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"Fantastic Voyage", "Nautical Nonsense", "Cruising on the S.S. Party" or "Anchors Away...for a boat rockin' party"

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Nautical Party Ideas

The key to pulling off a coordinated event: Evoke your theme throughout the affair. Whether that theme is as general as a season or a feeling, or as specific as a special flower, it should be the subtle thread that ties everything together. Your location, invitations, flowers, menu, cake, and favors should all cleverly reflect one common concept. Then, get as creative as you can! 

After selecting a Nautical theme for your party, choose a slogan to use in your invitations, and to use in tying in decorations and personalized favors for your sea-faring Nautical theme. Find the perfect slogan for your party by trying one of the following, or by thinking of one that suits you. 

"Anchors Away...for a boat rockin' party! 
"Ahoy Maties...It's time to party!" 
"Ship's Ahoy Sailmates...We'll be cruising on the S.S. Party!" 
"Join us for some Nautical Nonsense to celebrate Jon's 40th birthday!" 

Colors: Navy, Red & White

Nautical Invitations for all occasions

Our Carlson Craft site offers the following Nautical & Beach themed invitations

Sail Away - This invitation is complete with sand and bright, colorful artwork. Perfect for a Nautical party, beach party, cruise, or even a luau!

Parties Invitation! You choose the ink color and the design. This bright white card gives you the flexibility to choose any design for your party theme! A Nautical design #246 is available with a ship, anchor & captain's wheel around the border. There is also a border with ships for a retirement party and beach & tropical borders.

Waves of Fun - Start your party off with a summer fun invitation. Featuring flip-flops and ocean waves, this translucent invitation will be a hit.

Seashell - Family and friends will look forward to a walk on the beach, a pool party or an invitation to your destination wedding when they see this invitation arrive

Island Adventure - This fun invitation ensemble is all about the beach!  Great for summer fun, this sandal-shaped invitation is accented with tropical flora and stripes.

Show and Tell - A bright white pop-up adirondack chair displays your invitation wording. Less routine and more celebration will be the consensus when this invitation arrives! 

Silver Embossed Seashell Seal - Solid silver seals are embossed with a seashell. 
Gold Embossed Seashell Seal - Solid gold seals are embossed with a seashell. 

Nautical & Beach Accessories perfect for Weddings, Anniversaries and other Upscale Events.

Shell Cards Personalized - Personalize these gift cards with your name or names in your choice of ink color. Holes are pre-punched for attaching with ribbon. Ribbon is sold separately.

Bring a bit of the beach to your table settings when you use these Seashell Place Cards.

An alternative to the unity candle! Decanter Set - Simply fill the two, 7 3/4" tall decanters with craft sand (sold separately) in single colors that represent the bride and groom. During the ceremony, the bride and groom pour sand from their decanters into the larger, 10 3/4" tall decanter. The decanters will be engraved with one initial each to display your married monogram.   Craft Sand - Containers of craft sand are available in the six bright colors. 22 ounces per container.

All You Need Is Love Beach Towel - Generously-sized beach towel. 

Silver Embossed Seashell Seal - Solid silver seals are embossed with a seashell. 
Gold Embossed Seashell Seal - Solid gold seals are embossed with a seashell

Nautical Decorating Ideas

Table Decorations:

At some point during the planning stages of your event the subject of linens will arise. When it does stop and think of all the possibilities available to you before you go with standard issue polyester tablecloths. Remember the tops of the tables provide you with a very large surface area and covering them with a beautiful tablecloth is the easiest way to change the feel of a room.. It is also the most cost effective way to decorate. Ten tables covered with a nautical theme linen print for example will make a statement that no solid colored tablecloth can make. Need to rent linens in Cypress, TX visit our sister site at: rentpartylinens.com

Guide guests to their tables by using a gold Ship's Lantern as a centerpiece or add a nautical flair with a Sailboat Centerpiece. Or carry through your nautical theme on your tables with this lovely Deep Sea Centerpiece (gossamer and festooning simulate the ocean floor).

Bring a bit of the beach to your table settings when you use these Seashell Place Cards.

Shell Cards Personalized - Personalize these gift cards with your name or names in your choice of ink color. Holes are pre-punched for attaching with ribbon. Ribbon is sold separately.

Add these little Mini Sea Creatures to your tables and centerpieces to carry through your seaside theme. Then hand them out to your guests as fun favors! Attach them to your napkins to create fun napkin rings.

Room Decorations:

Games & Activities:

Of course you will want to play some appropriate cruisin' kind of music - the kind that hopefully will inspire some dancin' on the upper deck! We suggest playing Caribbean type music, or maybe a little Jimmy Buffet for starters! Don't forget about the theme song to the infamous Love Boat for a cute and unusual twist!

Here are a couple of games that work great with this theme and help your guests mingle together throughout the entire evening!

