Pin the Tail on the Flamingo Birthday Party Game
My daughter loves flamingos! As we started to plan her 8th Birthday party we decided to play off her love of the long necked pink feathered bird and plan a Fa-Lingo Party! Amazon, Etsy and Oriental Trading Company are great resources for pink flamingo party supplies. But none of these shopping outlets had a 'pin the tail on the flamingo' game.
Using a few supplies I already had on hand, we were able to whip up this cute game in a matter of 2 evenings. The end result hangs in my daughters room as a reminder of the fun party we had with all of her friends and family celebrating her special day.
Step 1: Find an old framed canvas at a garage sale or second hand store. We happened to have one in our garage that hadn't been in use for years. It had a small tear in the canvas and was ready for an upcycle!
Step 2: Paint over canvas with a heavy coat of white paint.
Step 3: Mix a small amount of a few colors you would like to see in the background and do a light wash all over the canvas. I dip my brush in each of the colors and then lightly stroke over the canvas blending all of the colors together.
We took the pattern for the flamingo right off the napkins we planned to use for the party.
Step 3: Using sparkle paste and a small spatula, create the shape you want the animal to be. We penciled in the design based on a background found on a paper plate for the party. Then we added a thick sloppy coating of spackle to create a textured look. It's oaky if the spackle is uneven. When it dries, the unevenness creates a unique texture to paint over.
I used a small plastic square to scoop out the spakle and mold it onto the canvas. You could also use a plastic knife, buddy knife or even your finger if you wore a plastic glove.
Let the spackle dry over night.
Step 4: Blend a few shades of pink and white acrylic paint, dip brush and paint over the dried texture outline.
I added a large google eye with hot glue and used a white feather for eye lashes.
The entire process took very little time and created a unique and fun version of traditional Birthday party game, 'pin the tail on the donkey'.
Each child took turns cutting out a pink feather, writing their name on it, getting blindfolded and approaching the canvas to choose their spot for their tail feather. We used flat push pins to attache the feathers to the canvas.
After the party ended we hung the painting in our daughters room for her to enjoy...until next year's project takes its place.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?