Clara’s big birthday party is tomorrow — and it’s her actual birthday too. It’s hard to believe that this time last year she was just arriving; how time flies. Since so many of you asked for party details, I wanted to share a quick pre-party-prep rundown of the supplies and decorations I’ve gathered for her first birthday. I may be a little overenthusiastic, but we’re so excited and grateful to celebrate our girl’s first year.
First up, I made these easy tissue-paper pom-poms in our three party colors — blue, green, and pink — which match Clara’s nursery.
Those same colors appear on the invitation we designed. They’re inspired by her bedroom — she’s into blue, green, and a touch of pink for now. I’ll enjoy these colors while they last.
I laid everything out and numbered the items so I could explain what each one is. Here’s the list:
- A cloth party hat that our family passes around for every child’s birthday. Clara’s been eyeing it ever since her cousin Emanuel wore it on his first birthday.
- Birthday fabric we designed for Clara’s weekly photo project — it’ll also serve as a photo station backdrop where guests can hold blank cards with colored borders. We’ll add each person’s name to their photo and make an album so Clara can see faces and names like “Granny” and “Nona” as she grows.
- Patterned napkins and plates we picked up on sale — they echo the look of Clara’s weekly photo backgrounds and tie into the casual theme of the event.
- Giant punch balloons we bought at Target; I’d love to hang them from the trees if the weather cooperates.
- Two banners: one made long ago from paper, and another I stitched recently with my sewing machine. The colors and patterns coordinate with the weekly-photo backdrops.
- Lots of pink, blue, and green balloons from Target that I’m hoping to turn into big garlands to drape outside (or inside if we get rain).
- Pink and blue tablecloths to cover mismatched outdoor tables and add pops of color.
- A festive table runner I made from Clara’s weekly fabrics — similar to her quilt but much quicker to sew. I’ll post instructions later.
- Sidewalk chalk to keep the kids entertained on the patio, and bubble containers shaped like ice cream cones to use as favors. I’d like to personalize the bubbles with each child’s name.
Next on the list: baking Clara’s smash cake and finalizing the food. And we’re creating a small time capsule that guests can add to for her to open at 18 — I expect it will be entertaining to see what people include.
At the moment, Operation Inflate-All-The-Balloons is about to begin.
We’ve also attempted a DIY piñata. I mixed basic paper-mâché paste (about two parts water to one part flour)…
…and started with one of those large punch balloons (not in our colors) as the mold.
Then I cut newspaper into strips and layered them onto the balloon with the paper-mâché mixture.
I let the first layers dry overnight and then hung the piñata outside this morning to speed the drying process. It still looks a little iffy, so it might be a half-success — we’ll see.
Once it’s dry I’ll pop the balloon, fill the shell with small toys or candy, and cover it with ruffled tissue so it looks finished. We’re planning a pull-string piñata, which is safer for little ones, but we’ll post the results if it works out.
More worrying than my homemade piñata is the weather forecast. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted, and I’m crossing my fingers for a clear, sunny window for a couple of early afternoon hours so we can enjoy the balloons and bubble favors outdoors. After that, rain can do whatever it wants.
Here’s hoping for a little party-friendly weather and a big day full of happy memories for Clara.