For a round-faced white cartoon cat who made her humble debut in 1974 on a coin purse, “Hello Kitty” has been making countless people (especially pre-teen and little girls) happy for more than thirty-five years. Hello Kitty was created by Ikuko Shimizu for the Sanrio Co. in Japan, but quickly spread in popularity and came to the United States in 1976. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/19/content_470573.htm

This character is now available in countless forms as toys, dolls, accessories, candy treats,stationery, stickers, clothes, home goods and some cosmetics. http://www.toydirectory.com/MONTHLY/Apr2003/designinspiration.asp So, it is small wonder that so many people are interested in how to plan a Hello Kitty theme party for their little ones and their friends, or for adult parties, too.

Because of the wide variety of Hello Kitty items available, this can be a fairly easy task. The only decision of importance is, how far do you want to take the theme? The options are almost unlimited.

Here are some things to think about before you plan your party. Are you going to ask the guests to come in costume? At some websites on the Internet, you can find pre-made Hello Kitty costumes in an amazing variety of styles: Hello Kitty herself or Hello Kitty princess, ballerina, rockabilly, witch, cowgirl, butterfly, and the list goes on. These costumes are in the $30.00 range, so may be out of budget for some families. Another option is to ask guests to dress either in costume or in the style of Hello Kitty – a red hair bow in the hair, perhaps, or a piece of clothing with Hello Kitty on it. There are Hello Kitty headbands, complete with kitty ears and the signature red bow, available in the Internet, to make costume planning easier.

Another consideration is gender and age range. Some Hello Kitty items are suggested for five years and up, so toddlers and babies will need close adult supervision if they are on your list. Are there going to be any boys who feel left out because they weren’t invited to the party? Considering the Hello Kitty theme, they will probably not be too unhappy to miss out on all that pink, but perhaps sorry to miss the party.

Send your Hello Kitty invitations about three weeks before the party and mail them out. Two weeks may be suggested as ample time for a kid's party. But, three weeks is a proper length of time for advance notice if people want to order costumes from the Internet, etc. They need a bit more time.http://www.blisstree.com/sheknowsparties/how-far-in-advance-should-you-send-party-invitations/ Hello Kitty party invitations can be found on the Internet, in greeting card stores, and in Hello Kitty specialty stores.

Even if the party you are planning is not a birthday party but, for instance, a Hello Kitty graduation party, Hello Kitty Halloween party or Hello Kitty Easter party, there are balloons and accompanying supplies available for those occasions as well. It is suggested that a great color combination for a Hello Kitty party is pink, white and bright green. These are the “signature” colors you will find on most Hello Kitty party supplies. In addition to the many decorations available, balloons in these three colors with long streamers attached will brighten the room and give the guests something to take home with them.

Consider getting a helium tank, but do not blow up the balloons until the morning of the party. It should come as no surprise that Hello Kitty Mylar balloons are available in dozens of patterns, as well as latex balloons with Hello Kitty on them. Considering her heritage, Hello Kitty Japanese-style lanterns are a festive way to decorate. There are several Hello Kitty lantern styles to choose from.

When you prepare the party table or tables, a plain-colored tablecloth is a nice option, because you can find Hello Kitty confetti, Hello Kitty gummy candies, and whatever other small Hello Kitty items you like, then spread them over the table. A Hello Kitty balloon or balloons in the middle (weighted down) provides a fun centerpiece.

There is a wide variety of styles for your Hello Kitty themed party. There are many birthday and other event patterns, but the primary motif for Hello Kitty party supplies is generic – that is, not specific to any party theme other than (of course) Hello Kitty.

Will you be serving food and cake, or just cake? Make sure to specify on the invitation that the guests are invited to join you for “dinner” or “cake and ice cream” so they know what to expect. You will need the right size plates if you are serving one or the other or both.

Simple party food that ties in well with Hello Kitty is not too difficult. For instance, you can buy Hello Kitty toothpicks and use them with chunks of watermelon (bright pink). There are Hello Kitty cookie cutters that make adorable sandwiches from your child’s favorites, especially peanut butter and jelly with the jelly being strawberry (bright pink).

You can buy Hello Kitty plastic bowls, serve Ramen-style noodles in them, and let the guests take the bowls home as party favors. You can buy Hello Kitty muffin “tins” that give you a bow, nose and eyes that stand out when the muffin is baked, due to the dents in the muffin maker. You can buy Hello Kitty ice cube trays to make Hello Kitty ice cubes to serve in your drinks. You can buy your own Hello Kitty gummy maker, and the list goes on and on.

In every bakery that sells “theme” birthday cakes, or just theme cakes, you will find Hello Kitty with very little difficulty. If you choose to make your own, there are dozens of ideas on the Internet, including a Hello Kitty Goth cake for an 18-year-old. Vanilla ice cream on the side will give you your “white” in the color scheme. Of course, you can buy a Hello Kitty birthday candle to go on top.

If you are very ambitious, there are sites that will share the steps and ingredients for how to make your own Hello Kitty cake.http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/hello-kitty-birthday-cake.html

This is when your budget really may become an issue, because you can invest a lot of money in the gifts for the guests, goody bags, and party games.

There are Hello Kitty pinatas, and you can fill them with Hello Kitty candy, toys, pretend lipstick, necklaces, stickers, and an amazing array of small Hello Kitty items.

There are places on the Internet where you can find many Hello Kitty party games for free, such as Hello Kitty coloring pages to print out at home. http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring_page.php?id=135 A wise idea is to give each guest a small packet of Crayons of their own, so there will be no squabbling.

There are also free ideas for Hello Kitty party games online. http://partysupplieshut.com/hello-kitty/hello-kitty-party-games.htm#Game1

If you want to make your own games at home, “Tape the Bow on Kitty” is easy to create from construction paper. Put the guest’s name on the bow, so you’ll easily know who the winner is. You can give a lovely authentic Hello Kitty red hair bow as a prize.

Hello Kitty Goody Bags – These can be filled with Hello Kitty charm bracelets, sticker packs, Pez dispensers, Hello Kitty necklaces, Hello Kitty sunglasses, and the list is almost literally endless.

Another “use it and take it” item is a plastic “Hello Kitty tumbler which may be used to serve the beverages and then given to guests as another party favor. This would go well with the noodle bowl mentioned above.

Have a great party!