Enchanting birthday party ideas for the little princess in your life

Roll out the glittered carpet and grab some bedazzled tiaras. It’s time to celebrate your favorite little princess’s birthday—and what better way to show your child the royal treatment than to throw a fantastical princess-themed birthday party?

Showering the princess of the day with mountains of pink tulle, sparkles, and ribbons is certainly one way to do it—the Disney Princess classic, you might say. But why limit your creativity? Lucky for you, we have enough princess birthday party ideas to suit any princess personality, along with the perfect princess-themed invitations and the prettiest princess party products to match at our Party Shop. 

 

The princess personality: princess party themes 101

To give the birthday princess a party as shining and splendid as they are, you’ll want to start by setting a more specific theme. Each of the following theme ideas adds a delightful twist to the classic princess theme, but don’t worry—there’s no shortage of flouncy dresses and crowns. 

Try giving your princess party a unique spin, such as:

 

— Magical princess party – For the princess who wants to weave magic under the moonlight with a princess wand and make friends with unicorns, this party theme is sure to cast a spell of delight. Set the scene with glittering party decor, twinkle lights, and of course, magic wands.

 

— Adventure princess party – Some princesses like being served tea and cookies on their throne. But others prefer the kind of royal adventure that involves bows and arrows or taming dragons. If the latter is the case, an adventure princess theme might be the right choice. 

 

— Princess and ponies party – Every princess needs a pony companion, and a princess and ponies birthday party is a perfect blend to accompany their equestrian spirit. If you have no real ponies nearby, no worries. Your young guests will still have fun racing around on hobby horses and decorating pony printouts.

 

— Pirates and princesses party – A fun spin on the classic, this sea-faring princess party theme also gives some wiggle room to party participants who aren’t so enthusiastic about glitter and ball gowns. Ahoy!

 

Of course, if the party isn’t a surprise, you can always consult the birthday princess on their preferred party theme, and for help with party planning, too. You’ll be amazed at how many princess party ideas your child can come up with—”Frozen” birthday party anyone?—and they may already have the perfect princess crossover party idea in mind.

Choosing colors: a rainbow of princess possibilities

It’s a well-known fact that most princesses love pink. But limiting your princess party’s palette to a single hue is like choosing one tiara to wear to every single ball for the rest of your reign—and why would you do a thing like that? 

For a fresh take on a princess party color scheme, try combining some equally delightful decoration colors to suit your theme and your princess’s personality, such as:

 

— Jewel-tones – For princesses whose eyes sparkle at the sight of gleaming gemstones in red, green, and royal blue, choose colors as strong and bright as themselves.

 

— Blue and silver – For a nod to ethereal ice princesses and winter queens, and for princesses who love a good day of sledding, snowman-building, and snowball fights.

 

— Green and gold – For the nature-loving forest princess who jumps puddles and climbs trees (all the better to befriend chipmunks and butterflies, of course).

 

— Pink, lavender, and silver – For the princess who’s truly a fairy at heart (and who wouldn’t mind having a pair of wings, too).

 

— Pastel pink, green, blue, and yellow – For the proper princess who loves a garden tea party, and would rather wear a crown made of daisies than diamonds.  

 

— Purple and gold – For the whimsical princess whose wand-waving imagination conjures delights and transforms frogs into princes (and vice versa).

 

“Magical Princess” by Meri Meri for Paperless Post; Image by Meri Meri.

 

Setting the royal scene: princess themed decor and supplies

Princess party theme? Check. Princess color scheme? Double-check. Your next step, of course, is to decorate your castle—ahem, birthday party locale. You’ll also need to secure some regal supplies to give every pint-sized guest a grand royal welcome. 

To help you get everything in order, we’ve divided the most important decorations into five categories:

 

— Wall and ceiling decorations – Streamers and garlands are an easy way to give your party space some real princess pizazz. Try a Princess Garland for some fairytale charm, or hang a bunch of Pastel Crepe Paper Streamers to give the party that undeniably important princess shimmer.

 

— Balloons – In addition to birthday balloons in your princess party colors, choose balloons in impactful, creative shapes—like this delightful Pink Balloon Cloud Kit or a Magical Princess Castle Mylar Balloon. 

 

— Plates, cups, cutlery, napkins – Even if your little princess hasn’t yet developed an appreciation for fine silver and crystal goblets, you can still serve up the royal birthday cake on some dynasty-worthy tableware, such as a set of matching Princess Plates and some Princess Napkins.

 

— Crowns and party hats – You can’t throw a princess party without offering up the ultimate princess accessory. We love the sparkle of these Magical Princess Party Hats or Pink Glitter Party Crowns. 

 

— Candles and cake toppers – Homemade or store-bought, that sweet princess cake will taste so much more delicious with its own glowing, on-theme crown. Try these Magical Princess Candles or a pretty princess cake topper.

 

— Party favors – Pop some princess party favors (like princess-themed temporary tattoos and Mini Magical Princess Stickers) into equally sweet Princess Party Bags to send your young guests home with a princess party souvenir they’ll never forget. 

 

Cupcake toppers by Meri Meri;  “Castle Confetti” by Mr. Boddington’s Studio for Paperless Post.

