How to Host a Gnomeo and Juliet Party

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece Romeo & Juliet gets taken over by lawn ornaments.

Disney’s Gnomeo & Juliet is sweet, though, and a real kid pleaser, so don’t be surprised when the little ones start asking for gnome-themed birthday parties.

You’re going to have to think outside the box for this one … or sit back and let me do the dirty work for you. (Get it? Gardens are dirty. Oh, dear.)

Actually, a Gnomeo & Juliet party could be pretty awesome. Here are my ideas for a Gnomeo & Juliet-themed birthday party.

Gnomeo and Juliet Invitations

Simply copy one of the images to your desktop, reduce it to the size you need, and print it on white cardstock with the party details on the opposite side. You could have the birthday kid color the pictures before sending them or leave that up to the invitees.

Another idea is to take a photo of an actual garden gnome holding a sign with the party information printed on it. Turn the photos into cards or postcards with a desktop publishing program or by using a card-making service, such as Cafe Press.

Gnomeo & Juliet Party Decorations

When it comes to decorations for a Gnomeo & Juliet birthday party, you could go in two directions.

Option A would be to give the party a classy, magical garden feel, similar to the scene created for this woodland fairy birthday party designed by Boston-based party planner Kate Landers.

If you go that route, host the party in a backyard or wooded area, if possible. Decorate with moss and twigs and serve snacks in wooden bowls or fake birds’ nests.

I like how Kate used glass cloches to decorate the food table. You could create a miniature garden scene inside similar cloches using bits from nature and tiny gnome figurines intended for dollhouses (compare prices).

You can buy custom-made gnomes on Etsy, too, including from a shop called Phenome Gnome. Warning before you click: some gnomes for sale there are PG-13, unlike the movie.

Option B would be to ham it up and celebrate the tackiness of garden gnomes.

Decorate your home or yard in the colors red and blue, since the premise of the movie is that red-capped gnomes are dueling with the blue-capped gnomes who lived next door (not unlike Shakespeare’s rivalry between the Capulet and Montague families--except that we’re talking about garden ornaments here).

Make red and white pointed hats for the guests to wear by covering regular party hats with fabric (see my tutorial for making fabric-covered party hats). Add a bit of extra fabric at the top to make a gnome-like point. Set the hats out on a table, and let the kids choose which side they want to take.

Or, pre-arrange who gets what color, which would be helpful if you’re planning on breaking the kids into two teams for party games.

Carry the red and blue theme throughout the party, from balloons to plates to napkins to goodie bags.

If you don’t already own some garden gnomes (c'mon, admit it), see if you can borrow some from neighbors or purchase one or two (compare prices) to set out on the food and gift tables.

One of the key characters in Gnomeo and Juliet is Featherstone, a pink plastic flamingo who helps foster the main characters’ romance. You could purchase one or more plastic flamingoes to add to the decorating scheme (compare prices) or see if there’s a service in your town that will “flamingo” your house.

What does it mean to get flamingoed? Many communities run charities that will place dozens of flamingoes in your yard in exchange for a donation. Most of the time it's a surprise to the homeowner, who wakes up to the plastic, pink lawn ornaments in the morning. This party decoration could even be a good-morning surprise for your birthday kid.

Speaking of Featherstone the Flamingo, in addition to red and blue party supplies, you could offer pink cups, hats, etc., too, as a symbol of neutrality.

Gnomeo & Juliet Cake

Believe it or not, you can buy gnome cake or cupcake toppers. They are available on Etsy or through specialty baking-supply stores.

You could also make your own gnome cupcake toppers by taking a photo of a garden gnome, printing it on cardstock or photo paper and attaching the pictures to popsicle sticks (see my tutorial for DIY cupcake toppers for more information).

Miniature gnomes (or even just their hats) could also be made using fondant or gum paste and would make adorable cupcake toppers.

Another helpful character in the movie is a nonverbal mushroom who serves as Gnomeo's sidekick. The cake or cupcakes could be topped with meringue mushrooms or plastic ones in his honor.

If you want to include Featherstone the Flamingo on the cake, you can purchase small pink plastic flamingo cupcake toppers, or, if you’re up for a challenge, make flamingoes out of fondant, like these amazing flamingo cupcake creations spotted on Flickr.

One more idea for a Gnomeo and Juliet birthday cake: go with the garden theme. You could top a sheet cake with crushed Oreo cookies to resemble dirt. The book Hello, Cupcake! has instructions for making garden-themed cupcakes using Starbursts, Skittles and other common candies.

Gnome Games and Activities

Since the movie is about a rivalry between two groups of garden gnomes, set up a tournament between your red and blue party guests. The tournament could

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