Babies 1st Birthday Inspiration

     One of our lovely friends and readers, has her little daughter, Scarlets, 1st Birthday just around the corner.  She asked us for some party theme ideas, and we were happy to help!  We helped with a "Milk and Cookies" themed 1st Birthday party for our friend Brooke, of Brooke Aliceon Photography, you can see it here.  And below are some other super cute ideas we found.  Enjoy!

 

     First of all, we are HUGE fans of Kelli Murray.  She is an extremely talented artist and designer, and we fell in love with her adorable daughter, Rylee's, 1st Birthday party!  We can't get enough of the tee pee craze going around, it's just too much fun, and such a perfect theme for a park or backyard.  Also, this theme could be used for a boy, "My Little Indian," or a girl, "Indian Princess."  You can see Kelli's full post, here.

     And how cute are these DIY's!  You can view the Feather Cake Topper tutorial here, and the Feather Headband tutorial here.

     We saw this super cute party theme on Kara's Party Ideas, and had to share it.  This theme can also be used for a boy or a girl.  And oh the fun you could have with the food for this party: chocolate covered bananas, PB and banana sandwiches, monkey bread, banana pudding, so many fun possibilities.

     For the invitation, how simple and cute is the little candle tied to the "1."  And what a great idea to have a craft table where guests can make their own sock monkey to take home with them.

     The "Little Bug" is turning One!  We found this theme on Sweet and Saucy, it is so cute for a garden or backyard party setting.  And how appropriate to have little lady bugs as the displayed "bug."  With the touch of ombre, this makes such a sweet theme.

     Whatever theme you pick, as long as it's fun and colorful the kids are going to love it.  One idea, is just to take your child's favorite character, show, or movie and make that the theme.  We thought this Sesame Street themed party we found on Bump Smitten was pretty cute.

And here are a few fun party ideas, no matter what the theme:

      Sugar and Charm made the cutest party hats with the picture of the birthday girl (or boy) on the hat, view the tutorial here.

     Whatever you do, even if it's a simple dinner with your family, you have to get a picture of the babies first cake! :)

     And we love the idea of making a display of all of the baby's first milestones in their first year.  Our friend Allison had a display of pictures of her daughter's first year from month to month leading up to her birthday, which is another cute idea.  Want an easy way to display? Just use twine and clothespins.  If your party is in a park, you could even wrap the twine, pictures, and clothes pins around the trunk of a tree.

     
     Some other tips for Babies 1st Birthday we found on Parenting.com:

1. Watch the clock.  Plan the party to last an hour to an hour-and-a-half.  Babies have short attention spans and run out of energy and interest quickly.  Plan the party for late morning or afternoon -- pre - or post-nap -- when baby isn't tired.

2. VIPs only.  Scale back the guest list to avoid overwhelming your babe and keep costs down.

3.  Ask for help.  Consider hiring a babysitter or asking a family member to help you balance your hosting duties with enjoying your baby's big day.

4.  Create a play place.  Many of the babies in this age range are still on all fours, so baby-proof a play zone filled with age-appropriate toys for your little guests.  Set chairs around the zone for parents to relax and watch.  

5.  Check your treats.  Ask your guests is there are food allergies to consider.  Keep snacks simple, like chopped fruit and graham crackers for the kids, and more grown-up versions for the adults to munch.

6.  Don't stress.  You're still a few years shy of hiring a D.J. and hosting pony rides.  It won't matter to baby whether you throw the party of the season or just celebrate at home with your immediate family.  As long as baby is with you and feels love all around, that's all that matters.  



     Lastly, we'll leave you with a couple other theme options.  One is "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles." This is super cute for a little boy, and you could use paper planes as part of your decorations.  Also most of the themes from our Baby Shower Inspiration post could be used for a first Birthday and/or kids Birthday.  For example, the "Book Theme," could be "Alice in Wonderland" or "Once upon a Time" or "Princess" theme.  I heard of a great idea to give back.  Have each guest bring two books, one for your child, and one to donate.  Start your child's life with the gift of giving.


     And remember, this is also a celebration for the parents for making it through their first year of parenting, so enjoy and celebrate! 




LLLove,
Jen & Jess