Circus

Graduation Party Theme

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A Circus offers a vibrant, fun, brilliantly entertaining is graduation party theme. Recreate the colorful, energetic circus atmosphere with Ringmasters, clowns, trapeze artists, elephants, lion tamers and put on a show!

You'll be amazed at the sheer number of graduation party decorations.

Save time and energy and search through the World's Largest Party Superstore.

They have a stunning selection of circus decorations.
I have tried to give you lots of Circus ideas on invitations, food, decorations, costumes, games, music and favors which will be great for any venue. You may have a Home Party or alternative venue in mind.

With lots of fun, energy and enthusiasm your graduation party ideas can be a brilliant success.

Before going through the items you need for the circus graduation party theme, think about the venue and the set up of the party.

Hosting the graduation party theme in conjunction with the school, college, university or kindergarten, for example, is a brilliant idea. That gives:

• a good size of party with better decorations and a more eye catching venue to get everyone excited


• A budget, perhaps, to hire equipment, buy decorations and hire entertainers. Perhaps hiring part of a real circus.


• Parents to help organise, raise funds and help at the party


• Lots of party goers to take part in each party game

Graduation Party Theme - Theme Ideas

This page is all about having a Circus graduation party theme. This will be a brilliant night, fitting for a very special occassion.

There are other fantastic graduation party theme ideas. Click here for lots of other great themes and party ideas..

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Invitations

To fit in with the circus theme create the invites to look like tickets or circus posters.

Homemade Invitations

Homemade invitations for a Circus party can be fantastic.

Clowns, Ringmaster, Trapeze Artists, the Big Top, Elephants, Strongmen, Bearded Lady, Lion Tamers, Prancing Horses and Jugglers all make fantastic pictures for invitations.

Consider combining these symbols with scrolls, caps, gowns and the graduate's photo.

A simple way to make circus graduation party theme tickets is to use red or orange construction paper. On one side write in black permanent marker ADMIT ONE with all the party information on the other side.

Clipart

The simplest way to complete Circus graduation party invitations is to use clipart.

• Copy and Past the graduation clip art image that you would like to use into your word document. Before you paste make sure your cursor is in the location where you want the clip art placed


• Click on the image and arrows will appear on the corners. Use these arrows to stretch the image to the desired size.


• Then I simply added wordart at the top of the page for a fancy title and added the party details in plain text underneath the graduation clip art.

Lots more detailed instructions on my clipart page..

Photo Invitations

Also, simply arrange a good quality photograph of the graduate. Dress the graduate as a clown or a ringmaster, or anything else appropriate for a circus graduation party theme. Scan it onto your computer.

Using photo editing software, change the picture dimensions to the size you need.

If you already have Circus artwork on your computer then simply print onto flat card with the printed invitation details on the back. Instant invitations.

Wording

Use wording for the circus graduation party theme like

• Roll Up, Roll, Up


• Come to The Greatest Show On Earth


• See the Amazing Graduates


• RSVP Ringmaster


• The Human Canonball will be fired up ready to see you.

Examples of circus graduation party theme invitations wording:

Ladies and Gentlemen, the (Name of Graduate) circus is in town.

See (The Graduate) clowning around, attempting death defying stunts (blowing out the candles) and eating huge amounts of cake!

RSVP to Ringmaster

Roll Up Roll Up

Come to the greatest graduation circus show on Earth.

Pepi the clown (graduate) and friends (juggler, lion tamer and trapeze artist) will be here (venue) to greet you on (date/time).

RSVP to the Ringmaster

Circus costume required

Roll Up Roll Up

The Human Canonball (Graduate) is getting fired up ready for their big bang. The graduate will be ready on (date/time)

RSVP to the Ringmaster

Circus Costume required

The Graduate circus is in town.

We've pitched pur Big Top at (venue) for a night of death defying feats.

You'' be amazed at the Lion Tamer and laugh at the clowns.

Come and see the graduate attempt to escape from a dunking booth.

RSVP

Circus costume required.

Free Printable

Something like the printable invitation below would be great for a circus graduation party theme. Feel free to use it if you'd like. Just right-click over the image and save it to your desktop. You can then print as many as you need - 5" by 7" paper is ideal.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Confetti

Enhance the Circus graduation party theme and use personalised confetti.

The most amazing photo confetti maker can produce confetti using up to 10 circus themed photos and up to 3 accent colors. They have packs to suit your occassion.

Take photos of the graduate as a clown, ringmaster, juggler, trapeze artist or bearded lady, all in keeping with your circus graduation party theme.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Costumes

The Circus is full of brilliant costumes. Ringmasters, Clowns, Lion Tamers, Strongmen, Bearded Ladies, Trapeze Artists, Fire Eaters, Fortune Tellers and Jugglers.

