Cinderella BeFOUR the Royal Ball: Rags to Riches Party

My daughter wanted to have a Cinderella theme for her 4th birthday party. Of course she wanted to be a pretty princess, but I wanted to incorporate the rags version. So I decided to give her a Rags to Riches party, hence the name Cinderella BeFOUR the Royal Ball.

INVITATIONS: I purchased the invitations from Etsy.com. I used my own wording and the seller customized the colors to my liking. The invitation had my wording on the left, Cinderella dressed in rags in the center, and a picture of my daughter dressed in a rag costume dress, scrubbing the floor on the right. The invitation read Come one, coma all! You’re invited to a Birthday Ball. But beFOUR you attend, all chores must be finished! The Horse and Carriage will then chaperon all servants to the noble throne. Honoring your Royal Highness Princess Ka’Miyah Help celebrate her reign of 4 years! It will be so wondrous and dear. The back of the invitation had the party information. The invitations were mailed in brown envelopes with Cinderella address labels and stamps on the front.

ATTIRE: A friend of mine was starting her photography business and wanted to add to her portfolio. I figured this would be a great opportunity to give her exposure with kids photography. So, me being who I am had to find a castle for my daughter to take her pictures. Guess what?!?! I found a castle in the area that hosts weddings. The women thought the idea was cute and we were able to do the photo shoot in the castle.

I purchased the Rag Dress from Little Dress Up Shop online. She wore a cute pair of brown flat shoes with little rhinestones on top. Her hair was braided in a bun and she wore the hairpiece just like Cinderella. When she transformed into the princess, she wore a Cinderella costume dress with white glovettes and a black choker, accessorized with a Cinderella tiara, slippers, earrings and ring. She wore her white capelet as we were leaving the castle. She also had her Cinderella wand. At the party, she wore a white tank top with a Royal blue carriage on front, her name underneath, and the number 4 inside the carriage. She had white leggings under her Royal blue tutu with matching Royal blue ruffle Cinderella socks and silver Cinderella tennis shoes. She had her Royal blue, white, and silver headband and a Royal blue boa to complete her attire.

Her little sister wore a cute Cinderella dress and had a matching apron to wear later. I wore a Cinderella t-shirt and my apron consisted of Cinderella and the Prince. After the party, daddy wore his military uniform and the birthday girl wore her Cinderella costume dress so she could take a picture with her Prince Charming.

DECORATIONS: The front door was decorated with a plastic Cinderella door cover. The Cinderella backdrop was taped to our living room wall and we assembled a cardboard princess castle and placed it in front of the backdrop for photos. I placed a Princess Banner above the fireplace and next to that were Cinderella balloons and the Clock Strikes 12 prop. On the side of the photo area was a table with tiaras, boas, wands, and tutus. The birthday girl chair was decorated with a princess chair cover that matched the party theme.

We placed a WASHING sign on our lights and had the Anastasia doll standing in front of a basket with aprons and dusters. Drizella doll was placed in the kitchen, standing on top of the scrubber next to a toy ironing board, mop and broom. I brought my jewelry stand downstairs and had a gold Candelabra on top with Lady Tremaine and Lucifer sitting on the side. I placed a rustic lock and key on the jewelry stand to symbolize Cinderella getting locked in her room.

Next to that was the Mending Station. I had a Happy Birthday banner in front of this station. A stand with Cinderella’s pink dress was displayed with pink ribbon, the mice, bubblegum Tape, blue mini clothespins, and a toy sewing machine. Downstairs in the hallway area I brought down my daughter’s Cinderella vanity set and made it the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo-tique.

Near the patio door was a sign with Mike the Knight that read: KNIGHT’S NEEDED!!! Enter All Ye Brave Knights! The Kingdom of Cinderella Needs Adventure Seekers. Head To The Castle To Begin Thee Quest.

FOOD: I used a pumpkin cookie cutter and made Peanut Butter Sandwiches. I also used a crown cookie cutter and made Royal”tea” ham sandwiches. We had SOAP crackers that were written in edible marker; rock candy as magic wands. There were Halo oranges to represent carriages and cheese balls that belonged to Jaq and Gus. I placed blue shimmer gumballs (Drizella’s beads) in small glass slippers. I had “clock strikes 12” and “glass slipper” sugar cookies. I drew a picture of how I wanted my daughter’s cake and the bakery did a fantastic job. It was a simple round cake shaped like a castle with double doors on the front and flowers looping from the top. I used my daughter’s Barbie Cinderella horse and carriage to put on top of the cake.