• Get a list of the different nautical symbols. Spell words with the symbols, and have people figure out what the words are. Give out prizes to the person who gets the most right.
• You could also play "To Speak, or Not to Speak". Give each player a bag or goodie box with 10 small treasures in it (candy, chocolates, little favors). Have bags labeled with players' names, so they don't get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending-this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the forbidden words or phrases:
  
  NAUTICAL, BOAT, OCEAN, WAVES, BEACH, YACHT
  
  To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a treasure from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of goodies at the end of the game is the winner. Lots of fun!

These ideas are great for the little mates you may have on board.

Take a Trip

If time permits, take your guests on a trip to your local maritime museum! Many museums offer tours and programs especially for children. If you are in Houston, Tx. visit the Texas Seaport Museum, or  Houston Maritime Museum.

"Captain Says" - A game of "simon says" with a nautical twist.

The birthday child begins as the Octopus in the middle of a large playing area. All other players are Fish who must try to run past the Octopus to the other side of the playing area. If a Fish is tagged, he or she holds hands with the Octopus and become a tentacle to help tag more fish. The last Fish alive, wins!

This game is based on the traditional “Duck, Duck, Goose” game, but instead of a goose chasing a duck, a shark chases a fish. Start with all your little fishes seated in a circle. Designate a leader to walk around the circle, tapping guests on the head and calling each person a fish. After several guests have been tapped, the leader chooses one guest and yells out “Shark” when tapping him or her on the head. The Shark chases the leader and tries to tag her as she races around the circle and back to the Shark’s spot. If the leader is caught, then she remains the leader another round. If the leader escapes the Shark, the Shark becomes the new leader. Repeat the game until every guest has a chance to be the leader.

Make a fish-shaped name tag for each guest using thick, colorful paper. Decorate with markers and attach a paper clip to the mouth of each fish. Place all the fish in an empty kiddie pool or decorated box. As each guest arrives, hand him or her a fishing pole (sturdy stick with a yarn “line” and a magnet “hook”). When a fish is “caught,” write the child’s name on it or give them the name of their favorite sea creature.

FOOD IDEAS   

• Angel hair pasta with shrimp and basil 
• Seafood stirfry 
• Shrimp cocktail 
• Flounder with crabmeat stuffing
•  Another adult friendly dish would be a large Popeye's spinach pie! Your guests will be breaking out in the "Popeye the Sailorman" theme song in no time - guaranteed! 

If you will be serving children at your event, they have a bit of a different taste when it comes to festive foods, so here are a couple choices for the younger shipmates

• Make blue J-ello^tm according to the directions on the box. Fill each glass with blue J-ello^tm and refrigerate to let it partially set.  Add a few Swedish Fish to each glass.  Test the first one, as they shouldn’t sink to the bottom, but should “swim” in the water.  Continue to refrigerate until firm.  The kids will love this one!
• Serve Trader's Punch (recipe below) out of a large punch bowl - don't forget to add the floating toy sailboat on top! 
• Try our “Deep Blue Sea Juice”, and you’ll fill the room with “ooohs and aaahs”.  Start by serving blue punch.  After you have placed a filled glass in front of each guest, add some seaweed dust (a few Pop Rocks^tm candies) to each one. Since this candy is processed with carbon dioxide, it will crackle, pop, and spit when it comes into contact with a liquid.   
• Make beach boats by placing a slice of apple on each plate. Cut a cheese slice in half at an angle and place that like a sail on the plate. Add some peanut butter to the apple slice and add a few raisins as the people on the boat . 
• Serve Goldfish^tm, submarine sandwiches or sandwiches cut with fish cookie cutters, Dole^tm Pineapple Fish (they are pre-cut in the can), fish fruit snacks, and sunken treasure nuggets (cheese balls.) 
• Cut fish out of the rice crispy treats with a cookie cutter.  Place them on a large cake board covered with Dark Blue Water Gossamer, and frost each one differently with bright colors of frosting.  There is no right or wrong way to decorate the fish…and you can even involve your child in the fun!  If you prefer a more traditional cake, simply cut a 9 X 13” cake into a fish shape, and decorate it with bright colors

Seashells & Cheese

2 cups uncooked seashell macaroni (7 ounces)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded or cubed Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Heat oven to 350ºF. 

Cook macaroni as directed on package.

While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. 

Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Makes 6 servings 

Trader's Punch

2 cups orange juice
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup grenadine syrup
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 1-pint (12-ounce) bottles ginger ale, chilled
Fresh berries or sliced fruit

Mix fruit juices, grenadine and corn syrup;
chill. Just before serving, add ginger ale
and fruit. Makes 4 quarts.

CAKE LINKS

If cake is the dessert of choice, a simple and sweet cake is as easy as this! Frost a double layer round cake with light beige frosting. Sprinkle big grain brown sugar over it - a striking resemblance to sand! You can then add some doll beach chairs and umbrellas, or just a few plastic seagulls to keep it simple. Use your imagination and round up those old toys to keep with the theme.

Sailboat Cake at Betty Crocker

Catch of the Day Cake

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