Let me tell you something I’ve learned after planning a few of these themed birthday bashes: kids at birthday parties do not need a five-course gourmet meal with gold-dusted cupcakes and handcrafted juice blends. Nope. What they really want is sugar, cheese, and maybe—maybe—some fruit if you cut it into a fun shape like a wand, a star, or something that vaguely resembles a magical animal.
I kept it simple, and honestly, it was the best decision ever. We had a big tray of cheese cubes and crackers (because what kid doesn’t love finger food?), a mountain of popcorn, and PB&J sandwiches cut with cookie cutters into little hearts and crowns. I tossed together a “magic fruit wands” tray—just skewers with grapes, strawberries, and a star-shaped piece of melon at the top—and suddenly I was getting compliments like I’d just trained at Le Cordon Bleu. One of the moms even whispered, “I have to steal that idea.” Go ahead, Susan. Please do.
Credit: Glass Slipper Sandwiches For Princess Party by The Shopping Mama via Mom Trends
We had “Glass Slipper Sandwiches” (PB&J cut with a crown-shaped cookie cutter), “Pumpkin Bites” (mini orange cheese balls), “Cinderella’s Fruit Wands” (grapes and melon on skewers), and of course—“Magic Wands” (chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks with edible glitter). The kids ate it all. Even the fruit, which felt like a personal victory.
Credit: Beautiful Edible Fondant Princess Carriage with Horses Birthday Cake by HosannaSugarArt on Etsy
For the cake, I went with a simple two-layer vanilla dream—nothing too fancy, just soft, sweet, and made with lots of love (and maybe a little late-night frosting panic). I topped it off with a handful of edible silver stars and a sparkly plastic slipper I found at the craft store, because apparently I’m now the type of mom who buys tiny shoes meant for cakes.
