This past weekend our daughter had her 1st birthday party…Yikes, does time ever FLY by! Even thought she wont remember eating her cake or opening gifts, I still wanted to make this a special day (more so for me).

Rewind to a few months back–the beginning of planning a ” on a budget, but making sure its friggen cute and with lots of cupcakes, balloons and money left over” party.

Step 1, First things first, grab a note pad, open your OneNote or whatever you use to jot down ideas and lists (If I got paid for every list I made…Wow, I’d be rich).

***Before we continue, I am NOT a party planning..just a mommy with a tight budget***

Step 2: SOKay, so I think its pretty important to make up a budget first and to be honest…I didn’t make a budget! Well, I did, in my head.

Step 3: After you have a ‘budget’ start writing down ideas, colours, themes, find inspiring pics off the web. Here is somethings I wrote down:

  • Pink and browns
  • rustic
  • flowers
  • bbq
  • cupcakes
  • balloons
  • baby tent/area
  • outdoor dessert table, using old door
  • paper bag goodie bags
  • twine
  • cake pops chocolate marshmallows on a stick
  • hang # 1’s, using different fonts from Word (yes, plain old Microsoft Word)

Step 4: Pick a date and mail out invites…I used e-vite. It worked pretty good. I also (obviously) created a private facebook event, which also worked.

Step 5: Menu!

Keep it simple! I decided to have a BBQ lunch, burgers and sausages and lots of salads.

Step 6: Start making decorations! So for decorations I used what I had laying around the house.

On Microsoft Word I typed up a bunch of #1’s, using a light pink and different fonts. I then taped them on the front door.

I also typed up a few more using font: Algerian and added a circle around it with a brown dotted out line and a pink center (the 1’s were white). I printed a few out on cardstalk and hung them with pompoms in the “baby tent”.

Bunting! Bunting! Ohh I loveee bunting. I was going to make fabric bunting, but changed my mind for the easiness of making it out of paper (cardstalk). Once again I used Microsoft word. I made a light pink triangle (with the point facing down). The boarder was a think brown line. I wanted to spell out my daughter’s name–so on each ‘bunting triangle I typed a letter of her name. Using font Algerian in white. Printed each one off, and hung them in the front hall like so:

Oh yes, and I also made Bathroom signs…That way I wasn’t directing someone to the washroom every 10 minutes.

And because I love bunting so MUCH, I made some more for over the dessert table–which had to be an “inside” dessert table.

Other decorations: See the cupcakes? Mhmm cupcakes..I made some things (I don’t know what to call them) using them same colours and font, and put things on them like “YUM” and “1”. Taped them on a lolly stick and then put it into the cupcake…Cupcake toppers? Anyways…I also typed up a sign that said “Keep calm and eat a cupcake.”

I put out some old (my grandma’s) linens and napkins.

Wrapped knives and forks in pink napkins, tying it with brown twine.

Pink cupcake mug held spoons.

Flowers from the garden.

Chalk boards to tell guest where drinks and food would be located.

Old doors turned into a table.

Good friends and Family (who helped out with all the food).

Yummy cupcakes from The Mad Batters and a lovely cake from La Rosa.

Homemade Marshmallows on a stick (dipped in pink and chocolate with white and pink sprinkles)…packaged in a brown bag with a pretty thank-you label (using the fonts and colours as everything else) and tied with pink twine.

A BEAUTIFUL tutu & headband from Girly Baby..ask me for her contact, I will gladly pass it on over.

That is how I pulled off our daughter’s first birthday….and to finish off a great day the farmer took us all on a tractor and WAGON ride (or as I like to call it..tractor trailer ride…).

Tutu’s and tractors…

~marissa