 

The royal entertainment: princess themed games and activities

After your esteemed royal guests have arrived and put on their pretty party crowns, it’s time to play some princess party games. If the idea of planning a repertoire of new princess party activities has you in distress, have no fear—you can put a princess twist on pretty much any party game or activity.

Here are a few ideas we love: 

 

— Decorate your own cupcakes – For princesses and party guests who love putting their own spin on a sweet treat, let them add a bit of flair to their own cupcakes. Make things even easier by using a Princess Cupcake Kit that already includes all the bells and whistles.

 

— Princess pose – Think of this game as the princess-ified version of musical statues. Once your guests are all dressed up in their princess attire, play some fun, on-theme music (any upbeat Disney song will do) and invite them to show their best ballroom-inspired dancing. When the music stops, they freeze and strike their best princess pose. Anyone who moves is out! Continue until only one princess remains, and congratulate the winner with a special crown.

 

— Tiara hunt – Instead of the typical treasure hunt, hide a tiara or other princess accessory at the party location. Give each party guest clues and hints along the way, inviting them to search for the special treasure. The first one to find the tiara wins.

 

— Princess dress-up relay race – A take on the Dress-Up Relay, this game requires you to first fill two boxes with a full set of princess accessories, dress and crown included. Then, divide the party guests into two teams. At the start of each race, participants must hurry to put on all the princess adornments over their regular clothes and race to the other side of the room. When they return, they must pass their princess garb to the next runner before they can begin. The first team to have every princess cross the finish line wins.

 

Food fit for a princess

Treat your princess and their loyal subjects (those would be the guests) to some royally decadent, delicious, and unique party treats. 

 

– Pretzel magic wands: Dip one half of a pretzel rod into a bowl of melted white chocolate baking chips, then sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles, colored sugar, or edible glitter. Repeat. The real magic is how far these yummy snacks will disappear off a plate!

 

– Frog cookies: What princess hasn’t kissed their fair share of frogs? To make these, coat Double Stuf Oreos into green baking melts. Add edible eyes and contrasting green sprinkles. Dip mini pretzels into the baking melts and stick to underside of cookies until dry. Ribbit!

 

– Classic princess cake: This retro dessert idea is back in a big way—and good thing, because it’s extremely easy to DIY. Start with any cake mix and bake in two 8” cake pans and a glass bowl. After baking, assemble the three pieces with frosting between the layers as you would any other cake, making sure the bowl-shaped piece is upside-down on top. Now comes the princess part: Wash and dry a princess or Barbie doll and stick it through the center of your cake, up to the waist. The cake is now her ball gown! Decorate the skirt and doll with colored icing so that it looks like a cohesive ball gown—and watch your young guests’ eyes light up with excitement. (You can also make miniature versions out of cupcakes with mini princess doll figurines.)

 

– Rapunzel’s braids: Braid strips of puff pastry and brush with jelly before baking. Or skip the sweet stuff and make a cheesy version by sprinkling with cheddar and parmesan before sticking it in the oven. So creative, so easy.

 

For snacks that don’t require assembly (or at least need very little), consider serving:

– Plates of pastel macarons 

– Red apples (in honor of Snow White)

– Peeled clementines with a short stick of celery poked into the center (to resemble Cinderella’s pumpkin)

– A bowl of Goldfish crackers (for The Little Mermaid’s sidekick, Flounder)

– Dainty finger sandwiches for tea time

 

A fantastic request: princess-themed invitation wording

These days, even real-world princesses don’t need to have their letters delivered by horse-drawn carriage or fairy godmother in disguise. But does that mean you should skip the princess magic when sending out your invitations? Absolutely not. Choosing the right princess-themed invitations helps to set the enchanting tone for the entire event.

Once you have your invites picked out to match the theme, you can also personalize the wording and include the important information—such as when and where guests should arrive and whether they, too, should plan to wear their most castle-worthy attire.

For example, a magic-themed princess party might include the following wording: 

 

Bippidy boppity boo, Princess [name] turns two!

Join us for a magical princess birthday

Sunday, March 3rd

3 o’clock in the afternoon

[Family name] Castle

[address]

We welcome you to dress up in your most magical attire 

and join us for an enchanting afternoon of cake and princess party games.

 

For a pirates and princesses party celebrating more than one birthday child, you might write:

 

Ahoy, Princess! 

Join us for a Pirate & Princess Birthday Party

For [Name] and [Name]

Saturday, March 10th

2 p.m.

[Venue + Address]

Please RSVP by March 1st

Feel free to dress like a pirate or princess.

 

Most importantly, don’t forget to get creative. Your princess’s guests will be certain to twirl with excitement when they see all the fun coming their way.

 

“Princess Parade” Flyer by Paperless Post.

 

Paperless Post: the fairy godmother of princess invitations and party supplies

However you plan to celebrate your little princess’s birthday, there’s no doubt all your party-planning efforts will create some enchanting memories both for the princess and their party guests. 

When it’s time to dress up your space for the princess event of the year—nay, the decade—don’t just wait around hoping someone will show up with a magic wand to turn your boring old napkins and paper plates into something with gold foil and glitter. Instead, head to the Paperless Post Party Shop for perfectly special princess-themed party decorations to match the invitations you love.

With Paperless Post, you can be sure all your princess’s birthday party wishes will be granted. 

 

 

Browse Princess Birthday Invitations

 

Editor’s note: Party Shop shipping is only available in the continental US.