, who -- I swear -- were 4 just yesterday, graduated middle school this week. They each ended their 8th grade year with straight As in advanced and accelerated courses. We couldn't be more proud. Okay, mom brag over. Of course, this milestone had to be...
Tutorial: Easy Ways to Dress up Party Desserts with Sprinkles
I'm always looking for ways to party a liiiitle less expensively. So I got all sprinkled inspired and then ran through the grocery store, looking for easy-to-sprinkle party treats. What I love about this idea is that you can customize store-bought treats to your party...
Tutorial: How to make a bowling ball trophy
When I planned the centerpieces for my daughters' bowling party, the dining table still felt a little empty. I needed another idea, and immediately thought about these marbled bowling ball cupcake toppers from Handmade Charlotte. I decided to upsize the bowling balls...
My Parties: How to Throw a Teen Girl’s Bowling Birthday Party
Here's the thing about 14-year-olds: they know what they want. And this year, my twin girls wanted a bowling birthday party / sleepover and they wanted their primary party color to be ginger. Allllright-y then. Bowling Party Invitation Fortunately for me, I found Jula...
Tutorial: How to Make An Easter egg garland and backdrop
For my Easter bunny buffet, Baby B and I made two craft projects -- both easy and inexpensive: an Easter egg garland and backdrop. If you suffer as I do from WAAAAAY too many plastic Easter eggs, these are the projects for you! Plastic Easter egg garland I originally...
My Parties: How to Style an Easter Egg Hunt Bunny Buffet
I don't know how Spring Break works out for you, but Easter always comes right on the heels of our Spring Break. And that makes styling an Easter party a challenge to pull off. So this year, I kept things simple with an Easter egg hunt bunny buffet. If you're not...
Welcome to 2019!
In December, I Marie Kondo’d my uterus. It did not bring me joy. Sooo, that’s where I’ve been for 6 weeks: hysterectomy town. My doctor did not order me to stay off social media and my blog, but I knew I needed a full break. I’ve had about 4 years now of daily pain....
My Parties: How to Style A Football Viewing Party
When we had girls, it did not occur to me that they would turn out to be HUGE college football fans. Time to update my thinking! After the University of Georgia lost the national collage championship to Alabama last year, Baby A just cried and cried. So this year, I...
Mini Party Plan: How to Plan a Superhero Birthday Party
One of the most popular posts on this blog is a girl's superhero party. So I thought it might be fun to create a mini party plan for a superhero birthday party. I styled this mini party plan in the traditional red, yellow, and blue, but you could change the color...
My Parties: How to Host a Baby Carriage Baby Shower
If you are like me, you're hosting several parties a year. I do so many parties, that sometimes I forget to post some here. And then I completely forget about them. For four years. Sigh. So, here ... directly from 2014 ... is a baby carriage baby shower that my SIL...
My Parties: How to Style a Back to School Dessert Table
Each year, on the first day of school, I style a little back to school dessert table to welcome the girls home. I make this as easy as possible, because I'm throwing it together in the middle of the day. (It helps to work from home!) The backdrop is a reproduction...
Mini party plan: How to plan a shark birthday party
Our family is a mixed bag when it comes to shark fandom. My husband has never quite gotten over the movie Jaws, and maintains a healthy respect for sharks. Baby B is fascinated by them, and wanted to become a marine biologist for a while. Baby A and I are big fans of...
My Parties: How to Plan a Beachy Bake Sale for Charity
It's become a summer tradition that my girls and I plan a lemonade stand / snow cone stand / bake sale to benefit The Confetti Foundation. It gives us a fun activity to work on together and helps fill their summer free time. Last summer, we chose a beach theme for our...
My Parties: How to Host an Easy Firefly Catching Party
Our kids always have the best ideas, and at the start of every summer, I have them brainstorm ideas about what they want to do during their school break. (I pulled together 602 summer ideas here.) My favorite of their ideas was a Firefly Catching Party. This could not...
Freebie Friday: 15 Free 4th of July Sparkler Holder Printables
Updated April 2024 We'll be going to the mountains for the 4th of July, so I think we'll be able to avoid the fireworks that terrify our poor dog so much. But, the girls will still want a little show, and that means sparklers! So, I've rounded up my favorite 15 free...
My Parties: How to Style a 4th of July Party Kids’ Table
Last year, we learned an important lesson on the 4th of July: our puppy is completely terrified of fireworks. The girls and I had been away the year before, and Don told us she was scared, but we didn't appreciate just how scared she was until we saw it for ourselves....
My Parties: How to Host a Selfie Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party
When my twin girls were about to turn 11, they couldn't agree on a joint party theme ... like, at. all. But, I discovered there was one activity they could agree on. Apparently, it was very fun to swipe my phone and take selfies. I'd be looking for a photo, and all of...
My Parties: How to Host a Royal Wedding Viewing Party Brunch
Well, if it's even possible, I loved Harry and Meghan's royal wedding even more than I thought I would. Did you watch? What's your take on her dress? And did you also go crazy and host a royal wedding viewing party brunch? I woke up at 4 a.m. ET because I was not as...
Freebie Friday: Graduation Party & Gift Free Printables
Let's make one thing about graduation season a little easier. How about some graduation party free printables? You don't have to wait for these to be customized. Instead, you just follow the teal link to the designer's site, download the printables, print and trim....
