I draped our dining room table in a light blue tablecloth with a simple lace edge detail, it just adds a little bit of softness to the space.
Birthday Parties
Basic Party Information
Birthdays are offered for children ages 5-12 years on Saturdays only.
Parties are 2 hours in length, with 90 minutes of an artist-led activity, and 30 minutes of parent-led time for cake and treats. An adult needs to be present at all times to answer questions or cheer party goers on, realizing not all children are comfortable making art. Parents provide all food, beverages, cups, napkins, and utensils. ArtStart provides the activity, materials, and instruction.
Parties are held from 10:30-12:30 or from 1:30-3:30 pm – your choice.
What to Expect at Your Birthday Party
All of the party goers receive a favor bag from ArtStart with artful reuse materials and directions for a creative project to make at home.
The birthday party is led by an artist who guides the group in how to create an art project the birthday person has pre-selected when reserving the date.
Once the art project is completed, it is time to celebrate!
First comes a group sing-along to “Happy Birthday!” just for the special birthday person, and then parents serve whatever treats they provide.
Cost: $200 for up to 10 children. Note: beginning January 1st, 2024, birthday party price will be $225. This is to help us meet the rising costs of materials. Thanks for understanding!
A $25 non-refundable deposit reserves the date and time for the party; this money is applied to the final cost. Party must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance so an artist can be contracted.
To book a birthday party, contact Cindy Smith or get started by filling out this form.
If booking in person, ArtStart is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am-6 pm, or Saturdays from 10 am-4 pm.
The Colour Palette
It was an art party, so I wanted to make sure everything was very bright and colourful! I usually start with some piece of inspiration and pull the colours I want to include from that. This year, I started with the party invitations. This is the invitation I ordered and I simply made my edits and printed it at home on heavy cardstock.
I ended up using all of the colours in the party decor, except for lime green. There was no particular reason why just personal preference.
The Decor
I love decorating for parties with balloons because they are a super inexpensive way to make a really big impact. The very first balloon garland I made was for Zoe’s circus birthday and it literally took me hours and hours to put together. Since then I’ve really finessed my balloon garland skills, and I made this one in just over one hour.
Don’t let it overwhelm you, they are really easy to create once you get the hang of it. This is my favourite place to buy balloons because they have an amazing selection of high-quality balloons at a really reasonable price. I find the best balloon garlands include a variety of sizes, I usually use 5″, 12″ and a few 18-24″ balloons to create a really full and professional-looking garland. Also, an electric balloon pump is a must!
Other than the balloons, I didn’t do too much in terms of decor. If we were having her friends to our home too, I would have done a little bit more. I usually centre the decor around our dining room sideboard, with some type of backdrop and lots of balloons. It makes the perfect display area for treats and really helps to create a cohesive theme.
I was considering creating a painted canvas using the splatter technique in our colour palette. I thought it would have looked really fun surrounded by the balloon garland.
The Flowers
Flowers are also always a must for me when it comes to parties, they just add an instant pop of cheerfulness! I made two arrangements, one large and one small, using inexpensive flowers from the grocery store. A mix of pink, purple and yellow carnations, daisies and chrysanthemums were all it took to make these sweet arrangements.
Throw a Dinner or Mocktail Party
Kanok Sulaiman // Getty Images
Throwing a dinner party with all your teen’s favorite foods is a personal way to celebrate. They could also fancy things up by including some mocktails. Maine mom Sandra M. had a “Sassy 17″ mocktail party for her daughter, Alexis. “We had a ‘bartender,’ and kids could dress up in their ‘cocktail attire,'” she says. They also created different types of virgin mocktails including a daiquiri, a cucumber mint “mojito” and blueberry lemonade. “I wanted something that I didn’t see very often in the teenage crowd and that could still be enjoyed by everyone,” Alexis says.
Host a Spooky Night of Supernatural Fun
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For the teen who loves scares, create a birthday party filled with them. Play eerie favorites like light as a feather, stiff as a board or break out the classic Ouija board. Afterward, head to your favorite streaming service and find a classic or contemporary horror movie. If you want a unique experience for your teen, you can hire someone to read tarot cards. Patti Woods of Trumbull, Connecticut, who provides readings says, “The tarot is experiencing such a renaissance right now and teens love it.” For parties, she spends time discussing the history of the cards and each party attendee gets a mini-reading that lasts about 10 minutes or so. Woods says she also “sets out fun things for them to play with, like a Magic 8 ball, paper fortune-tellers and fortune sticks.”
Jump at a Trampoline Park
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Filled with trampolines and a million options for jumping, trampoline parks promise an action-packed birthday adventure. Often these parks also have rooms to eat a birthday meal and host your teen’s closest friends. Many also offer additional attractions like mini golf, bumper cars, obstacle courses, laser tag and climbing walls.
