There are Disney invitations available, of course, but nothing is stopping you from making your own! Print out a picture featuring the back of a car, magnified to highlight the license plate area. Print out license plates on your computer for this size and have it say something like, “Tym 2 Par T” (Time to Party). Cut out a small piece of thick card and glue it onto the license plate area. It should be only about a third of that size. Then carefully glue your cutout license plate on top, giving it a 3D effect.
What better color scheme for a movie about racing cars than black, white, red, yellow, and blue? You can find black and white checkered flag balloons on the internet. Group these with a balloon each in red, yellow, and blue, and you've got a really pretty bunch that can be displayed around the party area. If you can find a mylar balloon showing the Disney Cars characters, center those around the area where the birthday boy will be sitting. String lots of bunting around in red, yellow, and blue flaglets to rally the kids around the party area.
Throw a black and white checked tablecloth on the kids' table and use red, blue, and yellow tableware for each place setting. It's fun to jumble it up, say with a blue plate, yellow utensils, and a red paper cup accented with a bright yellow bendy straw. If you like, print out old-fashioned oil can labels on sticker paper and stick one onto each cup. For the centerpieces, soak half rounds of floral foam in water and cover with red and yellow flowers. If you can find blue flowers like hydrangeas, use them, too. Accent the arrangement with two crossed black and white checked flags and set the whole arrangement on a square tile of industrial rubber flooring.
The cake table is a little simpler decorated to place emphasis on the cake. Cover the cake table with a bright red tablecloth and use a black and white checked topper. Have two black and white flags crossed behind the cake table and set the cake on an elevated stand. Cover the sides of the cake with a black and white checked ribbon and either use a Cars character cake topper or little Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars to decorate the top. Add toys using the Hot Wheels racing accessories to make a diorama on top of the cake.
A simple yet fun menu is best for children's birthday parties. You may still be able to order slices of old-fashioned checkerboard cake from your baker, made with vanilla and chocolate cakes held together with strawberry or raspberry jam. Cut grilled cheese sandwiches into rounds with a large fluted biscuit cutter to simulate tires. Miniature pizzas are good, too, as are little burgers. Serve all of these with a zippy juice concoction created by combining a favorite fruit juice with carbonated water.
For favors, create a hobo bag with a black and white checked bandanna
and stuff it with red and white gummy candy, a chocolate car, chubby
red pencils and a “Cars” notepad. Tie up all the items
in the bag with a red ribbon.