THE INVITATION

Press a few flowers between the pages of a book. Now stick each of them on card paper and write out the invitation in elegant calligraphy. Choose a very classy font. Or if you are short of time, you could simply make a few thermocol or cardboard cut outs of a lotus, a rose, a periwinkle, etc. and write out the invitation on the backside.

Another thing that you could do is buy a bunch of roses and tie a small invitation card to each one of them and distribute these amongst your invitees. On the card you can write: 

YOU ARE 
CORDIALLY INVITED TO
CELEBRATE MY 6TH BIRTHDAY
AT A 
GARDEN PARTY 
BEING HELD 
AT:
ON:

DRESS CODE: FLORAL

SANJNA MAKHIJA
 
 

THE DECORATION

Obviously the best place to hold this party would be in a garden. All you need to do is set up small white round tables and a few cane chairs under the shade of a few trees. Or try to see if you can get a radiant huge umbrella to cover a few tables. This would look really attractive. 

But if you have to have the party indoors, do not worry. All you need to do is cover the place with flowers. You can have a canopy of flowers like they have at weddings, on a much smaller scale of course. And you can keep a few potted plants and bouquets all over the place. You can also paint a beautiful array of flowers on chart paper and stick them on the walls. At the four corners of the room, you must place huge cut outs of a rose, a periwinkle, a sunflower and an orchid, so that you can use the decorations for games as the party progresses.
 

THE ENTERTAINMENT

FOUR CORNERS: use the cut outs of the rose, sunflower, periwinkle and orchid as the four corners in the game. Start the music and ask the children to run around the four corners. When the music stops, they are allowed to choose any of the corners to take shelter under. In a box, you should have the names of all four corners written on folded chits. Pull out any one chit and disqualify all those standing in that corner. Do this each time the music stops until you have just one child left in the game. This child is then declared the winner. 

BIRDIE DANCE: Play the birdie dance and let all the children get up and move to the music. As all of them will be dressed up like flowers or will be wearing something floral, it will look a really pretty sight. Make sure that you take a lot of photographs. 

BOOGIE WOOGIE: This is the popular song that goes - 'put your right hand in put your right hand out, put your right hand in and shake it all about.' Do the Boogie - woogie, with all the hand and leg movements as it also looks really good. 

MISS PRETTY FLOWER CONTEST: ask each of the girls to parade in front of a pair of judges and preen themselves. They can come up front and say something about themselves as an introduction. Then give out the prize for the best costume and floral personality. 
 

THE RETURN GIFTS

1. Small ceramic vases - with a single rose in each.

2. A pretty bunch of plastic flowers.

3. A floral colouring book with a set of colour pens.
 

THE CAKE

You can have a pretty Black Forest cake that is decorated with red roses instead of cherries. It will look really special. Or you can also have a plain chocolate or cream cake that looks like a garden and is filled with different coloured flowers. It will look really beautiful.
As a last option you could order the cake in the shape of your favourite flower - a rose, orchid, sunflower, etc. 
 

BIRTHDAY DRESS

Your little girl could wear just about any pretty, lacy pastel frock. All you need to do is cover her hair with an array of jasmines like a tiara or a hair band. You can also make her wear floral bracelets, anklets and also a real floral necklace or garland. 

And if you are ready to put in just a little more effort, you could dress her up like a pretty yellow sunflower. For this she should wear a pair of green tights and t-shirt and paint her face brown. Then cut out some huge yellow petals made out of crepe paper or card paper and stick it around a brown coloured ring. Put this ring gently around her neck. You could actually try making an outfit for any flower you please.  
 

AGE GROUP OF CHILDREN

This party would be most enjoyed by children between the ages of 3 - 15 years. 
 

PARTY FOOD

1. Wafer thin sandwiches.
2. Flavoured popcorn and wafers.
3. Rosy Gulab jamuns
4. Sweet corn and mushroom voul-au-vents
5. Green fingers - a spinach and cottage cheese roll that is finger-shaped and deep-fried.
6. Lemonade for the children and peach iced teas for the mommies.