Go beyond greeting cards into the realm of food garnishes, banners, hats, gift bags, and mobiles. Whether throwing a kid's birthday party or a wedding shower, users will find hundreds of printable templates and instructions for assembling creations into envelopes, baby booties, and other fold-and-glue masterpieces. Most of the items can be personalized with the names of hosts and guests, and there's even a section where card makers can select the appropriate sentiment to put inside homemade cards. Examples of the offering: a birthday card that cheerfully asserts "Oh well, better to be over the hill than under it!" and another that features a group of kittens purring "Come to my party--eat, drink and be meowy." The user interface is simple, and there's an area of blank templates and writing and painting tools for people who feel they can do better than American Greetings. There is also a fairly sneaky area, where the unwary could end up ordering ready-made cards. Those handy with scissors and glue--or at least immune to a bit of imperfection--are likely to appreciate CreataParty most. Its best use may be in planning kids' parties: children can build anticipation for their birthday party as they create decorations for it.
Bottom line: For folks who love a well-coordinated party--banners that match the nut cups that match the invitations--this is a dream come true. But those whose idea of party planning is buying a 12-pack, tossing together a pot of spaghetti, and inviting some friends over will wonder what all the papery hoopla is about. --Anne Erickson
