the Creative Orchard: October 2013

Argh mateys! The inspiration for this Pirate Masquerade Parrr-ty evolved after discovering some elaborate pirate masks online. Once I saw the masks and later found a damask curtain with chandeliers, all of my ideas started to come together. I wanted to attempt something out of my comfort zone by mix n' matching a bunch of different styles such as elegant, gothic, eclectic, dramatic, spooky and glamour! Styling the party was affordable because I reused decor from various rooms in my home. The skulls and skeletons were from my Halloween stash that I collected last year when they went on clearance. To make them look more glamorous, I sprayed them with a glue adhesive, then sprinkled with glitter. The sophisticated color scheme consisted of black, white, silver, gold and ruby red. As the adult guests entered, they were introduced to a table of decorate your own mask supplies and pirate accessories. A separate pirate dress-up station was available for the kiddos that included eye patches, bandanas, inflatable swords, beach balls, temporary tattoos and vests made from thrift clothing. Beware: if you are late to this parrr-ty, prepare to walk the plank across shark infested waters! Captain Skeleton awaited their arrival and offered loot bags embellished with rhinestone skulls. A sea of pirate treasure covered the dessert table. The edible treasure consisted of shipwrecked cupcakes, chocolate crocodile coins, chests full of compass treats and pirate pops, canon cake balls, bloody jello, gold candies, skeleton cookies and golden caramel popcorn. This costume party theme could easily be utilized all year long to celebrate Halloween, New Years Eve, Mardi Gras, Birthdays, Girls Night, Homecoming, Prom or maybe even a daring non-traditional Wedding. In fact, I recently photographed a wedding with very similar decor!

Pirate Masquerade Parrr-ty Collection printables will SOON be available in the Creative Orchard Shop.