Imagine your party in advance so you don’t forget anything
I woke up this morning thinking about serving coffee at my Royal Wedding Viewing Party. I know that’s weird. But, it did make me realize that imagining my party is a key part of my party planning process, and it’s something I haven’t thought to share with you before....
Mini Party Plan: How to Host a Black & Gold Graduation Party
If you're planning a graduation party, I'm willing to bet the party planning snuck up on you. I know for me the idea that there's only two weeks left of school has left me spinning a bit. Our cozy little routine is about to be completely upended. My summer goal? Keep...
Freebie Friday: Royal Wedding Viewing Party Free Printables
When Will and Kate got married, I remember that royal wedding viewing party free printables came out at the veeeery last minute before the wedding. I suspect that may be the case again this time around. The good news is that we can pick our way through Will and Kate...
Ideas for a Royal Wedding Viewing Party
Today I'm rounding up some of my favorite British-themed parties to share some Royal Wedding Viewing Party inspiration with you. Some of these are London Is Calling Parties, or Jubilee Street Parties, or just British-flavored birthday parties. No matter the exact...
Mini Party Plan: Royal Wedding Viewing Party
I know we're all waaay too young to know the song, "I'm just wild about Harry" but, I am wild about Prince Harry. He just looks fun! And, I'm wild about royal weddings. Since getting up early with my mom and watching Lady Di marry that schmuck, I've been hooked. So...
How to Use Paperless Post for Email Party Invitations
A few weeks ago, my daughters were invited to a birthday party via an email invitation. That was certainly not the first email invitation they’ve received, but it was the cutest. Cute enough, in fact, that it made me rethink my preference for printed...
How to Make a Simple Christmas Ornament Garland
If you love the look of the Pottery Barn mercury glass Christmas ornament garlands, but don't feel like spending $50 for one, I've got you covered. These garlands are so simple to make! You can get everything you need at Walmart or on Amazon for a fraction of the...
My Parties: Ray of Sunshine Baby Shower
When my twins started daycare, there was an assistant teacher in the two-year-old room who quickly became a family favorite. Miss Stephanie also moonlighted as our babysitter and later as my party assistant. And now, she and her husband Greg are expecting their first...
Guest Party: How to Style a Lush and Natural Fall Tablescape
One of my favorite party collaborators, Brandi from Barefeet Imagery, is our guest hostess today! Brandi is sharing how to style a lush and natural fall tablescape. It's just right for a relaxed but luxe Thanksgiving or any fall dinner party. And even if you're just...
How to Make Pumpkin Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies — Perfect for a Cookie Exchange
It’s amazing where trying to re-organize your pantry will lead you. Pulling everything out made me realize I still have three cans of pumpkin that I had to do something with. So I turned to an old favorite recipe, pumpkin gingerbread thumbprint cookies. This recipe...
Tutorial: How to Make Thanksgiving Leaf Placecards
I made these leaf placecards for our Thanksgiving dinner, and the process is so quick and simple. I’m sharing the tutorial with you today. I've also got a template that you can easily customize using Canva. Here's how to make Thanksgiving leaf placecards for your...
How to Style A Brown & White Thanksgiving Tablescape
When the holidays roll around, I like to try to do a little something new with each holiday tablescape — without spending a fortune on all new table settings. I’ve found the trick is to use about 70% of what I have, and then add in a few new things. Bonus points if...
How to Make No-Bake Ghost Brownie Bites
I’ll never tire of excuses to eat brownie bites. Here’s an easy way to dress up brownies for Halloween: no-bake ghost brownie bites! Bonus: the kids can help. Extra bonus: no baking! No-Bake Ghost Brownie Bite Supplies Brownie bites White cake frosting Candy eyes...
How to Make Halloween Candy brownies
Are you a frosting person? I definitely am, but we are a house divided (on frosting). So I hit on the idea of baking candy corn, candy eyes, and sprinkles into homemade brownie bites to make Halloween candy brownies. Halloween Candy Brownie Supplies Box brownie mix...
How to Style a Halloween Skeleton Tablescape
If getting your kids to eat dinner on Halloween night is a struggle for you the way it always was for me, set a table your kids can't resist. Posable skeletons are pretty inexpensive, and they make a fun and unexpected centerpiece for a Halloween skeleton tablescape....
3 Ways to Style a Vase in Vase Party Centerpiece
The fun thing about designing centerpieces for a children’s party is that because you’re designing for kids, the centerpiece can be just about anything. But if you choose flowers, you can still create a fun little surprise by doubling up your vases. Here are three...
Jennifer Needham
Founder of The Party Teacher I am an Atlanta-based wife, mom and children’s party planner. Between my twin girls, and a full-time job, I am always busy, but party planning is one thing I always seem to be able to find time for. At The Party Teacher, I teach other busy moms how to fit party planning into their lives, so they never miss an opportunity to celebrate special moments with their kids. My blog is your go-to source for party planning tips, party tutorials, recipes and birthday party plans.
Party planning should be fun— not stressful!
Don't miss my FREE party planning cheat sheets.
These are the exact 14 worksheets I use to plan all my parties!
Have fun planning your party (and stop worrying about what you're forgetting).
Plus, you'll get all the latest parties, tutorials, and discounts from The Party Teacher.
You have successfully subscribed! Thanks for joining the party!