Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Zebra Print Shirts

Here you will find a selection of zebra print animal shirts that you can purchase online.

Did you ever wonder what color if the black or the white part of the zebra is its real color? I did some research online, and found out that the black and white pattern is actually the zebra's fur. Underneath the fur, the skin of most zebras is black.

This first tshirt features an outline drawing of a zebra walking. The stripes and the body of the zebra are the same color. You can have some fun coloring in the stripes if you like, making your zebra any color that you like.



For a different look, choose a black or other dark colored shirt.



Here the black stripes of the zebra are already colored in.



Here, part of the zebra print is enlarged and printed on the shirt.



Did you know that no two zebra's are alike. I guess they're kind of like snowflakes, in that respect.

Are you feeling creative? Would you like to design your own zebra print shirt?
Here is an idea. Create a stencil first. Then place a sheet of cardboard between the two fabric layers. Paint in the design, with acrylic fabric paint or acrylic paint with a fabric textile medium added to it. Then carefully remove the stencil. Then you can add any outlines or touch ups. Let the paint dry, then remove the cardboard. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for heat setting the paint, if it is required.

Here is a cute zebra print design for baby. The stripes are black on white, and the bodysuit is trimmed in pink.



Cheryl Paton

Zoo Themed Birthday Party Invitations

Congratulations on planning a zoo themed birthday party! When our daughter was little, it was extra nice going to the zoo with a group of kids. They seemed to have a lot more fun. A good tip is to have the kids wearing the same color tee shirts.

Here you will find birthday party invitations that you can customize online, and also ones that you can fill in by hand.

Be sure to check with the zoo to see how they handle birthday parties. Some will even have pavilions where everyone can meet, have cake, etc. Some may allow you to bring in your own snacks, some may want you to purchase your snacks there.

It's a good idea to send out your invitations approximately two weeks before the birthday party. If you are including a trip to the zoo, be sure to include an RSVP contact, so that you can plan on transportation, tickets, etc.

This first invitation features a tiger, with the text - Meet me at the zoo. There is plenty of space on the back to customize your details with your text.


This one shows a variety of animals, including giraffes, tigers, and elephants. It has lines on the back to either replace with text, or fill in by hand after you receive them.


The above invites were designed by me. You can check out other Zoo Birthday Invitations from other designers at zazzle.com.

Cheryl Paton


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Parrot Themed Birthday Party Supplies



You have found fun options for parrot themed birthday party invitations, activities, and gift ideas.

First off are the coloring invitations. The main design on the invitaitons is a colorful outline drawing of a parrot. You can choose from two sided invites and postcards. The text on each features an area to fill in the details by hand, or the text can be typed in online, in place of the lines - using the template forms.

Kids can be asked to color in their parrot invitation and bring it to the party. They will make fun keepseeks for the birthday person, and can also be used as a drawing contest for a prize! I.e. boldest colors, most orignal look, most abstract, etc. There can be enough categories so that every child can go home with a fun prize.

An activity idea to do early on is for some painting, coloring/painting time. The parrot outline is printed on tee t-shirts. The shirts can be colored in using acrylic fabric paint markers, or painted in using bottled fabric paint and brushes. The paint markers make less mess. If you use paint brushes, then you will also need bowls of water to rinse the brushes in between changing colors, and paper towels to dab them off.

Whichever method you use, be sure to have some flat sheets of cardboard on hand to place in between the fabric layers of the shirts to prevent bleed through of the paint. It's also best to do this activity at the beginning of the party so that the artistic creations will have some drying time.



For those with younger kids and or for those who just want less mess, these simple parrot coloring sheets are the answer. There are two parrots facing each other on each sheet. There is a blended yellow and green background to help the coloring project have a more finished look. There are 40 8-1/2x11 inch pages per pad. Be sure to allow for extra sheets in case of any mishaps. : )


For some colorful decorations, these parrot windsocks will add a nice touch. There are two of each style in the package listed below. They are made of paper and measure about 10 inches long.



You or the kids, can also create hanging birds from paper plates. The video features a dove, but you can add color to the bird and streamers to make it look like a parrot. The kids can also have fun coloring the wings. It can also be a pre-cake activity.



Kids love to make noise and they'll get to do that with this parrot themed game.The Repeat Game is a fun activity to play towards the end of the party, giving the kids some cohesive interaction time and also some extra drying time for any art projects. Also be sure to have the kids wear face masks for any activity where they can't social distance.

Once the children are wearing their masks, have them sit in a row. The first child in the row will whisper a short sentence to the child sitting next to them. The next child then whispers what they heard to the child sitting next to them, and so on, all down the row. The last child will then say out loud what they heard whispered to them, to see if it is anything like what was whispered by the first child. Laughs will usually ensue. The children can then change order and repeat, if time permits. (The first child in each game can also select their sentence from a hat or plastic bowl.)


Check here for more parrot birthday supplies and gift ideas.



May you have a wonderful birthday celebration.

Cheryl Paton