Monday, September 17, 2012

MONSTERS INC B-day party 2012

My sons are 18 months apart and I decided to throw a combined birthday for the 2 of them in the middle of both their birthdays. July 2012. A bright sunny day. Of course, when I asked them which theme they wanted my 2 and 3 year old jumped up and down in excitement..MONSTERS INC! Monsters Inc? Their favorite movie, of course! But, its challenging to find Monsters Inc party supplies since this movie came out..humm 10+ years ago! I knew I would have to put my thinking cap on and come up with some ideas. VisitaPrint.com was a huge helper. Since we order my husbands business cards from their website I scored some sweet deals and got special discounts. I scored awesome deals on EBay as well.

I made these Scream canisters out of Pringle cans. I used some cans, spray paint, electrical tape,duct tape and a red Sharpie. I added a bunch of goodies inside and handed them out as kids left the party. They also added more Monsters Inc decor to the party.
 
Inside I placed candy, and monster theme goodies. Plastic glow in the dark fangs, monster stickers, monster tattoos, monster fingers and bubbles.
 

To make the Monsters inc bubbles I purchased party favor bubbles from the Dollar Tree and Googled some free Monsters Inc clip-art. I re-sized them to fit onto printable Avery envelope labels and typed in a special birthday message next to the clip art. Once I attached the label onto the bubble, I covered it in clear tape so that the bubble liquid wouldn't make the ink run. My sons loved the bubbles and it added more Monsters to the theme! =)

Sure, I could of just purchased any ol' pinata and throw a Monsters Inc plate onto it...But, that would have been boring! Plus, my sons deserve the best! I got busy and made my own Mike pinata! For the shape I used one of those huge punch balloons.  To make the mixture I just used some flour and added boiled water to it. Kept stirring until it was a thick enough mixture. I also added some salt to the mixture to help keep it fresh. I added some Elmer's glue for added structure. Towards the end I added some green paint to the mixture as well to help with the painting process.  For the finishing touches I had to use Spray paint to paint Mike, one coat and that was that.
 
 My sister-in-law was an angel and got me a pinata in Mexico. It was nice to have both. This one was HUGE and the kids had a blast with all that candy!
 
 I collected huge cardboard and painted them into doors. My first thought was to tie them up onto a huge rope and drape them across our vaulted ceilings. But, my husband never got to it...(the only thing I needed him to do that day..cant live with him/cant live without him!) We ended up just placing the doors along the fence in our backyard. It looked just as nice and added more decor to the party, (and don't tell him, but I liked his idea better. =P )
Our entrance was also decorated with Monsters Inc decor. I got a white table cloth and turned that into Boos door.
                                 

 I customized a lawn sign from Vista Print (got the image from Google.) We got some blue and green card stock and cut out Mike and Sully's footprints and taped them on the entrance way that was leading to Boos door. I was also lucky enough to have my sister in law get some Monster Inc cut outs that looked great on our lawn.
                                      
I customized the invitations and ordered them from Visita Print..along with this customized party sign.
                                     
 
I put my brother-in-law to work and he drew out a huge picture of the two main monsters Mike and Sully. He also added a third monster, we planned on cutting its face out so the party go-ers can stick their head in it and pose...but, I though the monster was too cute to cut out! lol.
 
To add more to our theme I decided to make some Mike and Sully party hats. I used green and blue card stock paper and traced a old party hat out. I could have added string to my hats, but I just glued them onto old ones to give them more support.
For our table center pieces I made some monsters out of recycled cardboard paper towel rolls. I glued on felt and used googly eyes and pipe cleaners for details. I glued them down on a large paper plate and cut tissue paper into small squares. I took the paper and glued them around the monster. I added some rocks inside the roll to help hold them down and I glued two printouts together that read, "Happy Birthday.." I also customized those using VistaPrint.
(SORRY! My centerpiece picture won't upload. Keep looking for a blog on how to make centerpieces!)
 
Using card stock I made some little Monster heads to add some "monster" to plain birthday banners.
 
