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Left Shark Pool Party Ideas on a Budget

Left Shark Pool Party Ideas on a Budget

Getting ready for summer parties and need some unique inspiration? How about a few pool party ideas that get down with left shark and his friends for some cartoony, beachy pool fun. Whip these ideas up for a birthday pool party or get together for an event that will melt your popsicle!

The minute I saw Katy Perry’s halftime show last year…I knew I had to throw a Left Shark Pool Party. The cartoony take on a day at the beach was just too much fun! When my little Katy Perry jamming, shark-loving friend Sidney wanted some ideas for her birthday pool party….well, I couldn’t help myself but to bring this theme to life.

The other cast of characters dancing along in the halftime show that were must haves: The dancing palm trees and beach balls. Both were fairly easy DIYs…and I’ll show you how to put together the beach balls yourself.

Also–since I was working with a realistic party budget for someone else’s kid, I made sure everything I made or did was on the super-cheap for about 10 kids. Super-cool pool party ideas on a budget? Yes, please! Read on for a whole bunch of ideas for your next pool party that are budget-perfect…even if you don’t invite left shark to the bash.

Easy to make DIY pineapple cake: a two layer tiered cake frosted in yellow with chocolate frosting cross-hatch. Add a green paper flourish and you've got yourself a pineapple cake!

Pineapple Cake

I threw this party last year (and am a slow poke about posting parties)–and since then, pineapples have totally become the trend. I’m feeling so chic being ahead of the times! This cake was an easy DIY.

HOW TO MAKE: Frost a 2 tier cake yellow. Cross hatch with chocolate frosting or black frosting in a tube. Add some green paper “leaves” to the top.

Kid pleasing healthy party food - Watermelon pops! Slice watermelon into triangles, cut a slit in the rind and insert a popsicle stick and you're ready to pool party!

Watermelon Pops

Party food should be fun, even if it’s healthy! And nothing goes with summer or pool parties better than watermelon. Make watermelon a blast to eat with some quick and easy watermelon pops.

HOW TO MAKE: Slice watermelon into triangles, cut a slit in the rind and insert a Popsicle stick and you’re ready to pool party!

Easy DIY sunbathing bear brownies how-to: Make brownies and cut into rectangles. Sprinkle with crumbled graham crackers. Add a piece of candy tape, a teddy graham, and a paper umbrella and serve up on a bed of brown sugar sand. Perfect pool party food!

Sunbathing Bear Brownies

Are you noticing the semi-homemade trend here? Yes! No fancy cookies or ordered cakes here, and everything was inexpensive and put together quickly. Sunbathing bear brownies

HOW TO MAKE: Make brownies and cut into rectangles. Sprinkle with crumbled graham crackers. Add a piece of candy belt for the towel, a teddy graham, and a paper umbrella and serve up on a bed of brown sugar sand. Perfect pool party food!

 

Summer-ready easy DIY flip flop cookies. For a crowd-pleasing presentation, set them in a bed of brown sugar to look like sand!

Flip Flop Cookies

Really, you’re going to see a ton of tutorials out there on the interwebs for these…they aren’t original. But popular because they are so stinkin’ easy to make up. The kids loved them because they’re cute, you’ll love them because they’re easy.

HOW TO MAKE: Use cookie icing (can buy in a tube) and pipe flip flop straps onto Nutter Butter cookies. Accent with a mini M&M.

 

Happy DIY palm trees dance at this left shark pool party! Getting ready for summer parties and need some unique inspiration? How about a few pool party ideas that get down with left shark and his friends for some cartoony, beachy pool fun. Whip these ideas up for a birthday pool party or get together!!

Don’t you just love the happy little palm trees and happy beach balls? Seriously, besides left shark, they were my favorite part. And I do get excited about party details that crack me up.

Every left shark pool party needs a few smiling beach balls!

Smiling Beach Balls

The beach balls were done with a white paint pen and a sharpie marker. Not complicated at all!

HOW TO MAKE: With a white paint pen, draw circles on the beach ball where the eyes will go, and a rectangle for the tooth in the mouth. Let the paint dry! Use a wide black sharpie marker to draw in the mouth and eye details.

DIY tissue paper pineapples and a helpful sign-holding left shark make for fun pool party centerpieces

The tables the kids sat at for the party was just as full of campy fun as the dessert spread. A tissue paper pineapple was the centerpiece, and left shark helped out by holding Sidney’s birthday sign. Most of the other items came from the dollar store or were thrift shop finds.

Make incredibly cute place card holders and food labels for your pool party with a little help from left shark!

Left shark makes me equally want to do “fins to the left” ala Jimmy Buffet and boogie down ala Katy Perry. So much fun emotion from one little shark!

Chair backs are one of my favorite party details! A little raffia and a crepe paper hibiscus flower make a beachy splash for our pool party.

To dress up (inexpensively) the backs of our party chairs, I added a little braided raffia and some paper hibiscus. The flowers were made from crepe and tissue paper. Crepe paper has a lot more stability

 

Printables make details easy! A folded utensil holder with a beach ball circle add some easy pop to pool party place settings

All in all, I didn’t actually make or decorate that much. Just the tables the kids sat at and my super-small dessert display. Really, kids don’t need acres of sweets at a party, and a few little things is more than enough. The party guests thought everything was spectacular and loved every moment!

Once you remove the paper top from your pineapple cake, light your number sparkler and sing happy birthday

If you loved the printables, I’ll be happy to package them up for purchase. Just shoot me an email.

Don’t forget to pin this party on Pinterest!

Getting ready for summer parties and need some unique inspiration? How about a few pool party ideas that get down with left shark and his friends for some cartoony, beachy pool fun. Whip these ideas up for a birthday pool party or get together for an event that will melt your popsicle and make you the hit of the summer!

Paula Biggs

Owner at Frog Prince Paperie
Paula Biggs is a party planner, DIY crafter, and owner of Frog Prince Paperie, where you can find hundreds of party, craft and lifestyle ideas.

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I am cracking up over this theme! What a fun idea for a pool party! I love how you played off of the lyrics of the song with the snacks and treats! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. I'll be featuring your pool party at this week's party.

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