Whether they are pressing petals atop custom mud pies, leaving trinkets for flower fairies, or making daisy chains for their friends, there's no doubt about it: girls simply love flowers. Couple that love with, say, a little girl's birthday party, and you've got yourself a match made in heaven. As the hostess at a recent flower party with five little girls, I can attest to the power of the flower theme. Surrounded by a patch of huge paper blooms, the girls at our party had a blast decorating T-shirts with thumbprint flowers, snacking on yummy cupcake bouquets, and making their own tissue paper corsages. On the following pages, you'll find these party projects and more to choose from, all guaranteed to help your birthday girl and her friends have a bloomin' good time.

FLOWER PARTY INVITATION

These blossoms open up one petal at a time, presenting pertinent birthday party details to your invitees.

Materials

For each invitation, you'll need:
1 sheet of card stock
Scissors
Small piece of card stock in a different color
Hole punch
Paper fastener
Petal Template
Marker

To make one, cut 4-inch-long petal shapes from the large piece of card stock and cut a 1 1/2-inch-diameter circle from the smaller piece (or print a template). Punch a hole in the narrow end of each petal and again in the center of the circle. Stack the petals and place the circle on top, lining up the holes, then secure them together with a paper fastener. Open up the flower and use a marker to write party details on the petals. Note: this invitation may require additional postage if sent through the mail.