Lindsey and Reese's Birthday!

Can't believe it but Reese is turning 1 and Lindsey is turning 4!

Since their birthdays are 2 days apart we are doing the girls birthday party together.  Lindsey has been in love with VeggieTales over last year and through that Reese loves them too!  I will post a video of her watching the theme song soon!  So because they both love Veggies (as Lindsey calls them) we decided a Veggie Tales Birthday Party would be a sure hit!

I searched online and found some great ideas.  Here are a few that I borrowed (do we call it that??) and some I created on my own!!

Here is my rendition of an invitation I found, Lindsey loves to walk around the house singing "their" song and I have heard that some of the friends who were invited have their parents sing it to them too....

 Last year Lindsey wanted to have a Minnie birthday, and I made her a pinata to go with the theme.  Now every time we go to a birthday party Lindsey expects a Pinata.  She always says the parties not over, we didn't hit the Pinata. So with this birthday party I had to make a Pinata!  To go with the VeggieTales theme I created a Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber Pinata.
Lindsey wanted to help with every part of the process but unfortunately there isn't really much she could do but hand me different pieces.  Here are the steps I took in order to create the Pinata.

Here are the items you will need.

 Picture of Bob and Larry (searched VeggieTales coloring pictures)

Cardboard Box

Red and Green Crepe Paper

Tape

Glue

Red and Green tissue paper (raid your Christmas wrapping paper box)

Here is the first part - the picture I used, then I took and enlarged it 200% to make it big enough to have a Pinata that was able to be filled.

 Next I laid the picture on top of the cardboard box and cut out two sides (the front and back)

After I finished tracing I cut Bob and Larry apart and traced the side of Bob where they over lap. This will come in handy when you start covering the pieces with crepe paper.
 Next cut the flaps from the top and bottom of the box (or use pieces from other boxes) into even strips.  This will create the width of your pinata, so make them as wide as you want to have to fill for your pinata. I rolled them around bending them back and forth to help make it pliable to go around the edges of the cardboard.  I attached the pieces together using both clear packing tape and duct tape; our tape decided not to stick.  I would recommend using clear tape but use what you have around the house :)  As you can see I didn't tape all of it because the more you tape the harder it is to break it.  Also leave a space at the top so that you can fill the pinata with treats.

You then need to do the other side the same way. Remembering again to leave a gap at the top of Larry's so that you can fill it with candy and treats.

Now the fun begins.  Start adding your crepe paper!!

First step is to put glue around the edge on the top and side.  Cover them with your red and green crepe paper (stopping where Bob and Larry meet).

Do this to both sides. 

 After finishing both side you will have a strip to fill in down the middle.  Using the crepe paper again make a ruffle down the middle.

I am going to go over mine again because I don't like the fact that you can still see the cardboard on the sides.  It will depend on how wide this part is on if you will need to make 3 or 4 strips.  I should have down 4 over lapping the side covers.  If I make a VeggieTales pinata again I might make this part not as wide.

Now you need to cover both Larry and Bob with tissue paper (this allows for the cardboard to be completely covered).

After covering the front and back with tissue paper you start going around in circles with the red and green crepe paper.  I started with the green at the bottom where Bob and Larry come together.  Going around from the bottom to the top and back down.  Continuing around in a circle motion, scrunching the crepe paper as I went. You also want to overlap the  different layers as you go to try to hide as much of the cardboard as you can.

When the green was finished I moved onto Bob (with the red paper).  It was much easier because he is much rounder then Larry. I continue to start at the bottom and go around in a spiral motion gathering or scrunching the crepe paper to make it fluffy looking.

This gets repeated on both sides, I did the back side first because you will need to be able to lay it down and I wanted to front to look it's best!

Now to make it look like Bob and Larry or as Lindsey kept telling me "they need faces!!!!!!"  I took the picture and copied just the eyes, nose, mouths (of both Bob and Larry) and Bob's tomato top onto card stock so they would be stiff.
This was a part Lindsey got to really help with - she was able to color the two noses, and LOVED it!!  I then finished coloring the edges of the nose and around their eyes.  Then cut them out and glued them onto the finished pinata!

Standing up

                     

Laying Down

 I am SOOO excited with how well it turned out!!!  I need to do a few cosmetic changes before the party on Saturday but I am OVERJOYED about how it turned out!!













I will post some picture of the kids enjoying the Pinata at the party after Saturday!!  I will also add some more items to this page as I finish the party details!