Turned this old Elmo birthday banner into a Monsters Inc one with some stickers and googly eyes. ;)
 
 
 I purchased some red fire chief hats from Oriental trading and spray painted them light blue. Using Avery label sheets I printed out the Monsters Inc logo and stuck them onto the hat. These made great Monsters Inc hard hats like the ones each monster wears in the movie. Each kid got to take home a hard hat along with their goody can!

I also, made some Monster mouths using card stock and colored sticks from the Dollar Tree. The kids loved them...
..(oh, the adults loved them too!)

GAMES- we did a Monster Toss game. The kids had to "feed" the Monster. My brother-in-law (dang, I love my in-laws!) is such an artist..(all of the art you see is done by him.) He drew a monster from Monsters Inc and we cut out his mouth. We had a few soft baseballs and the kids tried throwing the balls into the monsters mouth. This game was a hit for kids all ages.
 
I spray painted some small cans and turned them into monster theme using some stickers and paint. The kids had to knock the cans down with the bean bags my wonderful sister sewed up. Also, a huge hit for all the kids.
 
                                               

 Pin the tail on the donkey? No way, this is a monster bash not a Shriek party! We drew up Celia (Mikes girlfriend.) Using Avery sticker sheets (large label sheets) I traced her eye ball and made a bunch of copies. We had PIN THE EYE ON THE MONSTER! 8-)

We played limbo, I just got a stick and wrapped it up with green and blue crate paper and hot glued on some googly eyes. We played the limbo song off of YouTube.
We also did freeze dance. I purchased a Monsters Inc CD from EBay..but my sons had to freeze dance to, LMFAO, "Sexy and I know it." Haha.

I took some ping pong balls (beer pong balls, for you younger ones ;-] ) using a Sharpie I drew on 1 eyeball. For the eyeball race we lined the kids up and they had to run down the lawn with the ball on the spoon and try not to drop the ball. No hands and no dropping! We played this a couple of times since the kids had so much fun.
 
Aside from all the games we had lined up, we also had a jumper for the kids to bounce around in and a swing set. Kids were running wild all day and having a blast!
 
FOOD- We had a taco lady come out and make tacos all day. Came in handy. But, we also had a table out with some snacks on it...
-Chips- Monster toes
-Cheese strips- I cut into thin triangles and labeled them as monster nails and fangs/teeth
-Dinosaur chicken nuggets- Hey, they looked like monsters! hehe! So we just re-named them to monster nuggets!
-Fruit- I got a watermelon and attempted to turn it into a Monster head. haha. I ran out of time so it took a few minutes. we just added some fruit around the head. Added a cute look to the snack table.
-Pigs in a blanket- My sister shaped them more like toes and we labeled them, "Monster toes!"

(For some odd reason I'm having issues uploading a few pics so maybe in a future blog I will have one dedicated to the monster food!)


We decorated some plain boring water bottles and turned them into Monsters!


 I was planning on doing a huge cake for my sons, but ran out of time. Luckily, I made cake pops and cupcakes. I printed up some pictures from Google and pasted them onto card stock, taped it onto a colored tooth pick and stuck them in the cupcakes. The cake pops were decorated in Purple and bright green and turned into monsters. My cake pop stands were made out of Styrofoam covered in foil "tissue" paper.
 
 
My sister in law also printed up some Monster Inc pictures and turned them into some cute covers for chocolate bars.
 
 I made my cupcake stand out of extra materials I no longer used. Wine glass, small vase and some serving trays. The pictures explain it all. =)
 
 
I also ordered these monster lollipops from Oriental trading. And added some Tootsie Roll pops with them. I Made a cute lollipop stand out of the same materials used for the cake pop stands.
Our dessert table was covered by a Monster table cloth and had a bunch of Monster Inc toys along it (I lucked out and found some on EBay for a good price.) I also lucked out and found Monsters Inc party plates, cups and hats at a dollar store.
 
It took a lot of work, but was well worth it. Months of planning and I would do it all over again just to see those smiles on my sons face. They loved every moment of it and it will be a party we will always remember. I definitely will be going all-out on their next combined birthday party in a few more years. I pray its a theme I will enjoy too! =)
 
 


45 comments:

  1. hi i am doing the scream canisters for my sons 1st birthday how did you do the cans exactly. if you don't mind giving me the step by step directions
    thanks coreisha

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    1. Hi Coreisha, are u located in the Bay Area, California? I have a few cans left just sitting in my garage and ready to go to a fun new party. I'd be happy to meet up somewhere and give them to you.

