My baby boy turned four years old this past weekend!
I bet no one is the least bit surprised that he asked for a shark-themed birthday party. He really loves sharks. So I needed to step it up a notch in order to turn our home into shark-infested waters and surprise him with a jaw-some shark birthday party! After all, you only turn four once.
First up, invitations:
Aren’t they adorable? I mean, menacing?!
It took me awhile to perfect the shark graphics on my computer, cut out each piece by hand, and then assemble them into the Great White-ness that you see here. It was all well worth the time and effort to see the excitement on my son’s face when he hand-delivered them to his friends! (And now you can order them for your party, too!)
Next up, decorations:
I ordered this cool ocean background to set the tone; it felt like we were inside an aquarium with the sun filtering through beautiful blue waves.
ocean blue room roll | coral reef props | marine life props
I also ordered a coral reef and a few choice aquatic animals to complete the look. The centerpiece was a looming shark accompanied by a menacing Moray eel, a spotted eagle ray and a variety of multicolored fish.
Guests also navigated a kelp forest hallway made of two-tone green crepe streamers. Sea horses and fish playfully peeked out from behind the seaweed (or were they trying to hide from the multitude of little sharks in the area?!).
I designed these warning signs and posted them throughout the yard and leading up to the house to warn/welcome guests. I am happy to report no one was attacked by sharks in the hosting of this event.
For our guests, favors & fins:
Guests got to swim like a shark by donning a dorsal fin. They were sewn out of grey felt with ultra-firm interfacing (I wanted those fins to stand at attention!) and pinned to the back of shirts. Even the cool teenagers wore them!
I decorated these cute pails with shark stickers and filled each one with a shark tooth candy necklace, toy sharks, and sea animal tattoos. I was afraid the buckets were too small, but the kids seemed quite satisfied to tote around their loot. (And I was happy to avoid adding more candy as filler.) I made a fun thank you note to include in each one as well.
blue pails | shark tooth candy necklaces | toy sharks | shark tattoos
Up next in Part Two of this Jawsome Shark Birthday Party: food and activities. Stay tuned! — v.
Check out the Shark Party Collection available for purchase in the Shop.
Follow my Pinterest board for more birthday party ideas and inspiration.
Who printed the yellow signs for you ?
I printed them on yellow card stock from my home printer. You could take them to a local office supply store as well. The signs are available for purchase and download in the Shop (Click HERE). Thanks so much, Natalie!
Hi … we try to make this year a Sharks Party too. You have amazing Ideals.
Thanks, Lena! I hope you have a shark-tastic time! Please let me know if I can help with any party printables. <•)))^><
Wow V!! I’m in awe of your patience and attention to detail with your theme parties (girls still have their awesome train conductor hats). I don’t know how you find the time!! I love the dorsal fins and I’m sure the birthday boy was thrilled at what you put together for him. Looking forward to seeing the shark food :-)
Aw, thanks, Natalie! Sure wish you and your littles could have joined us — we miss you all! I love doing things like this — totally feeds my creative soul — and so I stay up after the kids go to sleep and work into the night. I’m a night owl by nature so it works for me. Thanks so much for your support and following along with my blog!
V, I am always amazed at your creativity!!! You are awesome, can’t wait to see part 2!!!