GAME: The game I had planned was Pin the Slipper on Cinderella. The first place winner received a Cinderella placemat, Cinderella plastic cup; Cinderella coin purse; Cinderella tote bag; Cinderella headband; Cinderella coloring book; and a Cinderella hardback book. The child in second place was rewarded with a Cinderella placemat, Cinderella plastic cup; Cinderella tote bag; Cinderella notebook; Cinderella slap watch, and a Cinderella hardback book.

ACTIVITIES: When the guests arrived, they were greeted with a list of chores above the basket full of aprons. The list was the duties of Servants Chores: 1. Put on your aprons. 2. Wash Anastasia and Drizella’s dirty laundry. 3. Iron stepsister’s clothing. 4. Cook Lady Tremaine’s breakfast. 5. Feed Lucifer, the cat. 6. Dust the furniture and mop/sweep the floors. 7.Go to the Mending Station and sew your dress. 8. Go to the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo-tique. 9. Enjoy yourself at the Birthday Royal Ball with Cinderella.

Each girl had an apron in the basket and boys had a Mike the Knight t-shirt with their names on the front. While the girls were tidying up their chores, the boys were sword fighting outside in the backyard with a red and blue cardboard castle propped against the fence. After all the excitement, Cinderella came to entertain the guests. She first gave the birthday princess two special gifts, then she had everyone decorate tiaras and crowns. After that activity was completed, Cinderella gave the girls a make over at the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo-tique. As each girl came upstairs fully made over, I had them to take off their apron and put on their tutu, tiara, boa and grab a wand that was placed on the enchanted table. I took their pictures individually by the castle. When the girls were all done, everyone gathered upstairs so Cinderella could tell her side of the story. She sang, danced, signed autogrpahs and took individual pictures with each guest.

PARTY FAVORS: Each princess had a Cinderella purse favor with a princess cup, princess edible bracelet, Cinderella necklace, blowout, mirror, ring, tattoo, pencil, mini wand, bubbles, crayons, notepad, wristband, kaleidoscopes, princess card, and a certificate I made from my computer. The knights received medieval tote bags, tattoos, placemats and stampers, bendable knights, Mike the Knight straws, sword/shield, and certificates that I downloaded from Nick Jr. website.

The first girl guest received a Cinderella placemat, Cinderella plastic cup; Cinderella tote bag; Cinderella notebook; and a Cinderella hardback book. The first boy guest received a bow and arrow with knife; a Medieval cup; and a Mike the Knight paperback book.

THANK YOU CARDS: I ordered my Thank You cards from eBay. The top of the card was a picture of my daughter in the carriage from the party and the Fairy godmother on the side, transforming her into a princess. The wording was at the bottom and I included a picture that each guest took with Cinderella.

• What People Ate

  I used a pumpkin cookie cutter and made Peanut Butter Sandwiches. I also used a crown cookie cutter and made Royal”tea” ham sandwiches. We had SOAP crackers that were written in edible marker; rock candy as magic wands. There were Halo oranges to represent carriages and cheese balls that belonged to Jaq and Gus. I placed blue shimmer gumballs (Drizella’s beads) in small glass slippers. I had “clock strikes 12” and “glass slipper” sugar cookies. I drew a picture of how I wanted my daughter’s cake and the bakery did a fantastic job. It was a simple round cake shaped like a castle with double doors on the front and flowers looping from the top. I used my daughter’s Barbie Cinderella horse and carriage to put on top of the cake.

• What People Drank

  Pink Lemonade

• Party Favors

  Each princess had a Cinderella purse favor with a princess cup, princess edible bracelet, Cinderella necklace, blowout, mirror, ring, tattoo, pencil, mini wand, bubbles, crayons, notepad, wristband, kaleidoscopes, princess card, and a certificate I made from my computer. The knights received medieval tote bags, tattoos, placemats and stampers, bendable knights, Mike the Knight straws, sword/shield, and certificates that I downloaded from Nick Jr. website. The first girl guest received a Cinderella placemat, Cinderella plastic cup; Cinderella tote bag; Cinderella notebook; and a Cinderella hardback book. The first boy guest received a bow and arrow with knife; a Medieval cup; and a Mike the Knight paperback book.

• Activities / Games

  When the girl guests arrived, they had to put on their aprons and read what chores that had to be done. The boys put on their t-shirts and prepared for sword fighting. Cinderella came and did an activity with the princesses and knights then told her life’s story. After that, she sang and danced with the children and gave the girls makeovers. The game the children played was Pin the Glass Slipper on Cinderella.