How I Threw a Princess Belle Birthday Party
If you told me five years ago I’d be comparing yellow tulle samples and hand-gluing roses to a cardboard mirror at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday, I would’ve laughed… but here we are. This year, my daughter Madison turned eight, and her one and only birthday wish was to have a “Beauty and the Beast” party where she could twirl like Belle, eat cake like Gaston, and maybe even convince her friends to waltz in the living room. I mean, who am I to say no to that?
Credit: Princess Belle Inspired Birthday Party by Justine Oh of Pretty Little Vintage via Catch My Party
Truth be told, Belle has always had a special place in our hearts. She loves books, sings to birds, and handles wild situations with grace and a gorgeous updo—relatable, right? And while I didn’t have an enchanted castle (just our very lived-in house), I knew I could create a little magic for Madison, starting with something simple and beautiful—an invitation.
The Free Princess Belle Invitation That Changed Everything
You’d think the first step to throwing a princess party is finding the dress—the sparkly one, with a twirl factor of at least a 10 out of 10. But oh no, not in this house. For us, it all began with me, bleary-eyed at 1 a.m., spiraling into an emotional breakdown over the price of custom birthday invitations. Like, truly, why was I out here debating whether I needed to take out a small loan for ten pieces of cardstock?
I was scrolling through these gorgeous princess-themed invites—gold foil, satin ribbon, maybe a dusting of fairy glitter—and thinking, “Wow, stunning,” right before I saw the price tag: $75. For ten. TEN. Cards that are absolutely going to be crumpled in the bottom of a backpack, smeared with juice box residue, or dropped in the school pickup line like yesterday’s snack wrapper. One kid’s gonna sneeze on it before they even get to the RSVP info, and yet here I am, considering selling my soul for fancy paper.
Thankfully, I stumbled across a lifesaver: Bagvania.com. They had these absolutely gorgeous free editable Princess Belle birthday templates—I’m talking dreamy golden frames, Belle in her iconic yellow gown, floating stars, and elegant fonts that made it look like I spent way too much (even though I didn’t spend a dime).
I used Canva to customize Madison’s name, party time, and our address—aka “Madison’s House,” which she insisted sounded much more regal than “home.” It took maybe ten minutes total and looked incredible. I even printed a few on glossy cardstock for keepsakes. Let me tell you, grandma cried when she saw it, and Madison carried hers around for two days like it was an award. It instantly made everything feel real. And just like that, I had a theme, a vision, and one very excited birthday girl.
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!!!
Looking for more ideas? We also have these for you, Need other ideas? Please show some love to these template designs, Enchanted Princess Belle and Fancy Christmas Belle birthday invitation templates.
Tale as Old as Time… Told in Our Living Room
I don’t live in a chateau. I live in a house with stained rugs and glitter in the air vents, but you better believe I turned that space into a royal ballroom for one magical afternoon. I started with gold streamers, pink paper roses, and the biggest roll of yellow tulle I could find without being judged by the fabric store cashier.
Credit: Belle Princess Birthday Theme by Dj Vibez & Event Styling on Facebook
We draped the tulle over furniture, pinned some to the ceiling with fairy lights, and used leftover cardboard boxes to create a castle wall around the TV. Was it crooked? A little. Did it matter? Absolutely not. The backdrop came straight from the same free Belle party kit. The Canva backdrop template featured Belle and her library (of course), and I added “Welcome to Madison’s Royal Celebration” in gold script. I printed it in poster size, stuck it on the wall with double-sided tape, and boom—instant party centerpiece.
You can use this template and print it on 18″ x 24″ Poster Paper
Every corner had a little touch of magic, from enchanted rose jars made with dollar-store lights to cutouts of Lumière and Cogsworth that Madison helped paint. My favorite moment? When she gasped and whispered, “It looks like the movie!” I almost cried into my sparkle confetti.
