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Scoot over unicorns, the mermaids are in town!
The Little Mermaid was always my favorite Disney film when I was a kid, so partying like Ariel in her sea kingdom would have been right up my street.
After all, what kid wouldn’t want to celebrate their birthday in a magical under the sea grotto?
So if you’re wondering how you can pull off your own magical mermaid party, look no further. Planning the perfect birthday party doesn’t have to be a hassle. All you need are the key ingredients – decorations, food, drink, entertainment and favors.
I’ve broken them down into sections for you, and collected some of the best mermaid party ideas around for each section.
All you need to do is pick two or three of your favorites from each section, throw in a sprinkle of glitter, and have fun.
If you weren’t planning a mermaid party before, you’ll definitely want to now!
I’ve even included some free mermaid party printables at the end! My little gift to you. Just scroll down to the end to find them.
Let’s dive in…
Table of Contents
Mermaid Party Decorations
There’s a lot of room for fun with a mermaid party theme.
This is where you get the chance to really set the scene and get your party guests in the mood for the birthday celebrations from the moment they walk in your door.
Even if you’re on a budget, there a ton of DIY decor ideas you can use to bring the underwater theme to life.
For a cohesive party look that your guests will love, start by picking your color scheme. Aqua blues, turquoise and greens are pretty much a given, but you can warm things up by adding some blush pink and coral. Or purples would be beautiful if you prefer the cooler end of the spectrum!
Whatever color scheme you choose, let’s take a look at some cute mermaid decor ideas will have everyone ready to celebrate.
Under The Sea Decorations From Delia Creates
Transforming your party space into an under the sea grotto doesn’t have to be expensive. Delia Creates made this amazing DIY party scene using less than $10 worth of inexpensive craft materials like streamers, cardstock, table cloths and crepe paper!
I think my favorite part are the seaweed streamers on the wall. It’s so simple and yet so effective! You could even add some fish cutouts swimming in and out of the seaweed to really add to the effect.
DIY Coral From Alpha Mom
I love this fake coral idea from Alpha Mom. Can you believe that they’re made from pool noodles? Genius!
A few of vases of these dotted around would be super effective, especially if you vary the heights – maybe add some to the table and some to the floor. You could even use them to create your very own coral reef corner!
Under The Sea Photo Backdrop From Lia Griffith
This adorable bubble backdrop is a fun and easy photobooth backdrop that the kids will have a blast with.
The tutorial even includes the props for you to cut out, but you can always buy some mermaid photo booth props if you need to keep things even simper.
DIY Fish Scales Backdrop From Doodlecraft Blog
I love this DIY fish scales backdrop from Doodlecraft Blog. It’s the perfect centrepiece backdrop for your mermaid party table, but it’d also work well as a photo backdrop.
It’s made up of circles of paper glued onto a canvas background, so it’s simple to put together, and to customize to your own color scheme.
A circle punch will make it a lot easier to quickly cut out all the circles, but if you want to simplify it even further then you can also get a similar effect by using paper party plates.
Jellyfish Lanterns From Finding Time To Fly
I love big decorations that hang from the ceiling. They always look impressive, and are great for filling empty spaces.
These jellyfish lanterns from Finding Time To Fly do this perfectly, and they’re really easy to make. Double win!
The tentacles in this tutorial are made from strips of plastic tablecloth, but if you’re trying to be kinder to the ocean and minimize your plastic use (I know I am!) then streamer paper would be the perfect alternative.
The other benefit of using streamer paper is that it’s already the perfect width, so you just need to cut it to the right length and ruffle it up a bit. That’s a bit of time saved, and it’s better for the environment – what’s not to love?!
Bubble Chandelier From Martha Stewart
This Bubble Chandelier From Martha Stewart is a super simple DIY that will add a magical touch to your under sea decor. It uses glass baubles, but plastic ones like these would be cheaper, and probably a lot safer with all those kids running around!
Starfish Wands From One Whimsy Lane
These mermaid starfish wands from One Whimsy Lane are a really simple DIY that you can pull together in no time.
They will look great displayed in a big mason jar filled with sand, and your little mermaid princesses will love playing with them. They also double up as party favors, so that’s one less thing for you to worry about!
All you need to do is glue some starfish onto wooden dowels and attach ribbons. That’s it!
You can paint or ribbon wrap the dowel if you want to get really fancy, but I think the bare wood gives them a nice beachy feel.
