Every little girl should get to experience the new year like a princess! And what princess wouldn't want to celebrate at her own ball? The Not Quite Midnight Ball is a fun and creative way to give everyone the chance to ring in the new year like royalty! And we all know half of the fun of going to a ball is getting pampered and feeling beautiful. We put together these simple and easy crafts so you can create these magical transformations the kids will never forget! If you missed them, you will want to check out the Not Quite Midnight Ball Decorations and  Princess Activities on our blog to help you prepare for the fun the night will bring! The princesses at our Not Quite Midnight ball got the royal treatment. Yours will too!To start, each girl got to select one of our incredibly comfortable deluxe princess gowns to wear. Everyone was so happy that the fabric is soft and there aren't any itchy seams inside. As each little lady put on her dress, you could see in her face that she was suddenly a princess. We have a great selection of dresses to choose from if you need to add to your collection.

Masquerade Mask Face Paint

 

Being a princess is more than just a dress! We quickly whisked them away to get even fancier. Masquerade Balls are so fun, so we added our own twist to the tradition and painted masquerade masks onto the girls' faces. Don't be intimidated by the idea of face painting. It is so easy! My favorite face paint is the Snazaroo brand. It is offered online at Amazon for a great price. The kit comes with everything you need including paint, sponges, and a paint brush. It washes of easily and is so nice to work with. You will be surprised at how fun it is to use. 

Here is a breakdown of a basic masquerade mask.

Start by getting the sponge a little bit damp. If it is too wet, the paint will slide right off the skin. Rub the damp sponge into the color of your choice. For our party, we did all of the girls with row of purple paint on top and a row of pink below. Glide the sponge across the child's face in a manner similar to putting on makeup foundation. Use a separate part of the sponge for each alternate color.

It will dry quickly so you can move fast! Next, add the design with the paintbrush. Dip the brush in water and rub it into the white paint getting a nice amount onto the bristles. Then, draw the design onto the face, starting in the middle by the forehead and working towards the temples. You can be creative with each little princess. Reference the pictures below for inspiration! Each mask takes a beginner about 5 minutes.

It was so fun to see the excitement on the girls' faces when we showed them the finished result in the mirror! It was magical and the kids loved the look.

Ribbon Wands

Since we didn't have any handsome princes to dance with at our ball, we made ribbon wands to dance with instead! I love a craft that is simple enough for the kids to do on their own. This beautiful wand only takes a few minutes to create. There is just a little bit of prep work to do before the party starts.

We bought some plain wooden dowels and toppers that will be the base of our wands. The round toppers might fit loosely onto the dowel and that's ok! You want it to be a little bit loose for the ribbons to fit in.

Spray the wood with golden metallic spray paint. Or, if you want a different color, you can use that too! I made sure to paint in a well ventilated area and placed the wands in a box to keep the paint contained. Coat the dowels and toppers in sessions until they are fully covered with paint. Let them dry at least overnight before using them.

You will also need to cut the ribbon that will be place on the wands. I bought a variety of ribbon from Amazon. You can choose different sizes and patterns to make a more interesting wand. Cut the ribbon into long sections. (I chose about 4 feet in length). Purchase enough ribbon so that each wand has at least four or five pieces.

Lay the supplies out for the girls to use at the party. Each girl will need one dowel and one topper and then their ribbon. We let the girls pick the colors they wanted.

To make the wand simply line the ribbon up with the ends matching then tie a knot. Lay the ribbon over the top of the dowel. Stick the round topper over the ribbon securing it to the dowel. Ta-da! Instant wand.

All of the princesses at our party were able to make their own wand in a matter of minutes.  They danced and played with them the remainder of the time. It really was such a success and the perfect party souvenir for them to take home.

With their princess dresses on, faces painted, and beautiful wands crafted, the girls were officially ready for the ball! Of course, the perfect place for a new princess to make her first appearance is the Disneyland Resort. We would love to help the newly appointed royalty experience the magic with any of our Disneyland packages. Book online or call our us at 855-GET-AWAY.

Check out these other great articles:

Not Quite Midnight Ball Decorations

Not Quite Midnight Ball Princess Activities

Not Quite Midnight Ball Wish Come True Cupcakes

New: More Frozen Fun Coming to Disneyland