Royal Fashion Statements, Inspired by Belle’s Close
Madison was very clear about her outfit from the jump: “Not the yellow dress from the toy aisle. The real one. With the rose.” She said it with the kind of conviction usually reserved for royalty or reality show contestants—and honestly, I respected it. She had a vision, and I was just a humble party planner trying to make it happen.
So naturally, the search began. We scrolled past 73 versions of slightly-wrinkled polyester until we found the one—a lovely, twirl-ready gown online that sparkled in just the right places. It had layers of tulle, a soft shimmer under the skirt, and yes, the rose detail front and center like it had been plucked straight out of a Disney vault. It arrived in the mail, and Madison gasped like she was being handed the crown at a pageant. I cried a little. We had a moment.
Credit: Beauty and the Beast Birthday Party by Chakoda Design via Catch My Party
She even wanted her friends to come dressed as their favorite characters. So we had a mini Mrs. Potts, a few Belles, and one brave little guest who showed up in a Beast hoodie and roared every time someone walked by the snack table. I still laugh every time I think about it. To make everyone feel royal, I set up a DIY “Princess Station” with gold paper crowns, foam roses, and stick-on jewels. It was chaotic, glittery, and very on-brand for eight-year-olds.
The Food Wasn’t Fancy, But It Was Très Délicieux
Look, I’m not a professional chef—I don’t have a fancy apron or a viral cooking channel, and I’ve definitely set off the smoke alarm more than once while trying to “just broil something real quick.” But what I can do is slice cheese into little hearts and name things with enough flair to make a toddler think lunch is pure magic. Honestly? That’s like 90% of party food success right there.
For Madison’s princess party, I went all in on the royal snack game. We served “Mrs. Potts’ Tea Sandwiches,” which were just PB&J cut into rose shapes with a cookie cutter I found in the back of our junk drawer. Were they slightly uneven and totally smooshed? Yes. Did the kids care? Absolutely not—they were enchanted. Then we had “Chip’s Cups of Fruit,” which were clear plastic cups filled with rainbow fruit salad. I told the kids it was fruit straight from the castle garden, and one of them whispered, “No way,” like I had just handed them treasure.
Credit: Beauty and the Beast Movie Tea Party for Two by Made By A Princess
Credit: Crown Cakes (Belle Beauty & Beast) by Cakes and Memories Bakeshop
The cake, though? It was the real showstopper. Two layers of vanilla and strawberry swirl, covered in gold buttercream and topped with a mini Belle figurine. Madison insisted on helping decorate it, so we ended up with uneven rosettes and one accidental “Belle belly flop” into the frosting—but somehow, it made the cake even more memorable.
Keeping the Castle Calm(ish) with Fun & Games
After food, we needed something to burn off all that princess energy. I pulled out the coloring pages from the party kit—Belle, the rose, the enchanted castle—and set up a little art station. That gave us twenty glorious minutes of peace while the kids colored, glued sequins everywhere, and proudly showed off their masterpieces.
Credit: 26 Beauty and the Beast Coloring Pages by Monday Mandala
Then we played “Pass the Rose” (like hot potato but with a faux rose) and “Guess the Disney Song,” which turned into a sing-along that rivaled any Broadway performance. The final surprise? A reading of “Beauty and the Beast,” acted out with plush toys, by me. I do a mean Mrs. Potts voice, apparently.
The Happily Ever After (and Why This Party Mattered So Much)
At the end of the day, after the balloons popped and the cake was gone, I sat on the couch in my tulle-strewn living room and just breathed. Madison came up, still in her dress, chocolate on her cheek, and said, “That was the best day ever, mommy.” And in that moment, I realized that no Pinterest board, no party-planning checklist, and no Instagram-worthy photo could top that.
It wasn’t about perfection. It was about love, effort, magic, and those in-between moments that become forever memories. So if you’re planning a Belle-themed birthday, start with the free invitation templates. Let that be your fairytale starting point. Then build from there—with your heart, your hands, and your own version of happily ever after.
