Woodland Fairy Tale Birthday Party

Make this stand with paper-covered soup cans and wood rounds ($5 to $9 each). Then, accent your table with freebies from your yard: flowers, twigs, and rocks!

Red frosting and white candies transform homemade cupcakes into whimsical toadstools.

Cut out clouds from white foam ($8 for a 36" x 60" roll) and attach to an old blue bed sheet to create a playful photo booth.

No need to buy tons of costumes for the Woodland party. Girls can cut and fold paper to make these pretty flower headbands.

What you'll need

Green and red wrapping paper, brown craft paper, scissors, craft glue, tape

Make it

1. Cut a 24"x1" strip of green paper and place it horizontally on your work surface.

2. Cut six 1" squares of red paper. Fold five in half twice for smaller squares.

3. Glue the folded point of the smaller squares to the center of the remaining unfolded square of paper. When dry, fluff the smaller ones to create petals.

4. Repeat to create as many flowers as desired and glue to the headband.

5. Cut small leaf shapes from green and brown paper and glue in place on the headband; let dry completely.

6. Tape the headband together.

Boys can craft simple paper hats to wear for their big picture.

What you'll need

Green and red wrapping paper, brown craft paper, scissors, craft glue, tape

Make it

1. Paper Hat 1 Cut a 12"x14" piece of green paper and fold in half widthwise. Turn so that the fold is at top, then fold the top corners in to form a triangle.

2. Fold the paper below the triangle up on one side to make a brim.

3. Flip the hat over and repeat with the other flap, then tape the ends of the brim together to secure.

4. To make the feather, cut a 6"- and a 4"-long oval from red paper. Mount the smaller one on top of the other and secure with glue. Fringe the ends and glue to the side of the hat.

Send kids home with a single snapshot. Fashion frames ahead of time using sticks, glue, and twine.

While they're waiting to play in the photo booth, kids can decorate a charming cardboard cottage.

Originally published in the May 2011 issue of Parents magazine.