Minecraft Party Wrap-Up

Hey, Islanders!

I owe you a few posts so, this week, I'm circling back to give you details on some events you've been waiting on. We're starting with the Minecraft Party :)

Let's get to it, shall we?

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Sweets Table

I wanted to create the environment of the game with the sky as the backdrop:

I used foam core board, sky blue wrapping paper and a combination of post-it notes, card stock, tissue paper, felt and cotton balls to create the "sky."

For the ground, I used brown linen and green cubes of cabinet anti-slip mats (purchased at the dollar tree). It really helped to add texture and continue the cubed look the game is known for.

Chef Joy made her awesome Creeper Cookies:

I put them on two white trays to provide symmetry and to anchor the table.

For the rest of the treats table, I used elements of the game to provide a buffet for favors:

I didn't realize, however, just how into the labels the boys would get. I've never created a buffet where guests paid attention to the details of the labels. They ran inside and, seeing the water was labeled as healing potion, they all rushed to get some to treat their "injuries" from the outdoor battle.

They made their cupcake selection based on the toppers. The birthday boy ran over to read every label aloud to his friends, "WE GOT RED STONE! O AND THERE'S DIAMONDS! WHO WANTS THE COAL?!"

It was different for me. I LOVED seeing little guests appreciate the fruits of my labor :)

Melanie told me décor wasn't the priority for her. She wanted to keep it simple and focus more on activities so I used the birthday boy's toys to create this weapon wall:

On the other side of the weapon wall, I used square pieces of paper to create a simple wall treatment above the seat where he'd open his presents:

Other than that, I made over-the-top games to capture the attention and to "decorate" the front lawn.

Let's talk about games, shall we?

GAMES/ACTIVITIES

As guests arrived, they headed to the sword mat to decorate their very own sword for battle:

You wouldn't imagine boys would sit still for a long time BUT, when it comes to decorating their swords, they took their time making battle gear that reflected their personal super powers.

Pin the Tail on the Pig

We talked about this game here. It was a great photo-op for the boys to put on the Steve head and pin the tail on the pig.

Creeper Toss

Do you remember our inspiration board where I mentioned recreating this game?

I thought it was a great idea and decided I would do the exact same thing. The more I looked at it, however, the more I felt it was too small. I had a vision of a HUGE creeper toss and wanted to figure out how to make it work. I headed to Walmart in search of a green tarp. Surely, they have big green tarps, right?

They have silver and orange and CAMO! I was sold on CAMO (thanks, Sheena)! We hung it using bungee string between two trees and cut the creeper face. Rather than tiny bean bags, we used the birthday boy's football and it was the perfect large-scale creeper toss!

I wrapped boxes in green table cloths (they were larger and cheaper than wrapping paper) and stacked them up for the Creeper Crumble activity (the top was the only one with a face).

Each guest had an opportunity to toss a ball at the pile to knock it down... throwing things, it's like a typical pastime for boys, right?

Pig Hunting

I laid out a large green table cloth and blew up pink balloons. I used a golf tee to poke holes through the tail of the balloon (the portion that's excess after the balloon is tied off). Then stabbed the golf tee into the ground and voila! Pigs!

Inside three balloons we placed $1. When Melanie gave the signal, the boys popped the balloons using their swords or feet in search of the prize balloons. It's a quick game but LOTS of fun!

Diamond Mining

I purchased these wedding favors from Oriental Trading:

They were $14 for two dozen (check them out here). I chose not to use the personalization stickers so they were plain. I filled them with chewy jolly rancher candies and we hid them in a designated area. In the game, the main character goes diamond mining PLUS kids love a hunt so I'm sure this was an activity to remember for them!