For our daughters 3rd birthday party we decided to have a Princess and Knights party for about 20 kids. We rented out the gym of our church to keep the disaster away from our house. Plus, it gave the kids plenty of room to run around.
Jo’s Paper Kitchen made the invitations, absolutely the best.
I made crowns from stiff felt (from the craft store: only one store of three had it), elastic, glitter, sequence and rick rack. I also made felt tunics with both our family crests on them.
My husband made shields of corrugated cardboard. He used spray adhesive with paper images on top. The kids played with all the extra cardboard. I wanted a cardboard castle but we ran out of cardboard too close to the birthday party to buy more. The little kids had just as much fun.
I got a decorative punch from the craft store and used it on everything I could to justify buying it. It got used on the cupcakes, crafts, and gift bags. I cheated with the cupcakes, I chose to spend time with family who were in town instead of making them from scratch. Plus, the grocery store had cupcakes on sale that week.
All the kids and parents had fun. Sadly, my husband was completely wiped out and begged never to do this again.