Medieval Birthday Party Ideas To Help Create Renaissance Theme Party

A medieval party gives you the opportunity to plan a fun and exciting party in the tradition of a renaissance faire. Everyone has the opportunity to kick up their heels, dress like a king or queen or a ragtag peasant, and let loose.

To help you get into the medieval birthday parties frame of mind, we've put together links to the best party supplies:

Medieval Supplies & Costumes
Renaissance Costumes & Accessories
Medieval Party & Costumes


MEDIEVAL BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS

MEDIEVAL SCROLL INVITATIONS - Use parchment paper or scroll-TYPE scrapbook paper. Write party details in calligraphy or use Old English font. Roll invitations into scrolls, tie with a ribbon or seal with sealing wax and a seal, hand-deliver or mail in mailing tube. Invitation could read:

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Noble knights and fair ladies,
The honor of your presence is requested
at the royal birthday gathering for
Queen Penelope's 45th birthday.

Please arrive on the 3rd day of June, in the year of our
Lord 1609, at the hour of four, at King Johnson's Court
and join us for great feasting and entertainment.
Medieval attire required.

MEDIEVAL CREST INVITATIONS - Cut shield shapes out of cardstock. Embellish one side with glitter, stick-on jewels, sequins, stars, dragon image, etc. On the reverse side, put your party details as noted above.


MEDIEVAL PARTY COSTUMES

Clothing resonated a person's social status during the Renaissance era. Encourage guests to dress as who their inner self longs to be. There are a lot of fun and creative themes from which to select. The following are a few medieval birthday party costume suggestions to help get you started:

• Bar Maid
• Court Jester
• Dragon
• Executioner
• Fair Maiden
• Farmer
• Gothic Princess
• Gypsy
• King
• Knight
• Lady
• Lady in Waiting
• Lord
• Maid Marian
• Merchant
• Monk
• Noble Lady
• Peasant
• Queen
• Robin Hood
• Tavern Wench
• Town Crier
• Warrior
• Washer Woman
• Wench
• Wizard

If you're in the market to buy, here's Medieval Costumes Galore.

If you didn't find quite what you were looking for, here's another batch of Renaissance Costumes, along with oodles of accessories.


MEDIEVAL BIRTHDAY PARTY DECORATIONS

As you commence the preparation of transforming your humble abode into a royal castle or a renaissance banquet hall, your first consideration will be the royal colors that you plan on incorporating. The best choices for your medieval birthday party are any combination of red, blue, purple, green, yellow, and silver. Here are some ideas to ponder for your medieval party decorations:

• Have some high school students dress up in armored knight costumes and position them at various doors and doorways to greet your guests and/or keep them out!

• Create a draw bridge at the entrance to your party door using plywood. Attach chains to the plywood and door frame area, in an open draw bridge fashion.

• Line the walkway with torches and place a few throughout the party rooms.

• For a festive entrance, line your walkway with colorful flags. You can create them from construction paper, card stock, or felt. Attach them to skinny wood dowels and push the dowels into the ground.

• Hang a wood sign at the front door that says "Welcome to Penelope's Castle."
  Medieval Party Ideas For Decorations

• Make a throne for the birthday honoree by attaching a tall piece of plywood to a chair. Cover with purple velvet or satin fabric. Decorate chair with jewels, sequins, glitter, etc.

• Hang cobblestone gossamer on your party room walls to instantly transform the room into a castle-like atmosphere. You can also use it on the floors or ceiling.

• Hang fabric on the walls that resembles a stone wall like those of the renaissance era.

• Treasure chest overflowing with booty.

• Hang art prints on the walls from the art giants of this time period like Raphael, Michelangelo, and DiVinci.
  
  Medieval Party Ideas For Decorations

• Hang swords and shields on the walls.

• Accent walls or corners with large velvet bows. They also make for a great accent around chairs and vases of flowers.

• Hang coat of arms banners and tapestries on the walls. For easy to make banners, cut large pieces of rich, textured fabric just shy of the length of a wall. Cut the bottom into a "V" shape. Fold over the top to create a casing and sew or glue in place. The opening should be sufficient to accommodate a decorative rod or curtain rod. Thread your banners onto the rods and hang them on your walls.

