A friend of mine is having a car-themed birthday for her son who is turning 4, and wanted a few ideas, so I thought I would share with you all! I did a car birthday for my son when he turned 2. Since he was 2, it wasn’t a huge event, but I was pretty pleased with his cake: 
My husband suggested the Herbie version. I frosted the cake white, building up the frosting in some areas to make it look more like a bug. The windows, headlamps, and bumper, were all made of fondant. The wheels and number 2 were made from melted chocolate (chocolate covered donuts might have been cuter and easier! I used watered-down food coloring to paint on the fondant, and to paint the racing stripes on the cake. I changed the number to a 2, since he was turning 2.
My husband suggested the Herbie version. I frosted the cake white, building up the frosting in some areas to make it look more like a bug. The windows, headlamps, and bumper, were all made of fondant. The wheels and number 2 were made from melted chocolate (chocolate covered donuts might have been cuter and easier! I used watered-down food coloring to paint on the fondant, and to paint the racing stripes on the cake. I changed the number to a 2, since he was turning 2.
This is the car pan I used. It’s available in My Amazon Store, here. (Let me know if you want to borrow it, Jennifer.)
I can’t remember if I made some invitations, and forgot to save one, or if I skipped them since it was just a family party. But I know I had great plans to do something with this stamp set from Stampin‘ Up.
For a 4-year-old, you’d need more in the way of activities.
I know my friend had talked about them making cardboard cars and having a race. If it is anything like this party (found via Tip Junkie), it will be adorable! I wonder where she got those helmets. Too cute!
I had seen these favors in the store before, and just found them on-line here. I think they are just squirters. I was hoping they were sippy cups, although, I suppose the idea of drinking oil shouldn’t be promoted to young boys. But wouldn’t it be cute to fill them with root beer and sip on them while wearing their cardboard cars.
This car birthday (submitted to my party party) was thrown for older boys, but I love her use of the black and white checkered flags:
And I love the road table Alayna and I did for our construction parties. That would work great for this as well!
I just thought of one food idea that could be really fun:
How about making a giant sandwich like this, and using white and rye bread to make the checkers (and hoping the kids will eat the rye). That would make nice small snack-sized servings and carry through the checkered flag theme. (Sandwich by Kraft, found here.)
You could also get a car cookie cutter and make jello jigglers in car shapes for some color.
Did I miss any great car party ideas? What have you done?
UPDATE–2/04/09
Thanks to Miriam, for sharing her car party. She has some great food ideas. I especially like these apple racers:
Go to her site for more ideas! She also, used the above cake pan to make a Lightning McQueen Cake.
Go to her site for more ideas! She also, used the above cake pan to make a Lightning McQueen Cake.
(Here is a link for free shipping at Celebrate Express, if you are planning a party: Free Shipping on $75+ )
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I am a bit past the age of two, but those cardboard cars look like fun!
Cute cake at your son’s party! For my little brother’s car birthday, we used photoshop and made a picture book of him driving all kinds of crazy things (like tractors, airplanes, and monster trucks). I was really excited about it, but at the age of 3 it actually seemed to scare him! Lol!
Love the cake – nice work!!
The cardboard box cars are so fun. Great ideas!
I love all of it!!! I’m sure one of those car parties are in my future!
I did a cars theme for my son’s birthday too, and I used pretzel rods as “dip sticks,” and made small racers out of slices of apple with grapes as wheels (stuck 2 toothpicks through the apple like axles, with the peel side up so the car was red, and added 4 grapes to the sides on the toothpick edges). Then I used the race car flag toothpicks to stick in the tops. They came out really well. I’ve used that car cake pan twice now – once for my son’s 2nd birthday (just made a blue car) and this year for his 4th when I made Lightning McQueen out of it. There are som pics on my blog.
You are crazy crafty, girl! I love it!
Wow nice! I like everything you created.