Final phase of planning a 1st birthday party: The fun part

Last updated on March 4th, 2024 at 08:19 pm

It’s the final phase of planning Missy Moo’s 1st birthday slash christening party. The clock is ticking and we are only a few days away from the big day. I am just finishing off the last few bits of planning, checking, and delegating. Here I share with you the fun part: the decorations! 

Making Birthday Decorations!

I made a bunch of things from scratch as I always think it makes the party that much more personal and a matching theme. I love a good matchy matchy party! I choose peach, silver, and white as my colors because it is a double party for her 1st birthday and christening. I thought the colors worked well not just together but for both celebrations. Then I struggled to find actual decorations with these colors so I resorted to making them all myself. 

1st Birthday Letters 

Painted1stbdayletters

 

For the 1st birthday letters that will sit next to a framed collage of photos of her first whole year, I bought already white painted O, N, E letters but you can paint wooden ones white then do your design on them after. I choose chevrons for the O, dots for the N, and stripes for the E, obviously. I love the various patterns together. Make sure your letters are free standing if you want to set them on a table like mine. 

Step 1: Draw or print out design pattern, tape stencil to letter to prevent movement. Google has tons to choose from.

Step 2: Paint your design with chosen theme color.

Step 3: Peel off template before it dries so you can easily scrap off any paint that leaked underneath.

Step 4: Let dry over night.

Step 5: optional: Glue a bow or add glitter for more bling.

ONEpainted

 

Birthday / Christening Bunting

It was hard to find any birthday and christening bunting that remotely matched each other. So I decided to buy bunting for a background and add the letters and color myself. I bought these silver chevron bunting from Style My Party. They have amazing party decor. You could also make your own if you prefer. 

bunting

Step 1: Buy or make your bunting, busy patterns for the background are ideal. Use ribbon and tape your bunting triangles to it. 

Step 2: Using a cup or circle stencil, trace circles out on the color card you prefer. Solid card is best. 

Step 3: Print out the type of font you want to use and cut out letters.I printed on white card but you can print on any pattern or solid color paper you want, to match your theme. I just google ‘bubble letters’.

Step 4: Glue the letters in the middle of the circles.

Step 5: Glue the circles to the center of your bunting. 

buntingcollege

Tassel Garland For Parties

This was my first time ever making these, and there are a few things I would do just a little differently. So I will share with you what I did and what I would do, next time. Learn from my mistakes but I was still proud of the overall look of garland. 

tasselgarland

Step 1: Fold tissue paper in half, in half again, and one last time.

Step 2: With the fold at the top, cut strips up to about an inch from the top. *see photo above

Step 3: Unfold width way, and cut ALL the way down the middle. Refer to third and fourth top picture.

Step 4: Unfold your two separate pieces length way. 

Step 5: Roll middle of one, and at the end twist the rolled middle. Refer to bottom right photo. Do this for the other piece too. 

Step 6: Make a loop with your finger and using a glue gun, glue the loop closed. Don’t burn your finger! 

Step 7: String on a long piece of rope or ribbon, whatever you want to display it on. 

** Things I would do differently, I used crepe paper for the dark peach to give a different texture and the metallic to give it some bling. I found these very thick and hard to twist without ripping the loop. Stick with normal tissue paper.

There are also other ways to tie your tassel to your ribbon or rope instead of using a glue gun and sliding it on. I have seen some on Pinterest that just twist it right to the rope or ribbon. I think I would attempt this, next time, so it stays perfectly spaced in between tassels.  Whereas with mine I have had to keep the ribbon straight so they stayed spaced. I can’t half moon it like most people do for parties as it all falls into the middle, bunched together. Only two things I would do different. Otherwise, it was quick and easy to do! 

tasselgarlandpin

 

Along with these, I have made peach, silver, and white pom poms, balloon weights, confetti, table centerpieces, and 12 month photo collage. The party decorations are ready to go! 

Other last minute touches for the party

Shopping: Everyone’s outfits have been laid out, grey tops for the men, a white dress with peach necklace for me, and a gorgeous peach dress for the birthday girl. The family has to match the party after all! 

Music: The ipod touch is full of disney music, ready to plug into the sound system at the venue. Even Frozen is downloaded, can’t have a birthday party without a little Frozen. 

Delegate Duties: Friends are on the music, on the photography, on the helping decorate and clean up. Never try to do it all on your own or you won’t be able to enjoy as much of the party as you think. My advice: delegate, delegate, delegate! 

The best part about making all my own decorations is the cost. It’s so much cheaper to do it yourself. I also went to the pound store and bought all my supplies which means it cost me next to nothing for all of this. You would be surprised how many craft supplies there are in a pound store. 

If you missed the part 1 & part 2 of planning Missy Moo’s 1st birthday party, check them out below. Stay tuned for the actual party and cake smashing photo shoot! I can’t wait and I hope you can’t either!

Part 1: Making Lists

Part 2: Booking It & Making Invites

Cake Smashing Photo Shoot: Stay tuned

* As to not confused everyone, her real birthday isn’t until June 26th, so I will be spreading out the christening party, the birthday party, and the cake smashing photos over the next few weeks. Can’t age her faster than she is already ageing herself. But wanted to share the planning leading up to her party as I have always loved planning parties. I hope I have inspired ideas for your little ones next celebration or a celebration of your own. All my tips and crafts can be tweaked for a great adult party too! 

