{inspiration party} a chic zebra party

Cineca of Dreamin N Details Designs contacted me a few months ago

and requested a Custom Invitation for a very

discerning client....a soon-to-be teenage girl!

Miss Madison was having a Dance Party to celebrate her 13th birthday.

She wanted a sophisticated Zebra theme and the color scheme

was to be primarily pink and black with splashes of orange.

The challenge was to create an invitation that was sophisticated

for a teenager who longed to be older

while keeping it young and playful!

Here's the Zebra Chic Invitation we designed...

Before creating the artwork for the invitation,

J, our resident artist, studied photographs of zebras

which inspired him to create an original zebra pattern

that he added pink and orange to for a funky twist!

He also added a slightly transparent black lace

background to frame the invitation wording.

The birthday girl loved the invitation!

{break for a Happy Dance!}

The invitation inspired us to create a coordinating partyware collection

and to design an inspiration party unlike any I had done before!

I found that working with such a strong pattern was challenging.

It's very easy to overwhelm the table with everything zebra

and in the end I took a few things off the table

that were competing with each other.

I started with a simple white tablecloth and added

my black pashmina scarf as a runner.

I then added our newest backdrop idea...

pink square plates!

The plates are attached to a large piece of foam core with Velcro.

The Velcro allows us to easily change the plates

whenever we need a different color backdrop.

I then added our Zebra Chic Banner

which was personalized for Madison's event.

In front of the backdrop, I placed two zebra gift bags

which I found at our local Marshall's for $1.69 each.

I filled them with white tissue paper,

replaced the gift bag handles with hot pink ribbon

and added a "13" Zebra Chic Cake Stake tag.

Hank's Hint: Gift Bags filled with tissue are perfect for filling in empty spots on buffet tables. Customize and embellish them with ribbon, gems and tags to match your event.

The Zebra Chic Welcome Sign was placed in the center of the

buffet table to create a focal point for the table.

Simple vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting

were placed on a white cupcake tower

embellished with the Zebra Chic Paper.

Instead of using the Zebra Chic Cake Stakes on all of the cupcakes,

I added just one to the uppermost cupcake

for a sophisticated presentation.

The welcome sign was flanked with Oreo Cakesters

renamed, "Chic Whoopie Pies"

in honor of the occasion.

We added our own custom text to the Zebra Chic Party Cards

using Acrobat Reader {free download}.

We've set up the font style and ink color on the party cards

so all you need to do is type in the text and print!

I decided to limit the sweets to five choices

which meant I had extra room on the table.

I embellished lil' white gable boxes with

Zebra Chic Paper and attached a

personalized Zebra Chic Thank You Tag

with ribbon I found at Michael's.

The favor boxes can be filled with sweet chic treats

or with your favorite nail polish and lip gloss.

Little Debbie Zebra Cakes were a perfect addition

embellished with a Zebra Chic Cake Stake.

The chic sweets also included

Little Debbie Snack Cakes and Zebra Popcorn.

The Zebra Cakes were served on chic pedestals

created using upside down white bowls

topped with black square premium plastic plates.

Zebra Chic Paper was added to the center of the
black square plates for a little extra pop of color.

The popcorn cones were created using Zebra Chic Paper.

The boxes used to display the cones were recycled from our

Charlie Brown Inspired Birthday Party

and labeled with Zebra Chic Party Cards.

I made the Zebra Popcorn with two ingredients--

microwave popcorn and melted chocolate chips!

After popping the corn, I used the microwave

to melt chocolate chips and then placed the

melted chocolate in a recloseable storage bag.

I placed the popcorn on wax paper in a single layer,

snipped the corner of the bag with scissors

and drizzled the chocolate over the popcorn.

After the chocolate hardened, I added the

yummy Zebra Popcorn to the cones.

For our clients who love to include a menu on their
buffet table or have a seated dinner,

we created the Zebra Chic Fill-In Menu.

The menu can also be used to create an invitation.

Just add your own text and print!

After the sweets have been thoroughly enjoyed,

move the favor boxes to the center of the buffet.

Add a little note from the birthday girl

and your guests will be sure to pick up

their favors before they leave!

The Zebra Chic Collection

is currently available in The Market...

...and the Zebra Chic Party Set is on sale

for $20.00 through May 22, 2011!

{$30 Retail Value}

Piggy Bank Parties' Budget: $50.00

{10-12 guests}

Zebra Chic Party Grand Total: $46.46

includes décor, favors, sweets and beverages

{break for an Under Budget Happy Dance!}

I hope your INSPIRED by our lil' party!

I'm off to enjoy two glasses of milk with my Zebra sweets...

...one chocolate and one white, of course!

Stay tuned to Oink! for more inspiration...