Cars Birthday Party

I mentioned to you last week that we just celebrated our middle child, Brady's, birthday last weekend.  He requested a Cars birthday party.  What middle-child wants, middle-child gets.

I attempted Tow Mater cupcakes.  That quickly turned into cupcake, singular, after I learned how labor intensive they were.  I used 1 regular sized cupcake for the main body, a mini cupcake for the cab (head) and a regular sized cupcake with the top cut off for the bed of the truck.  I covered all 3 in chocolate frosting (microwaved to make it easier to work with).  I piped white frosting on the head (in a ziplock bag w/ the corner cut off) for the windshield, topped with green M&M's for eyes, white M&M's for the headlights, chicklets for the teeth and mini cookies (Keebler Fudge Shoppe Grasshopper Cookies (100 Calorie Right Bites) for the tires and engine.  

I made him a birthday banner.  I created a sheet of black squares on a PowerPoint slide using the 'insert shape' feature.  Then I added in the letters, cut in the shape of a triangle and strung together on black and white checked ribbon.  After the party, the night before his actual birthday, I moved this banner to his door.  I decorated his door with streamers and the banner for a special morning surprise on the big day.

I found these really great, free, printables at http://www.sowonderfulsomarvelous.com/2010/04/disney-cars-birthday-party.html.  I used the Ramone's House of Body Art sign on a table with temporary tattoos and wooden cars that the kids painted.

The Fillmore's Organic Fuel sign was used on the iced tea:

The great thing about this theme is that going through the boys' toy box there is no shortage of toys to be used as decoration.  I topped the juice boxes with Mater and McQueen figurines.

Another free decoration idea.  I found pictures of some of the Cars characters in a magazine ad for Disney World.  I cut them out and taped them to the picture frames on the walls.  Bam, free.

For the dessert I served black & white treats.  Half moon cookies, chocolate donuts (tires) and cupcakes that looked like a road (chocolate frosting, chocolate sprinkles and white piped frosting as lines).  The cupcakes were my plan B after deciding to only do 1 Mater cupcake.

I lined our kitchen island with a black mat with white lines to look like a road (more of the Cars figurines added in for decoration).  

I also laid out a Cars rug and a basket of matchbox cars for the kids to play with.  Love me some free activities/decorations.

The birthday boy in the Tow Mater hats I found at Oriental Trading.  He slept in it that night :)

Brady was 'happier than a tornado in a trailer park!'