Arabian Princess Party

Arabian Nights Party invitations
Searching for an Arabian Nights party invitation won't be easy, but your wish is our
command. Here invitations worthy of an Arabian Princess:

Craft a scroll invitation. For a birthday scroll invitation, start with two cardboard
rolls from a paper towel, write your invitation message in the center, then glue
the tube to each end of the paper. Cover the brown roll completely. To secure
with glue, use binder clips while it's drying. Roll up with a fancy ribbon and hand
deliver your invitation. For a fancier invitation, spray-paint a wooden dowel
gold, dry, then glue an ornate fabric to it. Wrap the invitation around the dowel
and secure with a fancy ribbon. Take inspiration from the Indian Wedding
scrolls, pictured right, or make it easy on yourself and order.

Make it a charming invitation. The tiny magic lamp charm, pictured left, would
make an ideal accent for a card layered in amethyst and gold. Or use the charm
with tiny glass beads it to create "slave anklets." The birthday girl can
"command" the girls wear them to the party. Do this by affixing a tiny invitation
to the anklet with ribbon. The birthday girl can hand deliver the special gift.

Mail some magic. The 3D Lenticular postcard, left, brings Aladdin's magic lamp
into action. Print invitation details on your computer onto full sheet laser labels
and cut to the postcard size.

Genie bottle invitation: For a magical Arabian Nights party invitation, transform
an ordinary bottle into a genie's bottle. Place four table spoons gold acrylic
paint into an emptied and clean glass soda bottle, rotate every five minutes for
an hour. Then allow to dry upside down. Then affix flat-back gems to the
outside. Finally, insert a paper scroll invitations inside and hand deliver.

Arabian princess party invitation wording ideas:

You've been summoned by the Sultan for Jade's eighth birthday!
Please arrange transport by camel, a magic carpet ride or a genie on
Saturday, August 22 at noon
Party Oasis: Sultan's Palace at 123 Main Street
RSVP: Harem leader Tiffany at 867-5309.

Tea in the Sahara with the Sultan's Daughter
The food for kids parties shouldn't be too exotic, but if your little Arabian princess and
her friends have a sophisticated palette then go ahead and offer store bought
hummus and baba ganoush (a sweet eggplant dip), but don't expect all the girls to
participate in the middle eastern sampling.

Most kids will enjoy a simple meal of kebabs (skewered meats and veggies on the
grill), but you might also try skewering up some tortellini with a light salad dressing.
Be sure also to offer pita bread, cucumbers, grapes and cheeses.

Here are more ways to enhance the party with food kids will eat:

Ditch the forks. Eat with your fingers, but only with the right hand! (Anyone
caught using their left hand must perform a dance for the others.) Shop thrift
stores for housewares with a brass or golden accents. Serve meals on golden
paper plates.

Create an oasis. Make blue raspberry gelatin for the oasis. Crush vanilla
sandwich cookies in a baggie to make the sand, then prop plastic palm trees
and mini camels surrounding your oasis.

Nosh on candy kebabs for dessert. You'll rock the Casbah with the kids when you
skewer up colorful marshmallows, gummy candies, licorice Allsorts, cut licorice,
Lifesavers, gum drops and spice drops, fruit roll-ups, and cookies with holes.
Roll some of the marshmallows in non-pareils or edible glitter. The finishing
touch is a bit of curling ribbon at the end. As an activity, kids can make their
own if you set an array of bowls. Set aside cellophane bags with gift tags, so
the kids can take home their own creations. See our Chef's party ideas for
candy Kabobs. And ETSY knows kids parties. It's the place for all things
handmade, like the gold dusted genie lamp chocolates. Sweet!

Sweet endings. Even if your Arabian Nights party has a traditional birthday cake,
you may want to offer a sampling of middle eastern dishes. Baklava is a fluffy
honey pastry puff dessert that most kids will at least try. You might also have
kids try Halva (seasame seed candy) and Chai Tea.

Magic Carpet Rides and Activities:

Jewel hunt. Kids parties need entertainment and there's no better classic than a
treasure hunt activity. Hide small stones you paint or gems you find at the craft
store before the party starts. Guests may notice them and when one does
announce that forty thieves have hidden forty jewels and that a prize will be
awarded to the one who finds the most: chocolate coins.

Cave of Wonders: Gather 15-25 small treasures, party favors, cookies, or candy
and set them in tray in another room. Allow 30 seconds to review the items on
the tray in the cave of wonders and then return to privately to the lounge to
write what they saw. Younger girls can whisper to an adult who records their
findings. The girl who remembers the most objects wins! Gather your Arabian
princesses in a circle and award the winner a special prize or allow her to be
first to select an object from the tray. The girl on her right selects the next prize
and so on. Ensure two tiny treasures for each child and some leftovers.

Musical carpets: Seek leftover carpet squares from the carpet store and play
musical chairs with the carpets. (Save them because they make wonderful seat
cushions for picnics). In a pinch, you can use towels or the pillows you've
crafted for the party. Have one less "carpet" than the number of players. Play
music from the movie Aladdin stops everyone must grab a seat on the carpet.

Sultan says: This game plays like Simon says, but with a twist. Provide a carpet
or towel for each girl at one end of the party area. Place scarves at the center
of the room, and a magic lamp somewhere close. Begin with Sultan says "Rub
the magic lamp." Girls rub. "Sultan says, get on your magic carpet." Girls find a
magic carpet. "Sultan says dance on the magic carpet." Girls dance. "Pick a scarf
and dance some more." Uh oh, Sultan didn't say get off your magic carpet." The
last girl standing on the carpet wins.

