Scrapbook Party

Make your child's birthday a day to remember with this crafty gathering. Keep it as a simple celebration for little tots and roll-out the arts and crafts projects for older kids.

To spruce up an invitation, create a homemade frame using pinking shears or craft shears with funny edges (scallops, half circles, triangles) and place your favorite photo in the center.

For children ages 4 and under, let each make an "all about me" book with handprints, drawings, and a Polaroid photo from the party. Older kids can personalize a scrapbook using stickers, fabric, makers and other baby photos. To assemble the scrapbook, use a three-hole punch to make holes in a stack of construction paper. Weave twine through holes and tie.

"For my daughter Lauren's first birthday, I created a multiple-choice questionnaire about her first-year development -- when she started smiling, how many diapers she went through a day, etc. The highest-scoring adult won a gift certificate, and everyone enjoyed the fun." --Carol

Glue color copies of your child's photo onto the tablecloth. Add colored paper triangles at the corners to look like photo corners.

"For my daughter's first birthday, I wanted a special memento. So I took my favorite photo of Hannah, blew it up to 11x14, and attached it to the middle of a standard-size poster board. I put the board in a frame and removed the glass cover. As the guests came in, I had them write my daughter a birthday note on the poster board and sign it. Everyone loved doing this." --Krista

Give each child a single snow-globe that has a slot for a photo. Slip a Polaroid photo of the child taken during the party into the slot, and you're done.

"Every year at my daughter's birthday party, I make simple frames from poster board and let the children decorate them with stickers and markers. I then take each child's photo at the party. When I get the film developed, I put the picture in the frame that the child made and send it with the thank you note. The child remembers the party, and they have a cute party favor and picture from the event." --Dawn