My DIY Belle Birthday Bash That Totally Slayed
“It All Started With a Dress and a Dream”
You know those moments when your little girl is twirling in her yellow nightgown, pretending she’s dancing with a Beast that just so happens to be a stack of pillows? That was the exact scene in our living room that sparked it all. My daughter, Madison, who has always had a flair for the dramatic (and glitter), looked up mid-spin and said, “Mommy, I want to be Belle for my birthday.” And just like that, we went from a “maybe cupcakes and streamers” plan to a full-blown Beauty and the Beast-themed birthday bash.
Credit: Bella’s Princess Belle Themed Party (Styled by My Choice Party Shop) and (Photographed by HM Venegas Photography) via Party Doll Manilla
Being a freelance designer and writer for a website that offers free party invitations and DIY celebration ideas, I thought, Okay, this is kind of my jam. But even with experience, I still faced the same thing every mom does—how do I make this magical without spending a royal fortune? So, I want to share exactly how I did it—every glittery detail, silly mistake, and sweet success—because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that every mom deserves to throw a party she’s proud of without breaking her back (or her budget).
And that leads us right into the most magical part of planning—the setting.
Turning Our House Into a Fairytale Castle (Yes, Really)
Okay, full disclosure—our living room is not castle-sized. It’s more of a “castle tower closet.” But hey, Belle made the best of an enchanted prison, and I figured I could work some magic in a small space too. I started with what we already had. White curtains became castle drapes. An old full-length mirror was suddenly the enchanted mirror, and I grabbed every red faux rose from every drawer and vase I could find (who knew I was a rose hoarder?).
Credit: Bella’s Princess Belle Themed Party (Styled by My Choice Party Shop) and (Photographed by HM Venegas Photography) via Party Doll Manilla
I strung some fairy lights across the room, dimmed the main lights, and boom—our humble space started to feel a little more “Be Our Guest” and a little less “Be Our Couch.” Now, if you have a backyard, oh girl, that’s where the magic really opens up. For Madison’s party, we moved the royal banquet outdoors.
Credit: Outdoor Beauty and the Beast Birthday Party by LUCIANA via Catch My Party
I used a golden table runner (okay, it was a $3 roll of wrapping paper), topped it with teacups and candle holders from the thrift store, and scattered those roses like I was prepping for a fairytale proposal. But here’s the real key: it doesn’t need to be Pinterest-perfect. It just needs to feel like your little princess’s dream. And speaking of dreams…
FREE Princess Belle Beauty And The Beast Birthday Invitations
“DM? Nah. We’re Sending Royal Scrolls, Baby”
Now, let’s talk about something I think is the real game changer when it comes to party planning: invitations. Yes, I know, it’s so tempting to just text a group chat or throw up a Facebook event. But mama, trust me, a real invitation sets the tone. It makes it official. Madison’s reaction when I showed her the invite I designed for her birthday? She gasped, clutched her chest like Belle herself had just invited her to the castle, and said, “Is that really for me?”
I created three free editable Canva templates for this party theme, and each one holds a special place in my heart. One features Belle in her shimmering yellow dress with twinkling stars all around (just like in the image above). Another has her standing confidently by the enchanted mirror, and the last one captures that magical ballroom glow with golden swirls and dancing sparkles.
They’re dreamy, detailed, and honestly—they look like they cost $40. But they’re free. Yep, completely free. Because designing party invites shouldn’t cost more than the cake. And what’s even better? You don’t have to be a graphic designer to make them work. With just a few clicks in Canva, you can change the name, date, address, and make it all about your little one. You can print them, email them, or send them with a carrier pigeon if that’s your vibe. And if you want to go all out, I’ve also included matching welcome signs, backdrops, and thank-you cards.
It’s like a full Belle birthday suite—and I made it all because I’ve been that mom frantically Googling “last-minute princess invitations printable FREE.” But the best part? Seeing your child beam when they feel like the star of their own fairytale. Now once the invites are sent and the castle’s prepped, it’s time to get our princess party-ready.
CUSTOMIZE AND DOWNLOAD NOW ON CANVA!
Beginner’s Guides
Before you get too wrapped up in planning the rest of your party magic, let’s talk about invitations! Our free invitation templates are not only adorable, but they’re super easy to customize too. Whether you’re adding in party details like the date, time, and location or even a special note, you can personalize everything to fit your theme perfectly.
A. Download Instruction
Want to know how? Read this step-by-step guide to help you download and customize our free editable invitation templates:
- Scroll up the page until you see the “Download Free Editable … Here” button.
