My youngest Badoo turned seven on Saturday, which surely makes me the oldest mother on the interwebs. Like any year in a Badoo’s life, we didn’t let the passing of the six onto the seven go unnoticed. She wanted a hip hop party and we decided to make it glow as bright and shiny as a Badoo. Which is very bright and shiny indeed.
So, let me tell you, a glow party is dead easy to put together and my only suggestion is to not hold it during VIVID Sydney because, you know, competition. I had a kid come up to me (because at any party I’ve ever put on, there is always, always that kid) and say, “is this all the lights we’re getting?” like I was going to crack open a full house projection screen complete with jellyfish and strobes. Darn that kid.
What we did have was lots and lots of coloured lights in every single room, disco balls, glow sticks, glowing balloons and a black light that lit the fluoro painted and primped kids up like the Sydney Opera House in June. It looked amazeballs (despite what that kid thought).
To make balloons glow, you can throw in heaps of cracked glow sticks, buy little LED balls to drop into them or you can hack a set of LED fingers and put those inside. We used all three techniques and the LED fingers gave the best effect (I bought mine for $2.50 a packet from Spotlight).
To make the cool balloon sticks we simply tied balloons to our citronella lamps (minus the citronella pots) and then stuck them in the garden up the driveway. So easy and so effective at creating an entrance!
To make glow jars, put a shiny piece of tulle or organza inside a large jar. Don rubber gloves and cut the end off a glow stick and shake the contents inside the jar (pick out the glass tube if it falls into the jar). Repeat with a few more glow sticks then put the lid on the jar and shake, shake, shake.
We painted the kids faces with ‘dance warrior’ stripes using fluro ‘glow in the dark’ paint. The paint doesn’t really glow in the dark, but if you hire a black light like I did, you can probably see the glow from the moon. We added a pair of light-up glasses and a glow-stick necklace and the kids looked the biz!
The black lights were $40 to hire from DJ Warehouse – a place where dreams are made. I spent Saturday morning playing pool with a bunch of hungover hipster types who were waiting to load up their black vans with the kit they needed for the many long weekend dance gigs that seemed to be happening all over town.
“What you got on?” a big burly DJ type asked from underneath his Descend snapback cap. All eyes turned my way.
“Yeah, my daughter’s Let’s Glow Crazy 7th birthday party,” I answered confidently. I would have felt well out of my depth if I hadn’t just smashed him in the last three games of pool.
“Yeah, that’s cool, lucky kid,” they all agreed. I’m telling you, despite my mother believing that I wasted all my years at uni, being good at pool opens doors, people.
Back at party central, Zia Lucia (Best Aunty Zia in the whole world™) had gone nuts with the fluro food colouring. I’d like to tell you it was all preservative and additive free, but we all know that would be a big lie. Sometimes you’ve just gotta party and be damned with the health thing. Surely?
Look at the cake… inside it’s fluro marbling with a lollie explosion. The kids went crazy for it! The inside was marble on top with lollies spilling out and the bottom layer was a luscious thick mud cake. OMG. The black icing looked incredible, but I think the kids were scared it was licorice so no one ate it. Which is probably a good thing.
For entertainment I didn’t have to do much at all. The kids were already excited beyond belief because it’s dark and I’m out with my friends and it’s dark and I’m glowing and it’s dark and ooh look at my fingernails and my bedtime was an hour and a half an hour ago and I’m tanked up on fluro icing.
Badoo’s hip hop dance instructor “Miss Jen” came over to give the kids a hip hop lesson. “Miss Jen” conjures up an image of a neat little ballet-miss type, but our Miss Jen has more swag than Derulo wiggling it and when she starts pulling out some moves you just want to be her. This is the kids in the half hour before Miss Jen arrived:
And this is the kids while Miss Jen was in the house:
Swag commands respect, no doubt about it!
We sent the kidlets home with all the glow sticks they could carry plus a bag of sweets that was also glowing (I snuck a cracked glow necklace into the white bags I made and they lit up beautifully). I made the bags a good size and sewed a fluro yellow heart or circle on the outside. I’m hoping the kids will use them for something special because I’m not a sewer and it took me that long to sew the darn things… the things we do.