Mermaid Lantern Jars From Red Ted Art
Lighting can add some great atmosphere to a party. A few of these mermaid lantern jars from Red Ted Art dotted around the room would be really beautiful with some flameless tea lights inside.
Don’t worry too much about the jars. Using mismatched sizes and shapes can give a wonderful flotsam and jetsam feel to your display, especially if you pair it with some decorative netting.
Coral Reef Decoration From Press Print Party
If you’re after a showstopper decoration then this coral reef decorations from Press Print Party is for you.
This is bound to impress, especially when you find out that it’s made of things like pool noodles, floral mesh, streamers and crepe paper.
The tutorial takes you through everything step by step, so even though it’s a pretty big DIY it’s actually very straight forward.
Mermaid Party Food
The food you serve at your party is an important detail, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Food is an important part of any party
Here are some fin-tastic and tasty DIY food ideas that are right on theme.
Seaweed Dip From Craft Is Not Optional
You can have a lot of fun with food names, using printables to transform regular foods into dishes that are fit for a mermaid.
This seaweed dip from Craft Is Not Optional is a great example. It’s just regular spinach dip, renamed as seaweed dip, Serve it up with some bread and crackers and you’re done!
Crabby Sandwiches From The Peach Kitchen
How cute are these crabby sandwiches from The Peach Kitchen?
The key to this is the croissants and the googly eyes, so as long as you have those things you can pretty much use whatever you like as a filling.
Octopus Hot Dogs From Chic Home Style
You can’t get much easier than these octopus hot dogs from Chic Home Style.
They’re just regular old hot dogs sliced almost all the way to the top and arranged on a plate. They add a cute, whimsical touch to the table and are sure to get a few giggles from the kids!
Serve them as is, or pair them with “submarine” hot dog buns.
Mermaid Cupcakes From Cookie Named Desire
Every good party needs cake, and these adorable mermaid cupcakes from Cookie Named Desire are sure to be a hit!
They’re so gorgeous, and deceptively simple to make. You can even use a box cake mix if you don’t want to make them from scratch.
You can use a mold like this one to make the edible chocolate mermaid tails. They add a really striking touch to the cupcakes, but they are a little time consuming so you might want to pick up a couple packs of the molds to speed things up a bit.
If you’re really pushed for time you could always leave the chocolate tails off and decorate with sequined mermaid toppers like these instead.
Depending on how deep your cupcakes are you might need to cut the sticks down to size a little, but they’re still really effective and only take you a fraction of the time!
Sea Glass Candy From Make Life Lovely
I love it when food can double up as decoration, and this sea glass candy from Make Life Lovely fits the bill perfectly.
It looks super realistic, and you can really amp up the effect by serving it on a bed of edible sand, AKA ground up graham crackers. The kids will love it when they find out it’s all edible.
Clam Shell Cookies From Mom Dot
These clam shell cookies from Mom Dot are crazy simple and completely adorable. It’s just a matter of assembling the parts – Nilla wafers, buttercream and a little pearl candy.
You could also match the frosting colors to your party theme colors for an extra cute touch.
These cookies will make the perfect sweet treat for a little mermaid!
No Churn Mermaid Ice-Cream From Home Made Interest
Ice-cream is always a hit at parties, and this mermaid ice-cream from Home Made Interest is a magical looking treat that will definitely wow your party guests.
I love the blue and purple swirls, but it could be really fun to match the colors to your overall party color scheme. You’d just need to switch up the food coloring you use.
And the best part? It’s a no churn recipe, so you don’t need any special equipment. This ice-cream recipe is on the sweet side though, so you might want to keep those portion sizes small!
Mermaid Ice-Cream Cones From Finding Zest
Why not serve your mermaid ice-cream in these mermaid ice-cream cones from Finding Zest?
Just dip sugar cones in some marbled candy melts, leave to harden and brush on some pearl dust. Just like that you’ll have a batch of beautiful ice-cream cones that will turn even regular ice-cream into a magical treat.
Dolphin Banana Snacks From One Handed Cooks
It’s always good to have a healthy option on the table, and you can’t go wrong with these adorable dolphin banana snacks from One Handed Cooks.
All you need is a sharp knife to cut the bananas and a sharpie to draw the eyes on. Just pop them in some clear cups with some grapes and blueberries and you’re done.
These dolphin bananas are pretty easy to make, but they can be a bit time consuming if you’re catering to a lot of kids so if you need to save some time then you could get away with just doing two or three and using them to decorate a larger fruit salad bowl.
