It can be difficult to pull of a hip & modern version of an animated character. Usually you’re limited to pre-made paper party supplies, but both of these ladies did a great job at creating Elmo-themed parties for little ones that are both age-appropriate, but packed with some serious style!

First up is a super-cute Elmo party from Jenn of justJENN designs :

Seriously, how adorable and creative are these cupcakes?!

Next is this adorable “Elmo Chic” birthday party that Courtney of Nesting-Instincts threw for her daughter’s 3rd birthday:

I love how Courtney incorporated the fun colors and patterns into everything from the decorations to the bottled drinks to her daughter’s outfit! Click here for more details .

Note: Over the past few months, several readers have sent in images & links to the parties they’ve thrown, and I’m constantly impressed by the level of creativity you guys have! If you’ve submitted a party that hasn’t been featured yet, please don’t think you’ve been forgotten or overlooked…it’s just a matter of finding the time to get everything done, but I’m trying to carve out some time very soon to get more “Real Parties ” by readers featured, so stay tuned…