What Will it "BEE"? Party

Our home was "buzzing" (I just couldn't resist) over the weekend as we threw a gender revealing Bar-"Bee"-Q for a family expecting a new little one. The pictures above will give you some idea of what we did.

And the cost for all the decor, etc. (not including food and drink)? Would you "bee-lieve" (Agh - someone stop me quick!) it was probably only around $15-$30? It is amazing what necessity and a little bit of creativity will accomplish... A lot of these items could probably be easily found or recreated from things you have in your own cabinets at home!!

Starting from the top:
* Ginger Honey: actual recipe should be on http://www.evanwilliams.com/
* Dezzzssert: cupcakes and cake with marshmallow fondant bees. Marshmallow fondant - incredibly easy to make - just basically marshmallows, water, and powdered sugar! Google it or find it on Wilton's website. The bee idea with nuts for wings I believe was on Martha Stewart's website.
* Complementary Crowns: we wanted to recognize the visiting queen bees from other "hives/families" so we made sure to distinguish them by offering complementary crowns at the entrance (made with elastic and a stiff kind of felt - check in your local craft store. I think we made all of ours from just one large sheet that cost around a dollar or less maybe?).
* Beehive Silverware Dispenser: yup - you read that right - my little last minute silverware dispenser. When life hands you an empty large cereal box, you get creative with it! Just paint or paste a picture on it and cut out the bottom front. Then dump your rolled bundles of silverware inside - I wrapped mine up to look "bee-ish" in a yellow napkin tied with black pipe cleaner - the ends curled to resemble little antennae.
* Beehive Pinata: this was how the family let people know what they were having. Found the pinata idea on a forum somewhere and then found instructions for this little pinata gem here - http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://media.canadianfamily.ca/images/beehive-pinata_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.canadianfamily.ca/articles/slideshow/teddy-bears-picnic-invites-pinata/3/&h=350&w=300&sz=141&tbnid=68oU2NUf8K3boM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbeehive%2Bpinata&hl=en&usg=__ARxjf9hVGYQ3KCdvYjmvZ8mkE_I=&ei=_Om_S8SlFMGonQflrqCyCg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&ved=0CBUQ9QEwAw We filled the pinata with different shades of blue paper with the words printed on them"It's a...BOY!!" Other people might want to add candy or small prizes in the same shade of gender that is being revealed.
* Faux Blackboard: this was made using a piece of white foamboard painted black. I think the cost of the foam board was around a dollar or less at my local craft store (after a 40% off coupon).
* Drink Labels and Holders: I don't have fancy label holders but came up with what I thought was a cute and maybe even better idea as it went along with the theme. Take one jar (could be store bought or just a leftover clean jam jar) and add water with about three drops of yellow food coloring. Tie with ribbon and/or raffia around the top and you have a cute label holder that looks an awful lot like a jar of honey! Then add your labels - I made mine with craft paper (purchased when the paper went on sale) and pipe cleaners. And just so you know - we had other drinks which were non-alcoholic as well - like our non-buzzed (non-alcoholic) lemonade! :)
* Baby Picture: if there are other children in the family - why not add to the decor by asking them to draw a picture of their new sibling-to-be and framing it? This was the case here - I had the family's three year old draw a picture of what the baby would look like. Came out cute, don't you think?
* Flowers in "vases": want to know an inexpensive way to decorate a lot of areas but for very little? Wildflowers in cans - we are talking the kind of cans you probably open at dinnertime every night and then toss out without a thought to the metal treasures they are! I think these were cans of tomatoes and beans at one point. I just removed the labels, washed them out, and painted them white. Want to add a little more of a color punch - just add ribbon or craft paper or both.
* Banner: this simple banner was easily made using some craft paper (again purchased when it went on sale), computer, and craft scissors.

MORE IDEAS...
** We had a name suggestion jar for those simply "buzz-sting" at the seams to let the parents know what they thought the baby should be named.
** We had little tissue paper pom pom bees floating above the table. For directions on making these pom poms - try Martha Stewart's website. I just alternated back and yellow for a striped effect and then glued on small pipe cleaner antennae and paper wings.
** A fun idea that did not come to fruition due to time constraints - favor bags for each family with honeycomb candy (recipe here: http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodscienceprojects/a/honeycombcandy.htm) inside or a kind of trail mix bar with items set out where each family can decide what kind of mix to make and take home (suggestions for bar: honey nut cheerios, honey grahams, honey graham cereal, honeycomb candy or other type of honey candy, etc.).