A great theme for girls is a crafting party. The main things to remember is that the craft should be appropriate for the age of the guests. Another important concept to keep in mind is that this is a party so you must have fun. If it is just learning and turns into hard work it could never be a party. The third thing about crafting is that individualism and creative expression should be valued much higher than perfection. Mastering the craft is not the idea of the party, but leaning about it and enjoying the introduction is what the theme should be about.

If you are planning just one craft, design your entire theme around that; otherwise use elements from several crafts. For example if your craft is beadwork, brightly colored or painted or actually strung bead could be used instead of streamers, but in the same ways. Are you going to be painting, you might consider using library loaned pictures or copies of famous painting from clip art on your party walls. Add palettes and brushes for another design element. If you could round up enough easels and smocks or old paint shirts, that would be fun. Add a beret to wear for your little artists.

To teach sculpting, try to find some inexpensive plaster busts or statue to inspire your little sculptors and use as decorations. Maybe, you wish to transfer your love of sewing or quilting to young girls. They might create very tiny quilts for their dolls and bears. Quilted patterns of paper or cloth or the actual pattern themselves can make lovely decorations or place mats for the tables, possibly hangings for atmosphere. You might cover little margarine tubs with cloth, making a pincushion for the lid as favors or the actual project. Fill the tub with some inexpensive and basic sewing supplies like needles, thimbles, and brightly colored thread. There are many ready- made stitching, beading, or other projects for a variety of age groups. Do you remember the sewing cards or stitching cards they may have been called? These were colorful shapes of dolls, animals or everyday objects on very heavy weight board with holes punched around the outline. These were laced with yarn laces. These are wonderful for tiny girls. It is great for dexterity and you could make your own. Find some poster board of a heavy weight and use shoelaces for the 'sewing.'

Have all supplies on hand or ask someone to help gather them for you. Guests themselves could bring some of the craft items. You will want to limit the number of guests for this type of party. This is the not the theme to use if inciting the whole third grade. Remember to ask for lots of adult help for this type of party. It needs supervision and lots of guiding hands. Be careful, if this becomes a mother and daughter project, it might turn into a monthly club idea. (A wonderful bonding tool.)

Make sure to provide the usual type of party foods decorated to reflect your theme. Use lots of colored blotches of icing on a cake to represent an artist's palette. Decorate ice cream scoops wit 'beads' of cookie toppings. You get the idea. Serve party foods you want to serve, just adding an element to make it fit your theme, if nothing else, name it something that fits your party.

Add a game or two. Make a large cardboard needle and make the guests thread the needle with ribbon or yarn while blindfolded. Instead of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, paint the nose on the seamstress. You will need several copies of the same pictures and put each artist's name on their attempt. Do a relay game with balls of yarn carrying them n a spoon on use pincushions to play ball to game where they are thrown into a sewing basket. Prizes should be given according to the craft. Water paints, to poster paints, finger paint sets, brushes, acrylic paints, paint by numbers, beads, sewing cards, modeling clay, stitching sets, etc. all make wonderful prizes and favors.

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel