Well, gee, you could do some of the party. In our house, we have made: Life sized banjo cakes, as well as mandolin cakes, and bodhran cakes. Howabout a mandolin pinata, filled with strings and picks and stuff? Had the treasure hunt one year for each and all with a small gift at the end. If you have a banjo player: we got ours 2 dozen 5th strings one year......he's not playing if he doesn't break one per session. Of, if you have the $$$$, really nice music stands (ours are wooden, and hold at least 4 books) or really nice stand up's for stringed instruments. Or, if they play accordian.....the care and feeding of your diatonic accordian by Jehan Paul. Yeah, we take b'days SERIOUS in these parts!