A little over two weeks ago, we celebrated my girls’ 4th birthday!!! I know we all feel this way at each milestone, but WOWZA…4 just seems so old in our little world! We’ve done supersized parties for years 1, 2, and 3, so I was determined to keep this year’s celebration small and simple…no pinning and planning months ahead of time. No searching blogs for the perfect mix of DIY decor, etsy steals, and secret party tricks. None of it, y’all. I just wanted a little family dinner with some cupcakes or special cookies and DONE.
But then I found it. An easy breezy tutorial for a no-sew superhero cape with an actual gold star on the back and I thought…well that is DOABLE! All I could think about was how cute the girls and all of their little friends would be running around the park in these things. And just like that – easy, breezy, low key party turned into 40 DIY capes, the cutest little etsy-designed snack boxes and invites, clear balloons filled with gold star confetti, a homemade 3 layer funfetti cake, and an explosion of Target party paper goods.
I loved every minute of pulling this thing together. I don’t know why I pretend that I’m not going to do it…it’s what I do. The end. See you next time for round 5…ha! Until then, I thought I would share with all of you 5 little tips for throwing a successful bash for your little person all while staying in the moment and enjoying it.
Here we go ::
1. Choose one grand gesture and do it well. For this party, it was the capes. I picked a tutorial with lots of steps, so I knew it would take time. Since it was the only thing I committed to making myself, I knew I wouldn’t burn out. If the crafting takes too long, you’ll be over the bash before party day even arrives. Promise me you won’t over commit your crafting time y’all!
2. Source it out to Etsy. There are sooooooooo many paper designers on etsy, it is impossible not to find one with a style that matches yours. Many will customize and even print your goods for you, but if not, the Office Max on Wesleyan is OUTSTANDING. Like…does me right every.single.time. Stickers, labels, invites…anything you can think of.
3. Clear Balloons. I went through a phase of not liking balloons, but they are sooooooo so soooooooo back at the top of my party decor list…especially clear balloons, because they can be filled with just about anything you can fit through the air hole. Arne’s sells them by the x-large bag full, and I have now stuffed them with tissue paper, cotton puff balls, and for this shin-dig :: gold star confetti. Zero effort, big statements y’all…go get you some now!
4. Find someone in your life who loves to bake. For me, it’s my sister. In the past, she has done cupcakes, but this year we were into cakes in a big way, and she really pulled out a showstopper with her made-from-scratch, 3 layer funfetti cake with a spray painted gold star on top. Simple, but perfect. I loved looking at the finished product knowing it was homemade in my kitchen by someone who loves my girls as much as me. We topped it with some gold stars I cut out of glitter scrapbook paper, and it was pastry perfection.
5. Target. In the past, I’ve spent hours scouring the internet for paper goods that I decided were worthy, but this year I happened to wander into a Super Target. Y’alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll! I got it all in one little swoop through the party aisles and dollar bins. Table cloths, napkins, plates, jumbo gold confetti discs, paper straws, kraft paper table runners, printed cardboard boxes…I’m sure I’m leaving something out.
On party day, I felt warm and fuzzy all over watching Laine and Olivia run around our favorite park with all of their friends in insanely cute supergear. Put these 5 tips on your next party planning list, okay?? You’ll thank me later friends…promise!
Want to plan a superhero party of your own? Here are some links to capture a similar look ::
Invitations and Snack Box Labels
Clear Balloon Tutorial {I subbed star confetti for tissue paper}
Jump Bunch {our party entertainment}
Superhero Cookies {She’s in New Orleans, but she’ll ship!}
Best Monogrammer in Houston :: Email Penny – [email protected]