      Heres how I did it:

      1.) I Placed the cans on top of old cardboard and spray painted them with the tops facing down. I had enough room to spray around the whole can. One coating was enough for some..on the windy days I had to do two coats.

      2.) After they were fully dried I took some black electrical tape (you can use any tape of black tape. I got mine from the dollar store.) And tape it around the can. One strip on top and one strip on the bottom.

      3.) Take about a 3 inch piece of silver duct tape and then cut it in half vertical. Place it in the middle of the black strips of tape. I took a red sharpie and just drew on some lil red triangles.

      Good luck! If u need any addtional details please feel free to ask away! =) Youre my first comment! Exciting! =)

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  2. Thanks for the instructions. I'm going to create these for my son's 1st bday. How many did you end up making?

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    1. I ended up making about 30 cans because we weren't sure how many children were coming. We ended up with tons of extra cans which we used as a soap dispenser, plant pot and for holding pencils and other crafts.. so if you make too many you can always use them for other things. =)

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  3. I'll love for my son to have the sulley and mike stand ups can you please let me know where you got them from thank u reply at trujillo1991@yahoo.com thank u

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    1. Hi Jasmin, the first cut out where its my family posing in front of is homemade. My brother in law drew it out and we painted it.. You can use a projector and shine the image on the paper and trace from there. the cut outs that my sons are hugging were actually made in Mexico. My sister in law special ordered them from a vendor she found at a flea market over there while she was on vacation.

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  4. I made the scream cans (thanks for the instructions), bought construction hats (still have to paint them), but how did you get the Monster logo? I can't find a printable version.

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    1. Sorry for such a late response Brigid. I actually bought AVERY STICKER SHEETS/ FULL LABEL SHEETS and then I googled the Monsters Inc Logo and save it onto my computer. Then you can go onto AVERY.COM and create your labels and print straight from the Avery website, for free. You upload the photo you save onto your computer and then resize them to how ever big you want them.

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  5. Thank you for all of your detailed pictures! Im split between Monsters Inc and Despicable Me themes for a December birthday but finding a site full of great ideas like this...well, I'm really leaning towards a monster party. Thanks again!

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    1. Youre more than welcome Kat! I'm a need to see kinna person, so I always take detailed photos and step by step! lol. I even have to go back sometimes just to remember how I first did it. I actually just did a small Minions birthday party for my son last weekend. I made some Minions out of left over Pringle cans I had from the monster inc birthday bash. I'll be blogging on them soon and post the link onto your comment. Thanks for the positive feedback. =)

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  6. Hi! Thank you so much for sharing this! I'll be definitely using many of your ideas for my daughters upcoming monsters inc party!! Can't wait to try making the pinata!

    I was wondering if you still had any of the scream canisters left? I live in the Bay Area and am interested!

    Also any chance of knowing where your sister picked up the large mike & sulley cut outs?

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  7. Thank you so much for posting this! We are doing a Monster's Inc. party for my son's 1st birthday, in July. We are using many of these ideas since there will be tons of older kids there. Bought a lot of my supplies tonight from Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby (with coupons of course).

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    1. ITS ALWAYS GREAT TO SAVE! LOVE COUPON DEALS! lol. I wish we had a Hobby Lobby near by! I actually created this blog bc back then when we did the party Monsters Inc wasn't that popular. But, now its all over the place again! haha. But. its nice and cheaper to make things on your own. =)

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  9. how can i order those labels for the hats

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    1. Hi Yesenia. I actually made the labels myself. I bought AVERY STICKER SHEETS from Office Max. You can also find them at any office supply store, FED EX store, UPS store, Wal-Mart, Target..etc.. And then I googled the Monster Inc Logo and save it onto my computer. Go to AVERY.COM and you can create and print your sticker sheets right from their website. =)

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  10. Omg you put so much work into this! I love it! You're an inspiration lol :)

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    1. Thank you Taylor. My boys are worth it! =) and I'm a SAHM. lol

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  11. Wow I just found this today, looks like the boys loved it! love the cans! You are so creative! I live in the Bay Area as well. I was wondering if you still had any of those canisters? I'm sure they're all gone, just thought I'd ask :-)

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    1. Sorry for such a late response. For some reason, I'm not being notified when I receive new comments. =/ I had so many cans for the longest. But, I turned them into Minions for my sons Despicable Me party. Sorry.