Either way, they’re simple to put together and super fun to look at! The kids will love them. And you’ll be happy knowing that you managed to get something healthy into their bellies.
Under The Sea Graham Crackers From The First Year Blog
These under the sea graham crackers from The First Year Blog are the perfect last minute party snack.
They’re literally just graham crackers decorated with blue frosting, cracker crumb sand, sprinkles and goldfish crackers. But they look so cute, don’t they?
You could really spend as much or as little time on these as you wanted.
In a rush? Grab some ready made frosting and keep the decoration simple. But if you have a bit more time you could really go to town with adding all sorts of cute little sea creatures and bubbles!
Mermaid Party Drinks
You can totally keep things simple when it comes to the drinks for your mermaid party. Water and juice are great choices, especially when the kids already hyped up with party excitement and sugary snacks!
You can get some really cute printables to decorate water bottles and juice boxes to keep them on theme.
But if you want to add a little bit more magic (and a lot more sugar…) then take a look at these cute mermaid party drinks
Color Changing Mermaid Lemonade From Squirrels Of A Feather
I love the whimsical touch of this color changing mermaid lemonade from Squirrels Of A Feather.
It’s made with just 4 simple ingredients, and when you add the blue sugar syrup to the lemonade it magically sinks to the bottom and creates the most beautiful ombre effect!
It’ll definitely add a bit of wow to your party table.
Tropical Mermaid Punch From Finding Zest
This Tropical Mermaid Punch From Finding Zest is a real tropical treat.
Flavored with lemon, pineapple and coconut, it foams up which gives it a cute ocean effect. It’s tinted blue with food coloring, but you could easily leave that out for a more natural, pale yellow drink.
Mermaid Lemonade From Jasper And Willow
Another magical color changing lemonade recipe, but this one from Jasper And Willow uses colored ice-cubes which color the lemonade with pretty swirls of color as they melt.
Super simple to make with just a few drops of food dye in the ice cube tray!
Mermaid Party Games And Activities
One of the best parts about a kids party are the games and activities.
Depending on the activities, it can be the perfect opportunity for the grown ups to sit down and have a few minutes of peace while the kids are busy tiring themselves out with games and fun!
Set a few activity stations and let them have a splashing good time.
Mermaid Treasure Hunt From My Cutesy Crafts
A treasure hunt is always going to be a hit a kids party, and this free treasure hunt printable from My Cutesy Crafts is perfect for a mermaid party.
I love how the clues are part of the decorations – it’s just one less thing for you to have to think about!
The little treasure buckets at the ends are such a cute idea, and are perfect for popping a few little mermaid trinkets or snacks into.
Shell Necklaces From Pink Stripey Socks
These shell necklaces from Pink Stripey Socks are a perfect craft for a mermaid themed party.
I love love love the marbled sea shells, they’re so pretty! I love how unique each one is. They’re made with nail polish, so the marbling might not be great for really little kids but would be an ideal activity if your kids are slightly older.
But glitter is good for all ages, so you could easily adaptable this craft for any age group.
The kids will have an absolute blast decorating and wearing their necklaces for the whole party.
If you live near the beach then hunting for the shells could be a fun pre-party activity that your kid can get involved with. Don’t fret if you’re a landlubber! You can still have fun with this craft by picking up a box of natural seashells like these from Amazon, or a craft store like Michaels would also be a good place to look.
Mermaid Limbo From 365 Days Of Crafts
How fun does this mermaid limbo from 365 Days Of Crafts look?!
It’s super easy to put together, and is totally budget friendly, which is always good when it comes to party games!
Just crank up the party tunes and have fun!
Go Fish Game From 365 Days Of Crafts
I really love this go fish game from 365 Days Of Crafts.
I think it’s because it reminds me of a really old game I had when I was a kid. It was kind of like a board game, but there were little cut out fish (and an old boot!) that were attached to magnets, and you used a little plastic fishing road to catch the fish with the other end of the magnet. I had so much fun with that game!
This is the same idea but on a way bigger scale.
It uses magnets which you sew into the little fish stuffies so that the kids can “catch” them with the fishing rod.
You’ll need some basic sewing skills to make this, but I think you could get away with just using a super basic running stitch to sew the fishes up. If even that sounds like too much, then I bet fabric glue would work just as well.
Seashell Bean Bag Toss From Mimi’s Doll House
This seashell bean bag toss game from Mimi’s Doll House looks really cute and would be very easy to put together.
Holly from Mimi’s Doll House used foam board and cut the seashell shapes out to create this quick and fun game. I love how the shapes are edged in purple to make them stand out.