• Serve food in wooden or pewter bowls and plates, along with pewter goblets.

• Sprinkle gold coins or gold foil wrapped chocolate coins on tables.
  Medieval Party Ideas For Decorations

• Decorate your tables with large candelabras and tapered candles.

• Use lots of lighted candles throughout the party room. On the dining table, use short candles so guests don't burn themselves while passing food. For added fun, use only candles as your lighting source.

• Create a fun themed photo-op corner with a medieval stockade standee. As guests arrive, have them place their head in the stockade, then snap away.

• Place stacks of old books throughout the room.

• Create an artisan and craft market atmosphere by setting up tents and displaying crafts like jewelry, leather goods, candles, baskets, silks, swords, pottery, and period clothing.
  Medieval Party Ideas For Decorations

• If you have a large party area and are really wanting to do it up right, hire musical high school students dressed in appropriate attire to stroll amongst your guests and play medieval music.

• Another great option which certainly proclaims your theme is a court jester. Once again, hire high school students, this time from the drama department, to dress accordingly and exhibit nothing but Tom Foolery! Juggling is a must, yo-yo tricks are another great option, and if you're having your party outside, or just happen to have extra-high ceilings, stilts are a welcome addition.

Here's an entire page with nothing but Medieval Games and Activities, such as:

• Arrivals
• Musicians
• Jugglers
• singers
• Contortionists & Acrobatics
• Storytelling
• Games
• Jester
• Magicians
• Renaissance Dancing

PRINTABLE GAMES - Here's a great site for some fun print and play adult party games that would be a perfect party game add-on!

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MEDIEVAL BIRTHDAY PARTY FOOD IDEAS

Remember, forks, knives, and spoons were a luxury, so keep your medieval birthday party theme going without utensils. Serve food and drink in pewter plates, trays, and goblets, or pewter colored partyware and goblets.

If you opt to serve medieval foods that aren't considered to be a part of a traditional medieval foods menu, then serve them up with a fun medieval name.

SOUP - Create a soup that contains some or all of the medieval favorites of onions, cabbage, garlic, nuts, berries, leeks, spinach, and parsley.

MEAT & POULTRY - Turkey and chicken legs, chicken wings, and Cornish game hens, lamb, or beef were all available to the lord and his family. If you really want to go authentic and you're up to the challenge, dig a hole and roast a pig!

STEW - Serve a hearty stew in small, individual bread bowls.

VEGETABLES - Corn on the cob and baked potatoes.

BREAD - Large rustic-looking loaves of bread that need to be ripped apart, not cut into slices.

CHEESE & FRUIT - Assorted chunks of cheese and fruits. Okay, if you must, go ahead and put toothpicks in the pieces so everyone's hands don't have to touch the food.

FRUIT TARTS - Either make individual various fruit tarts or buy them pre-made.

NON-ALCOHOLIC GROG - Ginger ale and apple cider.

DRAGON SCALES - Bowl of triangle-shaped tortilla chips.


MEDIEVAL BIRTHDAY PARTY CAKES

Photo courtesy of: Arenamontanus

TRUE MEDIEVAL CAKES - They were like what we now call fruit breads and were filled with fruits, seeds, and nuts.

CASTLE CAKE - Get an "Enchanted Castle" cake pan and decorate your castle with various edible decorations.

MEDIEVAL BIRTHDAY CAKE - Make or buy a sheet cake. Airbrush it a light gray and put an edible sugar art image on top.

DRAGON CAKE - Make your favorite cake recipe and pour it into a dragon-shaped pan. Follow the pan's directions for decorating.


MEDIEVAL BIRTHDAY PARTY FAVORS

Favors aren't necessary for an adult birthday party, but if you wish to give your guests a small parting gift, you might consider a medieval looking mug or metal goblet.

Medieval Birthday Party Ideas

Do you have some favorite Medieval birthday party ideas? Do tell! Please share all your party tips and ideas for invitations, decorations, games, etc.

To help you get into the medieval birthday parties frame of mind, we've put together links to the best party supplies:

Here's some Medieval Supplies & Costumes that would be perfect to help you create that special medieval theme.

Here's a ton of Renaissance Costumes & Accessories. If you don't find it here, they probably don't make it.

Here's some great Medieval birthday party supplies, along with some costume options.