So the glow party glowed and the Badoo glowed along with it. She’s a darling, our little hip hop miss. I hope she always keeps her remarkable combination of sass combined with sweetness. She’s like hot chilli sweet syrup our Badoo.
Do you get really excited when you’re at a party too?
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Gael - The Vinyl Edition says
Jeez, talk about attention to detail, Bron.
Mother of the Year vote from me, that’s for sure!
I remember one time i had my kids all primed to make cupcakes with fleuro icing, but didn’t read the pinterest instructions properly and realised half way in the we needed a black light. Much disappointment.
Mardi says
Such a simple yet cool birthday party! I loved your description about you didn’t need to do much ’cause yeh I am with my friends and it’s dark…! Another great party!
Vicki @ Boiled Eggs & Soldiers says
Fabulous – you have outdone yourself lady what a great party! Might need to steal some of those ideas – looks like they (and you) had so much fun. How amazing was that cake? I love all your glowing efforts. x
Simone @greatfun4kids says
Oh my gosh this is AMZING!!!! So much fun, what an awesome awesome party AS USUAL but, wow. the fun!!
Simone @greatfun4kids says
You know I meant AMAZING not AMZING!
Jodie Ansted says
That is SO awesome! And yeah – there’s ALWAYS that kid, right?! Well done, Party Queen. 🙂 xox
Karin @ Calm to Conniption says
Wow!! That is the coolest party ever. Massive awesome Mum points right there!
Vanessa says
This so awesome! Love what you’ve done here. Looks like a really fun night. x
Erika @ Ever-changing Life of a Mum says
I totally love this idea and am so stealing your idea for one of my girls’ future birthday parties! 🙂
Amy @ HandbagMafia says
Brilliant job Bron- looks amazing!
Jenni says
Now you’ve set a high standard for all her other parties!
Lucky girl!
JodiGibson (@JFGibsonWriter) says
How awesome! Happy Birthday to your Badoo! And I only just realised after all these years Badoo and My Miss E share an exact birthday! She turned 7 on Saturday too. We had a more modest pink and white theme and only a couple over for a sleepover, but had a, sleepless, but fun time!
Emily says
Gee whiz. I find your party posts 10% inspirational and 90% mortifying. I’m impressed. So impressed. x
Zoe Meunier says
How utterly fabulous! Happy birthday to Badoo! And big fat raspberry to ‘that kid’.
Frog Goose & Bear says
Amaaazing! They’ll be talking about that party for the rest of the year! Wonderful as always. How cool is fluoro icing!?
Kylie Purtell - A Study in Contradictions says
The coolest! Coolest!
Lisa@RandomActsOfZen says
You are the party master, chick x
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile says
Haha there’s always ‘one’ of those kids! This looks amazing. You’ve totally won mother of the year… and you are SO not the oldest mum on the internet lol. But you could go for the title of the coolest! Such a fab idea for a party!
dear olive says
I’m speechless. That is crazy good! (Although, admittedly, the glow in the dark food is scaring me a little??) You’re amazing! xxxx
Bele @ BlahBlah says
Wow, seriously wow. I want it all. I’m definitely going to do the balloon trick for all night time parties – genius. I really wish i was good at pool, sadly I played lots and I’m still tres ordinaire x
Charlene says
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!! I am too scared to show my 10 year old because she has been talking about wanting a Glow in the Dark Party for a while now -and if i show her this, she will DEFINITELY want it! And I don’t think I can pull it off as GREAT as you have! WOW Bron – Lottie is a very lucky girl to have such an amazing, clever mummy!!! What a fantastic party!! Decorations, food, everything!! I am totally blown away by all the creativity! ooh and I LOVE LOVE LOVE you #inthepicture – YAYE!!
***5 minutes later….i showed her and her jaw dropped to the floor! She reeeeeally wants a Glow Party!!So I am pinning for inspiration!!! Thanks Bron 🙂
Haidee@Maybe Baby Brothers says
Oh man, how awesome are you! I want to go to that party! That is so cool! There are lots of exclamation marks cos they are well deserved. I want to be that cool mum but alas, I don’t think I could quite pull that off in our little house!