You could easily make this out of any color to keep it on theme with the rest of your party decor.
Pin The Tail On The Mermaid From Fin Fun
Pin the tail on the donkey is a party classic, and this free printable for pin the tail on the mermaid from Fin Fun brings it right into the mermaid party theme.
My favorite part about this is how customizable it is. As well as 8 different mermaid tail colors, the printable also includes a bunch of different options for skin color, hairstyle, accessories background motifs!
All the work is done for you here. You just need to do pick your favorites and put them together on a dollar store poster board.
Sand Art From Catch my Party
Sand art is a great hands on activity for your mermaid party.
You can easily set up a sand art activity station like this one from Catch My Party. Start with some tubs of colored sand. I like the ones that come in jars like this set, because you can just take the lid off and pop then on the table. Some of them come in bags, so you need to decant them into jars, and who has time for that?!
Along with your sand, set out some little funnels, some sticks or bamboo skewers to make patterns in the sand, and of course, cute containers.
You can stick with a more classic bottle shape like this, but for a mermaid party I really love the idea of using shell bottles like these. These shell necklace bottles would be super cute as well, and kids will love being able to wear their own art.
You might want to keep this as an outdoor activity though, to keep the clean up minimal!
Mermaid Party Favors And Goodie Bags
You’ve almost made it to the end of the party!
But don’t send everyone home empty handed. This is a great opportunity to give them something memorable to take away with them.
Take a look at these easy DIY ideas for some fun mermaid party favors.
Mermaid Fin Hair Clip From Finding Zest
How adorable is this mermaid fin hair clip from Finding Zest?
They’re great little trinkets to include in your party favor bags, and I love that’s it’s a gift that kids can actually use.
It’s super easy to DIY a bunch of these with some basic craft supplies – it just involves a little bit of cutting out and then gluing on the sequins. Emilie takes you through the whole process over on her blog, and even includes the free printable for the mermaid fin.
This could also be a fun party activity for older kids. Just pre-cut the mermaid fins and let the kids decorate them on their own!
DIY Mermaid Slime From Kimspired DIY
Kids love slime. It’s a fact.
This glittery mermaid slime from Kimspired DIY is so perfectly on theme, and uses only 3 ingredients.
You could even portion it up in little jars decorated with some twine and seashells for a really beachy feel.
Goldfish bag From Young House Love
It might be a little OTT to send kids home with a real goldfish, but these candy goldfish bags from Young House Love are a fun substitute! After all, what’s a goodie bag without a little sugar rush?
This is a really cute and budget friendly party favor that is super easy to put together with some blue jelly beans and a few goldfish crackers.
Mermaid Bubbles From Spot of Tea Designs
Bubbles are another great, budget friendly party favor.
You can easily keep the mermaid theme going by using a cute printable like these bubbles from Spot Of Tea Designs. I like the added touch of co-ordinating the colors to match the rest of your party decor, but I wouldn’t sweat it if you can’t find the perfect colors. You can always decorate them with a few bits of ribbon, or just hide them in the favor bags instead of putting them on display.
Mermaid Goodie Bags From Val Event Gal
Little mermaids will love these mermaid goodie bags from Val Event Gal.
This is a quick and easy DIY which uses tissue paper and a sharpie to make adorable mermaid tails. Fill them with a bunch of goodies, and add Val’s cute, free printable for a “fin-tastic” touch. It’s just too adorable.
Party Buckets From Growing up Gardner
Part favor, part goodie bag, completely brilliant.
That’s what I think of these party beach buckets from Growing Up Gardner.
If you’re looking for something fun for your mermaid guests to take their favors home in, this is it.
They’re totally on theme, and yet way more fun than your average party bag.
BONUS! Free Mermaid Party Printables
Decorating your mermaid party on a budget? I’ve got TWO different mermaid party party printables for your to download. And they’re both absolutely free!
My NEW mermaid party printable bundle is adorable, and has a birthday banner, invitations, treat bag toppers and more! Find our more and download it here.
Want more free mermaid birthday party printables? The pack has a “happy birthday” banner with some spacer flags, cupcake wrappers, cupcake toppers and straw flags. Check out and download my original free Mermaid birthday party printables here!
Let’s Party!
I hope this has inspired you to create your own underwater sea grotto and celebrate with a mermaid party!
You have everything you need. Just pick a few of your favorite party ideas and get planning that enchanting mermaid party!
You’ve got this.
PIN IT FOR LATER