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  12. This is so cute! I was talking to my husband today about doing a Monsters Inc. themed party for our daughter's birthday in 3 months, but I was stumped about what to do for a bunch of 2 year olds. I love your game and food ideas and how you gave tips for DIY stuff to help keep the costs down. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you, Samantha! =) We loved the theme. and what kid doesn't love silly monsters? lol. Thanks for all the positive support! =) hope you guys have an awesome party!

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  13. Left me speechless! :) lol this is amazing! Any ideas where I can buy the empty cans for the goodies (me and my kids dont like pringles that and their dad totally hates them) and my daughters bday party is 3 weeks away! :/ hope you can help

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    1. Hey Lizbeth, I'm not sure if you can buy empty Pringle cans. I had family and friends saving for months! We also empty a few and placed them in a ziploc bag and served them at the party. I've seen cylinder shaped gift boxes at the Dollar Tree. You can try to Spray paint those. I don't see why the effect would be any different, since theyre both cardboard. Try to buy the lightest shade of color. Good luck. Sorry.=/

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  14. wow what a fabulous party! I had to comment to tell you that those scream canisters were such a brilliant idea! And the ping pong eyes too! I am going to do a monsters party (not monsters inc specifically) for my boy turning 3 in march. I will def be copying your footprints idea. I love that you made so much yourself - it turned out so great. Cheers from New Zealand : )

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    1. WOW. thank you for that amazing compliment. that's really sweet of you! my sons LOVED their party and I'm sure your son will LOVE his, too! Monster theme is so cute, fun and easy! Hope you all have a blast! =)

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  15. Very helpful we are on a tight budget this year so I think this will help me give my baby boy the party he deserves. I'm going to try to make the scream canisters. And where in the bay are you located? I would love to pick up the scream canisters you have. If you still have them email me please so we can set something up. chowder7191@gmail.com

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    1. Did she ever get back to you?

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    2. Hi Andina, I'm actually all.out of the canisters. However, I do have about 15-20 of the hats I created. I'm willing the sale them for $2 a hat. I also have the Old School MI party supplies. They're mostly 8 packs. Tons of cups, plates, and invitations. Im located in the East Bay but travel to San Maceo County frequently.

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    3. Can I get pics of all of what you have and how much do you want for it all

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  16. You did a Fabulous job! I am having a Monsters U party for my sons 1st b-day. I love your ideas! By chance do you know where I can have large cut outs made of Mike and Sullivan? That would add a fabulous touch to my party! If you still have them, I am interested in purchasing them from you. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks! mr.mrs.ibarra@gmail.com

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    1. Hello ibarra, the cutouts smaller cutouts were purchased in Mexico. The bigger cutout was drawn out and painted by my brother in law. I still have them all but over the years a hand or two have been broken off. Is there a certain one you're interested in and I can check the quality of it and send u a few photos? Thanks.

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    2. Yes, if you can check that would be great!
      I am interested in the Mike and sully cardboard cutouts.. The ones that are separate pieces...

      Thank you!

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  17. Do you have anything left from this party

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    1. At Candace,
      I was interested in purchasing off the blogger; however, she never responded. I made a bunch of decorations and I'm actually selling them if your interested?! My sons birthday just pasted in the fourth.

      Let me know,
      Joanne

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  18. Do you still have the template for the foot prints?

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  22. Everything looked so creative! Great job! I was wondering what kind of spray paint you used to paint the hats blue and what size hats you bought from oriental trading. Thanks in advance !

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  23. Elated to know about your party success. I am so impressed how you planned the whole thing and more than anything I loved the concept of that monster party. I will keep the thing you did for party planning and will also plan for the same party at venues in NYC.

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