If you wish to make your own you should be able to make very good costumes for a circus graduation pary theme.

• Clowns, with great face paints , a nose, wig and baggy clothes.


• Ringmaster, long red jacket, top hat, black trousers, white shirt and boots.


• Elephants, making a trunk and big ears


• A loin cloth for a strongman


• Buy a fake beard and you have a simple bearded lady. Use garish make up and clothes, and you are in character!


• Fortune teller, using a headscarf, gypsy skirt, lots of make up and big jewellery.


• Lion tamer, perhaps wearing Chinos, shirt and carrying a fake whip and hat.


• Trapeze artist, with tights, a glittering waist band and ballet type shoes.

Click here if you wish to see a great costume range, including clowns, fortune tellers, and lots more. They have just about everything you need for a circus graduation party theme.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Decorations

For an exciting carnival it is fantastic to have lots of decorations. You'll know how far you can afford to go here.

You can aim for a real Circus graduation party theme.

Some, great ideas are:

• Ticket Booth and tent


• Fortune Teller Booth


• Life Sized cut out of a Ringmaster


• Stalls for lemonade, Popcorn, Hot Dogs and Face painting


• Streamers


• Banners


• Balloons


• Pictures of Circus elephants, Ringmasters, Harlequins, Bearded Ladies, Clowns, Jugglers, Fortune Tellers, Lion Tamers and Strongmen


• Life sized cutouts, example Clown or Ringmaster


• Flags, just like at the circus.


• Murals of circus images, circus posters, big tops, bearded ladies and other circus performers.


• Murals made up of drawings of circus performers and circus scenes, including a big top. Ask the guests to color it in and add messages for the graduate. The same can be done with pictures size drawings.


• Sawdust, perhaps on top of a sheet to save later mess.


• Mirrors, use mirror paper and make it out of shape to give the hall of mirrors effect.


• Create a circus ring with sawdust and border and upside down pails for the performers to stand on


• Circus lights would be great. You may be able to use Xmas lights. Even better if you can have a spotlight.

Lots of decorations will give this carnival the right atmosphere. A bit of imagination and effort will give you your own Big Top!

Decorate your guests, this is a brilliant way to add to the graduation party theme and getting your guests in the graduation party mood!

• Funtoos


• 2008 Glasses


• 2008 Beads


• Graduation caps


• Cap Medallions


• Lots of glow sticks and bracelets

A great idea is to have a box of guest decorations at the party entrance and hand them out liberally!

For Table decorations, colorful table covers with some streamers, and balloons will be great!

Circus graduation party theme napkins, plates, cups and cutlery.

For all decorations see the World's Largest Party Superstore.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Food and Drink

Best stick to the basics for a circus graduation party theme.

• Hot Dogs


• Cotton Candy


• Popcorn


• Caramel Apples


• Candy


• Lemonade


• M&Ms

Bake a circus graduation party theme Cake and then you can be creative decorating it in a circus theme. Try a clown, ringmaster, circus elephant, prancing horses, big top, the ring or a trapeze! Add in congratulations to the graduate.

Graduation Cake

Cooking Tools

• Wire rack for cooling the cake
• 2 circles of greaseproof paper – 17.5cm (7 inches) across
• 2 X 17.5 cm (7 inch) sandwich cake tins
• Mixing bowl
• Pastry brush
• Wooden spoon
• Palette knife.

Ingredients

• 115g of softened margarine
• 2 large eggs
• 115g cater sugar
• 115g self-raising flour
• 2-3 drops of vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder.

For a lemon cake, add the grated rind of a lemon and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

For an orange cake, add the grated rind of an orange and 1 tablespoon of orange juice.

For a chocolate cake, add 30g sieved cocoa powder to replace same amount of flour.

Brown chocolate topping and filling, 115g milk chocolate and 2 tablespoons of soured cream.

White chocolate topping and filling, 115g white chocolate and 2 tablespoons of soured cream.
 

How to Make The Sponge Cake

1) Set the oven to 170 degrees centigrade/325 degrees farenheight/ gas mark 3. Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl.

2) Mix all the ingredients together with the wooden spoon, then beat the mixture hard for about 2 mins.

3) The cake mixture should drop off the spoon easily. If it seems too stiff, stir in two teaspoons of water and beat it again.

4) Divide the mixture between two greased and lined cake tins and smooth it level. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes until firm.

5) Slide a knife around the edges of the tins to loosen them and turn them out on to a wire rack. Remove the wax paper.
 

Covering the Cake

1) Break the chocolate up into small pieces and put in a bowl. Pour in the soured cream. Heat a saucepan of water over a low heat.

2) Stand the bowl over the saucepan of water. Stir the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate has melted.