85 thoughts on “Final phase of planning a 1st birthday party: The fun part”

    • Thanks Sara. I am getting excited too now although I hate to say she is almost one year old. So sad and it went so fast. Can’t believe it. The decorations were fun to make and so cheap. Got most of the tissue paper, card etc from pound world.

      Reply
  1. Oh I am in heaven!! LOVE it all!!!! Can’t wait to see it all come together at the party! My tip would be plan to be ready half an hour before you need to, to give you time to photograph the details before you have to head off to the Church, other wise you will want all the guests not to touch anything before you’ve snapped your hard work!! xx

    Reply
    • Oh Lucy thank you so much for the top. What a great idea. You are right I wouldn’t want them touching it before I took any photos. Hahaha glad you liked it. I really enjoyed making all the decorations.

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  2. WOW I love the homemade decorations! It’s Hannah’s third birthday next month and I’m going to start making some of your suggestions this week.

    Beautiful blog x

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    • Thanks fantastic Laura. Get your supplies from pound shop like I did. Makes it so cheap and you get to have more decorations then!! I love a good craft project too. So fun to make them yourself. Good luck. Let me know how you get on!!

      Reply
  3. It all looks very pretty, perfect for a lovely party, well done.
    Good luck, I hope the party goes well and Missy Moo has a lovely birthday

    Reply
    • Thanks Karen. I hope so too. It will be her first day without a nap. Eeek I hope it goes down well. It was fun making all the decorations.

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  4. Wow Jenny you are super organised and that is going to be such a lovely party! My goodness I am seriously impressed by all of the effort and I am sure everything will look wonderful. hope you all have a fantastic time! June 26th is my mum’s birthday – great day for a birthday 🙂 xx #sharewithme

    Reply
  5. Oh Jenny, You really are putting the rest of us mere mortals to shame! You’re a superwoman!! What is your secret? how do you manage to make all these pretties, maintain a totally fab blog & be a mumma? God, I’m exhausted writing this comment alone! lol. Lovely post xxxx

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  6. I love how you always put in so much thought so that everything is beautifully co-ordinated. Missy Moo is one lucky girl! I especially like the tassels. I wouldn’t have thought of that for décor – but then I have boys. I have to have diggers, and tractors… Great post x

    Reply
    • Thanks Mel. I am obsessed with tassel garland. You could also use blue green and tractor printed tissue paper! Hahahaha it’s fun being crafty too.

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  7. Wow! Your decorations are amazing so so beautiful. I love the colours too. I wish I was more artsy to do stuff like this! I can’t wait to read about about the christening/party/ cake smash x

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    • Thanks Tracey. I just get ideas from other crafty people like my mother. lol and Pinterest I couldn’t live without it. Try it you might surprise yourself.

      Reply
  8. Lucas says – Ohhhh Missy Moo shares the same birthday as the Mother, expect the Mother is REALLY old!!!! The Mother says the decorations are awesome and wants to know what me and Daddy are going to do for her birthday…………. #sharewithme

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  9. It all looks amazing Jenny. Well done you! Amazing how much money you can save doing things yourself and of course it is a lot of fun and personal x

    Reply
  10. I find you from you linky party and I need to say I love your blog! I am looking to meet some new bloggers and I am just starting to dabble in some DIY. I absolutely love the lettering you did and the color scheme is absolutely adorable. I will definitely be back to see the cake smashing photo shoot 🙂

    Reply
    • Oh thank you ever so much and welcome to Let’s Talk Mommy, glad you like it. I am getting into crafting for myself and fun things to do with the kids. DIY is great. Even in home decor too. Hope to see you again soon.

      Reply
  11. Oh firstly I have an unhealthy obsession with bunting so i LOVED this! And you know what I also loved? The pride factor. The fact that when your little one looks back on piccys you can say “yep Mummy did that”. That’s ace that is. I am crap at anything like this so I am uber jel bab xxx

    Reply
    • Oh I bet you would be better than you think you would be. This was my first homemade party decor and I was really pleased with the outcome. lol Pinterest all the way baby!!!

      Reply
  12. Wow I love your energy with all this Jenny. The decorations look fab and you’re right, it is so much more cost effective this way! But also, I imagine, much more satisfying. I really look forward to seeing pics of the party and the cake smashing! 🙂 X

    Reply
  13. I love the tassles, they look great, and the letters look really professional. That’s what’s great about home made decs, that they can look pro without costing the earth, and being personal to you.

    Hope the party goes well, and everyone has a great time.

    Reply
  14. These decorations are all so, so pretty! I’m in awe that you can not only think of all these ideas but also find the time to execute them. We kind of glossed over M’s first birthday as we don’t have family nearby, nor many close friends with little kids, but I have to admit I’m looking forward to throwing him themed birthdays when he’s a little older. It’s EXACTLY the kind of thing I would get really into and (if you were to ask my husband) spend way too long preparing! So I love that you are really going for this 🙂

    Reply
  15. Get you! Loving everything you have crafted so far. Especially the tassel garland, what a fabulous idea. So different and pretty! I cannot wait to see the overall blog about the wee womans big day! Hope she and everyone else has an amazing time!! xx

    Reply
  16. Those decorations look beautiful – well done hun 🙂 I have never thought of making my own decorations but you have inspired me to think about doing this for Chloe’s sweet 16 next year! #sharewithme

    Reply

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