Snake charmer's reward. Buy several rubber snakes and hide them in the grass,
shrubs and low hanging branches. During the course of the party announce
that while training, the royal snake charmer has lost a disobedient snake or
two in the palace, and it's up to the kids to find them. Pair the kids, telling them
that it's too dangerous to find the snakes alone as they are untamed. Use
scarves to tie two kids loosely at the wrist. Then provide one kid with a bag to
collect the snakes, the other with a dish washing glove. Both spy the snake,
but they bag the snake together with their free hand only. The team with the
most snakes, or a special snake you mark, wins. Kids learn cooperation and
have fun during the process. Award the winners, but provide the other team a
small treat, too.

More ways to set the genie scene
Here are more ways to make an Aladdin party happen at home:

Turn your backyard into an oasis. Create an oasis outside with a camping
canopy. Drape sheets in emerald green, peacock blue, garnet red and amethyst
shades of purple. Make a few cardboard camels in a caravan and stick them into
the sandbox. Ideally, dromedary's (camels) should have one hump, and not two
as pictured incorrectly, right.

Decorate the family. Perhaps Dad won't mind dressing the part of a Sultan
wearing a turban with plume, vest, and a waist sash. Otherwise, a red fez with
a tassel will do. He'll make a fine Aladdin for the party.

Resources for an Arabian Princess:

Give her Genie dreams. Turn her room into a Genie's bottle with a M oroccan style
bedroom and a gorgeous handcrafted Jeannie Bottle.

Sew cool! Learn how to make harem girl pantaloons or put together a hip scarf.

Get a quick belly dancing lesson from Binah and Nina, so you can teach the kids.

Learn ho w to make foot-thongs (harem jewelry) out of beads.

Arabian Princess party Genie Party balloon

Arabian Princess Party
How to have a birthday party fit for the sultan's daughter

As kids parties go, princesses rule, and your little princess has probably already been
to a Disney Princess Party. Sure, it's easy to go totally Disney, but if you want a kids
party that's a bit different, go for an Arabian princess party!

Are you ready for a magic carpet ride? Then an Arabian Nights Party is for you and
your Arabian princess. Your little Princess Jasmine won't believe her eyes when you
unveil an exotic Arabian Princess party or an Arabian Nights party. And you'll feel like a
genie in a bottle when you make her birthday wishes come true with an oasis of magic
carpet rides, golden oil lamps, sultry scarves, and a chic sultan's lounge for her harem
of friends. It's the most magical of kids parties, especially as a slumber party theme.

The birthday girl will love an Arabian Princess party at home. Here's how to fill the
room with incense and finery from the Middle East with a kids Arabian Nights Party:

Pitch an easy Bedouin tent. Lounge your Arabian princesses under a bed canopy,
pictured left, or wrap sheets around a hula hoop and suspend it from the ceiling.

Make pillow covers to transform cushions you already own. For an easy,
no sew pillow wrap, lay the pillow on your fabric, then bring the opposite
corners of fabric and knot two ends together and repeat with the other
ends. Choose emerald, peacock, garnet and amethyst colors for the
canopy and pillows.
Keep lighting dim and drape scarves throughout.
Finally, transform a coffee table or an ottoman with a tray into a low table
for the feast.

Adorn the girls with glittery eyes and fluttery veils. The make-over begins with a
genie up-do: wrap hair in a ponytail then pull a section of hair, twirl it around to
cover the elastic, and fasten with hairpins. More genie things to try and do:

Craft an easy veil with a sequin headband, right, and organza or other
sheer fabric. Just glue the fabric onto the head band.
The veil needs sultry eyes and face painting glitter transforms eyes with a
swoosh.
Apply a henna body art or tattoo. The Henna Floral tattoos, right, is easy
to apply. The kids henna kit, also right, removes easily with vegetable oil.
But globs of henna paste can be messy. If you don't want the mess or
can't order, then find a nontoxic brown marker or eyeliner for an easier
henna look. Accent your designs with flat-back gems. For a crazier look,
try these tattoo pens.
Add a naval jewel if you dare! The Belly dance costume jewel accessory,
left, has a cute display package making it ideal for favors, but you can use
stick on gems (flat back rhinestones) to create the same effect less
expensively.

Allow the birthday girl to be the Sultan's Daughter of swing! Arrange belly dancing
lessons with a professional, or let Amazon be your genie with Belly Dancing 101,
left. Practice belly dancing in 60 minutes of step-by-step instruction with Amira,
left. No matter your age, size or shape, let Middle Eastern Dance change the
way you see yourself. The Amira Belly Dance 101 DVD teaches the basic belly-
dance moves so you can integrate them into combinations, safely and joyfully
discovering your own dance. The girls will be thrilled to show off their own
moves with finger cymbals, scarves, g ypsy bangles . When you let loose, it will
be a kids party they'll never forget.

More tips for an Arabian nights party:

Fill the air with magic. Burn incense with adult supervise (and never burn
incense inside the tent). Another way to provide an air of Arabian culture
is to provide infused water dipping bowls for fingers (choose rosewater if
you have it or get some essential oils in Lavender, Jasmine or vanilla).
Have the kids dip their fingers in the bowls before eating.
Rent a goat. It's not like you can rent a camel, but if you live in a rural area
you might be able to borrow a or rent goat and tether somewhere where
the kids can interact. It will help get an authentic Arabian nights
experience and provide kids with extra enjoyment.