[$25 DIY PARTY] Hello Kitty Valentine's Day Party

(This entire party only cost $23.43 by the way!)

HELLO FRIEND! Today I'm going to show you exactly how to re-create
this super cute HELLO KITTY PARTY for VALENTINE'S DAY!

(I used to be obsessed with Hello Kitty stuff when I was little...and also not so little.)

The inspiration for this party came from...THE DOLLAR STORE! Yup. That's where I found a box of HELLO KITTY VALENTINES and decided I better put together a
yellow and pink valentine party for ONLY $25!
(And did I mention it's also for 8 people?!)

Here's what you need to buy:

1. 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract: $0.10 (Your Kitchen Pantry)
2. 1/2 Gallon Pink Lemonade: $1.68 (Walmart)
3. Sugar Cookie Dough: $2.58 (Walmart)
4. Pink Whopper Candy: $1.74 (Walmart)
5. 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar: $0.50 (Your Kitchen Pantry)
6. Tube Of Black Decorating Gel: $3.00 (Party City)
7. 8 Ounces Cream Cheese: $2.15 (Grocery Store)
8. Strawberry Creme Wafer Cookies: $1.00 (Dollar Store)
9. Pink Balloons: $1.50 (Target)
10. 2 Each Of 12 x 12 Pink And Yellow Card Stock: $1.00 (Joannes)
11. Hello Kitty Valentines: $1.00 (The Dollar Store)
12. Medium Sized (8 Inch) Pink Doilies: $1.00 (The Dollar Store)
13. Yellow Ribbon: $0.50 (Walmart or Joannes)
14. Large Bag M & M's: $2.68 (Walmart)
15. Marshmallow Hearts: $1.00 (The Dollar Store)
16. Lemonhead Candy: $1.00 (Walmart)
17. 9 Count Pink Heart Picks: $1.00 (The Dollar Store)
________________________________________________
TOTAL: $23.43

Here's How you put it all together:
Let's start with the super cute kitty cookies...
First, copy and paste this kitty head twice into a word document and then print it out. (You should have 2 copies: 1 to cut out the head, and 1 to cut out the bow.)

Make the sugar cookies.
1. Print and cut out the 2 kitty heads. With the first one, don't worry about cutting out the bow...pretend like it's not there.
2. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out your sugar cookie dough at least 1/4 inch thick.
3. Using a butter knife, trace 8 kitty heads. (You will have to re-roll dough a few times in between this process.)
4. On a lightly greased cookie sheet, bake the 8 kitty heads (I could only fit 6 on 1 cookie sheet), in a pre-heated 350 F degree oven for 7-10 minutes.
5. Take out the cookies as they start to turn golden-brown around the edges, but still soft in the center. Place hot cookies on a rack (or in my case a cutting board). Don't over-bake! They will harden as they cool. (Also, as you can see, they will spread out a little--this is okay! They will still look like a kitty head when you decorate them!)

Decorate the kitty cookies.

1. Add the cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar to a medium bowl.

2. Using beaters, whip until smooth and creamy.

3. When cookies are completely cool, cover each cookie with a thin layer of frosting using a butter knife.

4. Add a border around the face using the black decorating gel. (Now this is when you bring back the kitty shape.)

5. Add a lemonhead to each cookie for the nose. (Remember that the nose is pretty low on the face.)

6. Add eyes and whiskers using more black gel.

Make the bows and food labels.

1. Using the extra kitty head you printed out, cut out only the bow this time.

2. Using 1/2 of one of the pink card stock sheets, trace around the bow 8 times using a red marker. (And then add the other bow details that you aren't able to "trace".)

3. Fold the side of paper you didn't use in half and save for the food cards.

4. Cut out the bows, staying on the outside of the marker line, so you can see the red outline after it's cut out.

5. With the remaining half of the 12 x 12 pink card stock, fold it in half and then cut out 6 cards. (These cards are a little different, because they are vertical when they stand up.)

6. Using your red marker again, and the pink heart stickers that came with the Hello Kitty Valentine box, write all the names of the food using your cutest kitty hand-writing. (Write: pink lemonade, marshmallow hearts, strawberry creme wafers, milk chocolate m & m's, strawberry milkshake whoppers, sugar cookies.)

Tape up balloons.

1. Blow up 5 pink balloons

2. Cut 5 pieces of yellow ribbon. (Each about 6 inches long.)

3. Tie a ribbon around each balloon.

4. Tape the balloons in a row a few feet above your table. Start with the center balloon, and then add 2 balloons on each side, to make sure they are even and centered. (Oh yeah, and don't use blue tape like I did!)

Add the hearts.

1. Cut out a large heart with the extra pink cardstock. Then cut out 2 smaller hearts with the 2 sheets of yellow card stock.

2. Add tape.

3. First tape the pink heart in the center directly under the middle balloon, then add the yellow hearts on either sides.

Make the garland.

1. Tear apart the valentines.

2. Punch a hole in each top corner of the valentines.

3. Lay out valentines in a row covering the length of your table, and measure the yellow ribbon slightly longer than this length.

4. String the ribbon in-and-out of each valentine.

5. Hang the garland on the front of the table.

6. Tape the ribbon to the sides of your table so you don't see the tape.

 Add a doily to 4 small (cereal/soup) bowls.

Set 8 glasses on top of 2 doilies on one side of the table.

Add another doily in between each plate (8 small salad plates).

Add the bows to the kitties (don't they look so cute!) and set them on a platter or cake pedestal in the center of the table.

Add the marshmallows and M & M's to the bowls and then add a food label.

Place the wafer cookies and whoppers in bowls along with their food labels.

Add the lemonade and a heart pick into each glass and there you have it! Isn't it just so cute!?