How to Design Your Own Purple & Black Zebra Party Supplies

The cost of hosting a birthday party for a child can quickly rival the cost of hosting a more formal party for adults. Although it can be hard to resist ready-made, themed birthday party supplies and accessories, make your own party supplies and significantly cut the cost of the party. No theme is too far-fetched--you can even make party supplies for a purple and black zebra party.

Things You'll Need

• Purple and black plates, napkins and plastic cutlery
• Purple and black permanent markers
• Empty coffee can
• Purple construction paper
• Black electrical tape
• Toy plastic zebra
• Shoe box
• Purple and black tissue paper
• Pencil
• White craft glue
• Glue gun
• Glitter or confetti
• Clip art
• Painter's tape
• Purple and black balloons
• Purple and black crepe paper streamers

Instructions

Tableware

1. Gather a equal amount of black and purple tableware, such as paper plates, napkins and plastic cutlery.

2. Add zebra stripes to purple paper drinking cups. Use a black permanent marker to apply black striping to the cups to mimic the stripes on a zebra. (Don't use marker on any surface that will touch food or drink.) Let the marker dry completely before handling cups.

3. Create a utensil holder. Cover a clean, empty coffee can in purple construction paper and use black electrical tape to apply zebra stripes to the paper. Wrap each place setting in a purple or black napkin and place it the coffee can.

Centerpiece

1. Color the white portions of the toy zebra with a purple permanent marker.

2. Cover an empty shoe box in purple or black construction paper. Use small squares of purple and black tissue paper (approximately 1 inch) to create a textured surface on the box.

3. Wrap a square of tissue paper around the end of a pencil. Place a dot of glue on the flat center of the tissue-covered pencil and press it onto the box. Repeat the process until the entire box is covered in purple and black tissue.

4. Use a glue gun to secure the toy zebra to the top of the tissue paper-covered box. Add glitter or confetti to give the centerpiece sparkle.

Decorations

1. Make wall decor by downloading images of black and white zebras from a free clipart website. Print the images in various sizes and use paint, glitter and marker to color the white portions of the zebras purple.

2. Attach the images to walls, windows and doors using painter's tape.

3. Make a large zebra image to create your own game of pin the tail on the purple and black zebra. Trim the tail from the image, make a few spare tails from construction paper and follow traditional rules for the game.

Balloons

1. Hang up purple balloons (zebra-striped with black permanent marker if desired), black balloons and rolls of purple and black crepe paper streamers to pull the whole purple and black zebra party theme together.

2. Intertwine lengths of purple and black streamers and twist together to create striped-looking streamers.

3. Group purple balloons and black balloons together to create small displays that you can tuck here and there throughout the party location.

Tips & Warnings

• Strings of purple and black lights can add an extra special touch to your purple and black zebra party theme.

• Attach decorations to walls using painter's tape, which can be safely applied to painted surfaces without removing the paint.

References

• KinderArt: Tissue Paper Art
• Enjoy a Game: Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Resources

• Zebra Clip Art