3) When the cakes are cool, turn one of them upside down and spread half of the chocolate frosting on it with a palette knife.

4) Put the other cake on top of the frosting, then spread the rest of the frosting smoothly on top of the sandwich cake.
 

Alternatively here is a deluxe creamy fudge frosting:

• 50g of margarine
• 200g of frosting sugar
• 3 tablespoons of milk.

1) Place the ingredients in a bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan of water and stir until melted.

2) Leave until cold and then beat until thick and glossy.
 

Writing with Frosting on Your Cake

First fo all you need to make the frosting. To do this just mix frosting sugar and water together until the required consistency is reached – soft enough to pipe but firm enough to maintain shape. Add any food coloring desired.

Next you need to make a piping bag:

1) Cut out a piece of greaseproof paper 25 cm square and fold it in half diagonally.

2) Fold one corner of the folded triangle into the middle point to make a cone.

3) Fold the other corner of the triangle around it so that the three points meet.

4) Then tuck the points inside the cone to hold it firmly in place. Snip the tip off the cone.

To pipe the frosting simply fill the frosting bag with frosting. Fold the top of the bag down over the frosting and press gently to squeeze out a thin ribbon of frosting through the tip of the cone.  

Simple Decorating Idea for Your Circus Graduation Party Theme Cake

1) Create a zigzag design round the edge of the cake using small pieces of red liquorice strings or red piped frosting. Colored candy coated sweets look nice placed between the zigzags.

2) Make circles for the eyes out of chocolate drops and add any colored sweet for the eyeris with a chocolate drop on top for the pupil.

3) Add a cherry for the nose.

4) Create the outline of a mouth with the red liquorice string or red piped frosting and fill in with hundreds and thousands.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Games

A carnival offers the chance to have fantastic games.

• Clown face painting.


• Ask the graduates to put on a circus act in teams. Should be brilliant to see the clowns, lion tamers and Ringmasters doing their act. This could be an individual Talent Show.


• Stalls with water pistols to be fired at cans. The cans are to be pushed back off a ledge to win a prize. Can they do it before the water runs out?


• Throw a ball into goldfish bowls. Arrange the goldfish bowls tightly together. Get three soft balls which will just fit into the bowls


• Spin the Wheel and win a prize, you will need to hire the spinning wheel


• Make up a Coconut Shy, with the graduates picture on the coconuts.


• Best Ringmaster, make a script and have each person audition. Vote for the best one.


• Decorate a Circus Cake, bake some cakes and supply lots of colored icing.


• Bobbing for apples.


• Guess Who. In advance of the party take photos of a number of well known guests dressed as clowns. Ask people to write down their guesses.


• Have some brave people sit in stocks and have water soaked sponges thrown at them


• Best costume contest


• Pin the tail on the elephant or nose on the clown. Simply draw the elephant of clown and have a tail or nose with bluetac.


• Clown races. The difficulty is running with the big shoes on. Could make it harder by carrying a bucket of water.

Perhaps you can hire some circus equipment. I have seen a "high wire" for older kids which was 1 foot off the ground but just as hard to do.

Also hold raffles for good causes.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Favors

There are great circus graduation party theme favors:

• Candy bars in circus themed wrappers


• Popcorn


• Clown masks


• Lots of streamers, balloons, whistles, circus posters


• Music CDs

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Music

Play some real Barnum and Bailey music. Recreate the circus atmosphere.

Circus Graduation Party Theme Preparation

The party day does need a good schedule of events. You will need it to get through everything.

• Plan the start of the party, when each game will roughly occur, when the food will be served and when the party will start and end.


• Know exactly which games will be played


• Have the music, prizes, helpers and materials ready in advance.


• Each helper should know exactly what they have to do.


• Have the favors ready in advance, and in running order.


• Know exactly who is helping to clear away afterwards.

Circus Graduation Party Theme - Ideas

More ideas to make the circus party just brilliant:

• Make sure everyone has their photo taken through the life sized cut out. A clown or ringmaster photo is a geat keepsake.


• Video the party


• Hire a real Fair with Ferris Wheel, rides and stalls


• Hire performers, jugglers, magicians, unicycle riders, people on stilts and other fabulous entertainers.


• Have a procession for everyone to show off their costumes.


• If you have a two person horse costume, find 2 volunteers.


• Save money and have a joint party with other graduates.
  This can give excellent cost sharing, lots of people to do the work and help find items at cheaper costs.


• Save money and Buy Bargain Supplies!


• Save money and book venues for the cheaper weeknights, perhaps giving more money to decorate your graduation party theme.

For decorations, party favors and ideas search the World's Largest Party Superstore.

Good luck with your circus graduation party theme.

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