- A new page will be shown in seconds, and you will be able to see the preview of our template designs.
- Choose/click the “Edit Template” button (blue button).
- Now you can personalize our templates, like putting your son or daughter’s name, changing the font-size and color.
- Once you finished with the editing, you can download the final draft (Go to File > Download > Select the File Type (PNG is the best option) > Download.
B. How to Print the file?
“Steps for printing our templates”
- Save the image you want to print to the computer or to a flash drive if it is not saved already. (Step 5 of Download Instruction).
- Go to the file explorer and find the file. Double click the image.
- The file will open in Windows Photo Viewer
- Go to print at the top and then go to the print option
- Select the color printer if you want the photo to print in color
- Select the print size you want
- You may want to play around with the “Fit picture to frame” option. Sometimes that option will allow the photo to print closer to the border, but sometimes it will cut off the edges of the photo.
- Hit print and Voila!!!
Speaking of birthday parties, we avoid to see anything basic, especially when it comes to children’s birthdays. By unusual, I mean something that isn’t typical Floral theme, but rather something like what’s in this page or something like these, Royal Disney Princess Belle and Royal Princess Belle birthday invitation templates.
Belle’s Gown, On a Budget, With a Touch of Glitter and Love
Let’s be real—those Disney store princess dresses? Gorgeous. Also? Pricey. But here’s the fun thing about being a DIY mom—you can turn anything into a ballgown with enough tulle and a glue gun. For Madison’s dress, I found a soft yellow sundress at a consignment store for $5. Then I added layers of sparkly tulle, a golden ribbon belt, and sewed on some tiny rosettes (okay fine, I hot-glued them). She twirled for days.
Credit: Toddler Spring Dress – Girls Yellow Shoulder Maxi Lace Sundress by Mia Belle Girls
And when the party day came, she walked out like she was descending the Beast’s grand staircase. Guests clapped. My heart melted. She felt like the Belle—and that’s all that mattered. As for the other little guests, we encouraged them to come in princess or storybook attire, and let me tell you, one tiny Lumière stole the entire dessert table. It was adorable chaos. Speaking of desserts…
The Cake That Nearly Made Me Cry
Here’s where the pressure usually kicks in—the cake. But you don’t need a degree from the Great British Baking Show to wow your guests. I went simple. A single-layered vanilla cake (because kids), yellow buttercream, and red icing roses. I stuck a Belle figurine on top and made a little chocolate “glass dome” with a rose inside using clear sugar sheets (YouTube taught me. Bless that tutorial lady).
Credit: Jilly’s Beauty and the Beast Birthday Cake by Coolest Birthday Cakes
It was beautiful. I mean, truly—a vision in frosting. But here’s the honest truth? It tasted even better the next morning when I was standing barefoot in the kitchen, fork in hand, eating it straight from the fridge while the house was still quiet. There’s something magical about post-party cake when it’s chilled and stolen in secret like that—it’s basically self-care in sugar form.
Coloring Pages, Crafty Fun, and a Rose Hunt Worthy of a Princess
No Belle party is complete without a few enchanted activities—and by “enchanted,” I mean “the kind that keep toddlers sitting in one spot for more than 90 seconds.” My secret weapon? Coloring pages. I printed out a bunch of Beauty and the Beast sheets and set up what I called the “Royal Art Station,” which was really just my coffee table covered in craft paper, crayons, and glitter glue that somehow ended up on someone’s shoe.
Let me tell you, those kids went to town. Belle got green hair, Beast got a cape and a mustache, and someone gave Mrs. Potts a whole makeover complete with vampire teeth (very edgy, very fashion-forward). One little artist even announced, “I’m drawing Gaston as a chicken,” and honestly? I fully supported the creative vision.
Credit: 24 Belle Coloring Pages by Monday Mandala
Later, we had story time under the tree. I read the tale of Belle and the Beast, and the kids listened wide-eyed like I was casting an actual spell. It was such a sweet, calm moment in the midst of frosting-fueled fun. But even after the balloons deflated and the last rose petal fell, there was one more thing to send them off with…
You’ve Got This, Mama!
This party wasn’t just for Madison—it was for me, too. It reminded me that even in the craziness of life, we can create magic. We can make our homes feel like castles and our kids feel like royalty. We can laugh at frosting disasters, dance in our living rooms, and turn cardboard into chandeliers.
So whether you’re planning your daughter’s first or eighth birthday, remember—you don’t need perfection. You need heart, creativity, and maybe a little sparkle. And I’m right here cheering you on. Let’s keep planning beautiful memories, one enchanted birthday at a time.
