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Car Crazy Sweet Sixteen

In most states, 16 is the legal driving age. If she's like most teens, Miss Sweet 16 wants to get her drivers' license and get on the road as soon as possible. Help her prepare for her learner's permit and when she passes her driving test with flying colors, make that a reason to celebrate. Buy her a car for her sixteenth birthday…or at least give her a "gold" key to yours. Be a big sport and throw in a gasoline credit card to really maker her day! Where should you celebrate this auspicious occasion? (No, not at Joe's Dent 'n' Dash Shop.)

How about a drive-in restaurant or drive-in movie? Or, better yet, invite a few of her friends to a local amusement park where they have miniature cars, dodge-‘em, or antique cars. Let ‘em loose! No matter what they crash into, it won't affect your insurance rates! Still another option…give her the keys to your car and allow her to drive the family (and maybe some friends) to one of her favorite restaurants.

Invitations

Since your Sweet 16 missy's been driving you crazy about getting her learner's permit, it makes perfect sense to make her invitation look exactly like her driver's license, complete with her own photo on it. Simply color-copy and enlarge her newly earned license so that it fits on the front of a half-fold blank card. The caption might be "Look Who's Driving!" Add all the pertinent party information inside.

Invite your friends with a cool, personal invitation from Party411 or Carlson Craft.

Decorations

If you're celebrating the party at a restaurant, you won't need much in the way of décor. But if you're taking family and friends to a drive-in or amusement park, you'll want to dress up your home as the girls will arrive and depart from there.

What's the Sweet 16's favorite color? Repeat that color and two additional coordinating colors throughout your décor to pull the party look or theme together. Use these three colors for your balloons, crepe paper streamers, and birthday paper plates, cups, napkins, and coordinating plastic cutlery to add to the festivities.

Or, you may want to use the "smile" design for your plates and napkins because I'm sure she's happy she's driving, no?

For even more great Sweet 16 decorating ideas visit Sweet 16 Decorating411.

Seating Cards

If you decide to assign seats, you'll want to do something different (one would hope). Think about making a map to the table with a star where the person is sitting. Or you can also do custom candy bars with name and table number of your guest with your caricature waving from a car!

Centerpieces

Need a centerpiece? How about a large 22" green Racecar Piñata in the center of your table, surrounded by a few strategically placed Beetles used as confetti? Or try an easy to assemble Sweet 16 centerpiece from MakesParties.

Ain't she sweet, driving down the street? Go the extra mile and place old car tires around the room. Prop some of Miss Sweet 16's old dolls and teddy bears inside the tires for a nostalgic touch. Can't find old tires? Construct single-dimensional tires out of poster board. Instead of dolls, blow up some old baby photos of your sweet young thing and glue them in the center of the tires. Need help with the poster tires? The party pros at Party411 can custom-make them for you, as well as coordinated signs, banners, and so much more!

Other Table Stuff

• Napkin Rings—a compass key chain around each!
• Or better yet, a Blinking Star Necklace tied around each napkin so the new driver can see everybody coming!
• Confetti—those Beetles we talked about above.

Another fun idea would be to put flashlight glasses in each water glass, lit, for a great effect…and another way to make sure the new driver is aware of whatever is in her path!

And how about "finger scooters" for those friends that still have to get around without their driver's license!!

Food

If the party girl's going to be fêted at her favorite restaurant, the food fare will be taken care of. But however you celebrate, at home or away, no birthday celebration's complete without a special cake. You can bake or special-order a car-shaped cake or decorate any cake with a car motif, a large "16" with a car hitting it, or even make it look like her driver's license. Coordinate the cake with the invitation theme you used. As long as it says "Happy Sweet 16" to your favorite teen, she'll be thrilled (and you will be allowed to live!)

Favors

• Personalized candy bar wrappers are an unforgettable (and delicious) favor that every guest will love.
• Glow earrings, necklaces, glasses, swizzle sticks (that can be used as bracelets or napkin rings), Lectric Rope Bracelets, Flashing Spike Necklace, glow shapes, even straws that glow—everyone will feel sweet!
• Disco Ball Necklaces and earrings—in assorted fabulous colors.
• Raindrop tiaras or headboppers—to decorate your guests.
• Blinking Guitars, Rings, Earrings, Flashing Hair Braid—to make even the dullest gown come to life!
• Tiaras (stylle one, style two)—to hang from the ceiling or put at each place!
• Sequined hats—to give to your guests and to brighten the room.
• Feather boas—for perfect photos and dress up.
• Boa slap bracelets—to match the boas, of course.
• Cameras—so that you have great shots of anyone and everyone who was there. In fact, send pictures as thank yous after the party!
• Virtual Message Writer—a must for you or your DJ!
• Wrist Streamers in multi-colors—there's nothing more fun on the dance floor!
• Crown Jewel Party Kit or Diamond Collection Party Kit—so everyone can dress up and be merry.
• Champagne Maracas—a favor and decoration in one! Great DJ prize by the way!
• Champagne Bubbles—for a fabulous atmosphere.
• Mini Nail Tattoos and Sticky Stones—they go perfectly with your friends' Sweet16 outfits. I know this for a fact!
• Multi Lite-Ropes
• Cinderella's Slippers
• Retro Birthday Plates
• Capture your party from your guests' point of view with single-use cameras. Leave one on each table and a basket by the door as people can drop them in as they leave! Think of the fun you'll have when the pictures come back.
• There's nothing better than a party that glows! The #1 favorite party favor is glow jewelry. No matter what you are celebrating, we have glow necklaces, glow glasses (very popular), bracelets and more. Check it out!

Have fun! And remember, don't get too crazy when you're behind the wheel (or you're grounded for life)…

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