Projects

• When incorporating arts and crafts into a birthday party, set up separate stations for each project to keep everything running smoothly. Divide the children into small groups and have the groups rotate between several craft stations, each focusing on a different project. Finger painting, play dough and paper crafts are great ideas for younger children. Older guests may enjoy stations that allow them to tie-dye T-shirts, paint suncatchers or make jewelry. Consider including custom smocks as one of the first craft projects. Kids can use fabric markers to write their name on their smock, then wear it throughout the rest of the projects to keep their clothes clean.
  
  

Snacks

• A birthday centered around an arts and crafts theme presents the perfect opportunity for a create-it-yourself snack buffet. The guests can design their own mini pizzas or snack on veggies with a variety of brightly-colored dips. A cupcake station can provide frostings, sprinkles and candies for custom cupcakes in lieu of a large birthday cake. Create a cookie station and let the children cut out and decorate their own cookies to bake and wrap up in their goody bags to take home.
  
  

Decorations

• An arts and crafts birthday party can continue from the activities into the décor of the party itself. Inflatable crayons and paintbrushes are great props. The artwork created by the kids throughout the party can also be added to the decorations and hung up around the room as the party progresses. A giant piece of paper set out at one of the final craft stations can become a custom "Happy Birthday" banner for the birthday child, with all of their friends' signatures, hand prints or drawings included.