kids party ideas | Grey House Harbor

Mar 2 2016

green screen photo booth {party idea}

Posted by hayley

Remember that green screen we had at Bug’s birthday party? Since photo-booths are all the rage right now, I knew I wanted some sort of fun backdrop for the kids to take superhero pictures. I was too short on time to paint one and didn’t care to plunk down big $ for a pre-printed option.

While up late one night thinking about how to make the kids look like they were flying, the green screen idea came to me. Thanks to Amazon Prime, this 6’x10′ green screen arrived at our door 48 hours later for the whooping investment of $18! It’s actually a very nice piece of bright green muslin that’s hemmed along the edges and has a pocket hole across the top for hanging it on a proper backdrop stand.

Since I don’t own a proper backdrop stand, I just used good ‘ole duck tape to secure it to the wall and floor of my studio. It’s important to tape the bottom so the fabric stays as flat as possible and doesn’t trip anyone.

Originally I had my camera on a tripod, but ended up finding it easier to just hold it instead.

For each kid, I took a photo of them straight on in a “superhero” pose, as well as one from slightly above in a “flying” pose.

I found the photo backgrounds by searching the web for terms like “super hero background,” “HD city landscape,” and “aerial city photo” to download free stock images.

Photoshop and this YouTube tutorial helped me turn the kids into superhero worthy images. I layered elements like masks, light flashes, shadows, and motion blurs for special effects.

But don’t dismay! If you’re not a Photoshop whiz, you can get a $3 app called “Green Screen by Do Ink” on the App store. Download it to your Apple device and use this tutorial to create your own awesome green screen party photos.

One tip: if you plan to do a green screen at your next party, be sure to request that guests not wear green – otherwise, their shirt will disappear too!

The best part about a DIY green screen photo booth is that it can be used over and over again for literally any theme under the sun! Princess castles, pirate ships, tropical islands… anything. In fact, one little party friend was NOT feeling the superhero vibes. He’s more of a Thomas guy and I was happy to make his train dreams come true.

Tags: diy, green screen, kids party ideas, tutorials

3 comments

Oct 28 2014

how to make a punch pinata

Posted by hayley

As I mentioned yesterday, the punch piñata was a big hit during Songbird’s birthday party. Here’s a quick photo tutorial on how to make one for your next party!

1. Cut the back off an empty box. Trace a circle template in even rows (see step 7 for crucial tip).

2. Use nice sharp X-acto to cut circles out.

3. Paint the box front.

4. Cut tissue paper squares slightly larger than the holes.

5. Glue over holes.

6. Center prizes gently atop the holes.

7. Hot glue plastic cups to the back of each hole to contain the prizes. (You want the cup rim to touch cardboard, so be sure the template you use to draw the circles in step 1 are slightly smaller than the cup opening!)

8. Decorate the front if ya want. We used washi tape.

9. We attached our punch pinata to the wall with Command Strips and it stayed up for *most* of the hits. You could also lean it against the wall or have adults hold it up.

Sure beats swinging sticks and candy dash injuries. Most traditional pinatas cost $20+ without the fillings, but I made this version for a mere $6. Try a punch pinata for your next party… it’s kid-tested, mother-approved!