Hugzilla says
Seriously, I actually want this for my birthday. No word of lie.
Mother Down Under says
You have done it again!
I might pin this and try to recreate it for my own birthday!
And happy birthday to Badoo!
Vicki @ Knocked Up and Abroad says
OMG! I can barely contain my excitement just onlooking through a screen! How wickedly awesome is that??? Well done Bron. You never cease to amaze me with your party skills. I know a few upcoming 30 year olds who would love this theme!
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages says
This is awesome! Do you think if I go in to my daughters room at night and chant quietly ‘I want a glow party’ she might ask for one?!
EssentiallyJess says
What an awesome party! My kids would love this. We are in the middle of birthday season here at the moment, and it’s lots of fun.
Nicole@ The Builders Wife says
What a brilliant idea for a party!! Love it!!
Tash @ Gift Grapevine says
Lucky girl indeed! This party looked amazing Bron and I plan on stealing all of these brilliant ideas for one of Miss T’s future parties 🙂 I love the attention to detail. Would you believe I still have the swag bag my friend’s Mum sewed for his 5th birthday party? She sewed each kids’ initials on our bags. Was a perfect bag for marbles at school. I think it is currently holding one of my Dad’s fishing reels!
Denyse says
Don’t pick the weekend of Vivid for a glow party….love it! YOU rock parties dear Bron. I recall first reading your blog, way back when you were working out of home full time and you were PARTY planner and giver extraordinaire. This party is cooler than cool. WHAT a great event to celebrate 7! D xx
Bronnie - Maid In Australia says
Wow – you have the best parties ever. Great ideas that even I can try.
Jo @ You had us at hello says
Best party ever!!! Can I hire your expertise for my birthday later this year? Coolest mum ever! What a gorgeous memory for your daughter and her friends xx
Shannon@ my2morrows says
Wow wow wow! Bron this is incredible. The effort you went to, including sewing the hearts on the bags is super impressive. Love the idea of a hip hop lesson as the party entertainment too! And that cake! Omg!
So good to see you getting in the picture too! Xx
Julie @ Off to the park says
You are one cool Mumma Bron! What an awesome party, Badoo is such a lucky girl. I love the photo of her blowing out the candles! xx
Nicole - Champagne and Chips says
Gosh I love your party posts. This was a superb effort.
Theresa says
Thank you for the invitation printable. How did you make the cupcakes glow? I’m throwing my son a glow party for his 18th birthday and I want to make the cupcake for the party. Thanks!!
Maxabella says
Tonic water glows in the dark! You don’t need to add very much (as it is very bitter) to make icing glow under black light.
Joanna Anderson says
This is an amazing blog! Loved the glow party ideas. My daughter is also turning 7 and we are doing a glow party for her. I doubt ours will turn out half as amazing as yours, though! Great great job.
Kristy Parker says
Hi there, I love your glow party ideas! I tried to use the link for the invitation download and it doesn’t seem to work. Would you happen to have that still available? In a major pinch.
Thanks so much.
Kristy Parker
Maxabella says
Only just saw this, Kristy. Sorry the. Link was broken. The printable Glow Party invites are here:
http://maxabellaloves.com.au/2015/06/free-printable-lets-glow-crazy-party-invites.html
Bron
Maria says
Love oyur ideas and so thankful that you share. Have been trying to download free printable invitation but no luck. Can you please help
Casey says
Hello! This neon/glow party is amazing and you did awesome! Ok so I’m planning my first born daughters 13th birthday! Big deal, for her but mostly me….tear. Mind you, it’s not until October but I know I have lots to do and I want to make sure I have everything plus more! I’ve done tons of research, I’m talking a lot. Only problem is the black lights. Just wondering how many you had in the party area? I will have the party in our 2 car garage, it’s huge and plenty of space. I’m just not sure how many I will need. I will be doing many tests to see how it looks but just not sure. Any advise on that?
Maxabella says
You are so good to be planning ahead so well. I tend to leave everything until the week before and then almost kill myself with the madness!!
We had two black lights at either side of the party table. They lit up our entire lounge room (large). I’d go a third light at the back of the garage, shining back towards the main two. That will look amazing. Enjoy the preps!!