It's time for a party, and you are all invited!
As I have mentioned before, Baby Girl decided upon Strawberry Shortcake for the theme of her birthday party this year. Once a theme has been established, I like to figure out ways to communicate the theme without just going out and buying character items. By using key colors (red, green and pink accents) and constructing much of the decor myself, I was able to create a themed party for a low cost. Here is the break down:
Strawberry Shortcake character cutouts: Free from my stash
Strawberry decorations: Made from scrapbooking materials I already had
Strawberry Shortcake Coloring Pages: Made from Baby Girl's coloring book
Balloons: $2
Plastic Table Coverings: $2
Napkins: $2
Plates/ Cups/ Flatware: $7
'Confetti': $1
Crepe Paper: $1
That's an entire party decorated for $15! A little creativity goes a long way :)
Come in now to see how I decorated and what was served for dessert!
As I have mentioned before, Baby Girl decided upon Strawberry Shortcake for the theme of her birthday party this year. Once a theme has been established, I like to figure out ways to communicate the theme without just going out and buying character items. By using key colors (red, green and pink accents) and constructing much of the decor myself, I was able to create a themed party for a low cost. Here is the break down:
Strawberry Shortcake character cutouts: Free from my stash
Strawberry decorations: Made from scrapbooking materials I already had
Strawberry Shortcake Coloring Pages: Made from Baby Girl's coloring book
Balloons: $2
Plastic Table Coverings: $2
Napkins: $2
Plates/ Cups/ Flatware: $7
'Confetti': $1
Crepe Paper: $1
That's an entire party decorated for $15! A little creativity goes a long way :)
Come in now to see how I decorated and what was served for dessert!
Wall decor.
I used scrapbooking paper to make the paper strawberries and Baby Girl colored and cut out Strawberry shortcake characters from one of her coloring books. You can read a more detailed post about that here.
The printed cutouts I got from the florist I used to work for. We sold balloons there and each one came individually packaged in a paper wrap that had the balloon's picture on the front. Normally the packaging would be tossed in the trash, but I got permission to keep the wrapping. I have tons of these now for every occasion; birthday, holidays, characters, new baby, you name it.
I collected so many over the years that I had to figure out a way to organize them. I ended up buying a binder for each category and filled it with plastic binder sleeves. Each sleeve holds a different balloon design and the binders are labeled by category. I keep them on the shelf with my scrapbooking supplies, but as you can see they can be used for many things! Baby Girl like to go through the character binder and choose cut-outs for her art projects ;)
Another tip: I also keep my stickers and small paper embellishments in the same binders, so everything is neatly together in one place. Sometimes I like to scrapbook at Mamaw's house, and this makes things much more portable, I just grab the binder I need and go!
The printed cutouts I got from the florist I used to work for. We sold balloons there and each one came individually packaged in a paper wrap that had the balloon's picture on the front. Normally the packaging would be tossed in the trash, but I got permission to keep the wrapping. I have tons of these now for every occasion; birthday, holidays, characters, new baby, you name it.
I collected so many over the years that I had to figure out a way to organize them. I ended up buying a binder for each category and filled it with plastic binder sleeves. Each sleeve holds a different balloon design and the binders are labeled by category. I keep them on the shelf with my scrapbooking supplies, but as you can see they can be used for many things! Baby Girl like to go through the character binder and choose cut-outs for her art projects ;)
Another tip: I also keep my stickers and small paper embellishments in the same binders, so everything is neatly together in one place. Sometimes I like to scrapbook at Mamaw's house, and this makes things much more portable, I just grab the binder I need and go!
A Photo 'Back-Drop'
After seeing the idea on Pinterest, I decided to start creating an area where guests could have their photo taken with the Birthday Girl. Of course I always want photos of everyone, and this makes for an easy and cute solution.
Kitchen & Dining Tables
I used a simple green plastic table cloth to set the color statement that I wanted. On top I scattered more of the paper strawberries and Strawberry Shortcake character cut outs. For confetti we used red shiny sequins. When we couldn't find any 'real' confetti that worked well with our theme, Baby Girl and I started going up and down different aisles of the store's craft section. It was Baby Girl herself that spotted and suggested using the sequins! Ahhh, what a proud Mommy-Designer moment! ;)
I like using plastic table covers because of the color they add to the party, but I hate the way they slide around the table. Last Christmas I was at my Grandma's house and noticed that she tied her table coverings to the table legs, so I totally copied the idea! Not only does it stop the sliding, but it's cute too. Win-win!
(I also tape the paper decorations into place. The only thing that is loose is the sequins....and I'll be finding those for months now every time I vacuum...)
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'Strawberry' Balloons
I have a post coming soon where I'll explain how I made these :)
I have a post coming soon where I'll explain how I made these :)
So it's the night before the party and Baby Girl decides she needs a hair clip specially designed to coordinate....sure, Mommy's got time for that! I ran out to the garage and hunted up a strawberry from my summer decorations, paired it with a white daisy and there you have it. The perfect hair accessory for my princess!
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The strawberry shortcake candle from one of our many treasure hunting excursions. I had it burning with cupcake wax cubes in the scentsy warmers. The whole house smelled yummy!
(I always have something that smells like cake or cupcakes for birthday parties. I think walking inside to smell delicious treats helps to add excitement and set the mood)
Dinner & Drink Stations
For this party I had red plates, green napkins and white with red polka-dot napkins. I like to unfold and lay out a few napkins as a way of adding color and extending the theme throughout the party. Of course we scattered more of our red sequin 'confetti' throughout the kitchen.
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Dessert Station
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Strawberry shortcake (of course!) in a trifle bowl.
A few red sprinkles on top add to the party look.
Devils food cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
A little red icing combined with red cupcake liners and these chocolate cupcakes fit right in with the overall decor. I displayed them on the glass cupcake stand that my Brother-In-Law Todd gave me as a Christmas gift.
You can read more about this stand, and my other display pieces here
You can read more about this stand, and my other display pieces here
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A miniature strawberry cake, just for the Birthday Girl!
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A larger strawberry cake for the guests.
As you can see, I love making and serving yummy treats! I have a post coming up soon where I'll go into more detail about these desserts. I have a whole lot I want to share including baking tips and design ideas....stay tuned!
I hope you enjoyed our Strawberry Shortcake party, thanks for stopping by!
© Jennifer Adams Flowers 2014
As you can see, I love making and serving yummy treats! I have a post coming up soon where I'll go into more detail about these desserts. I have a whole lot I want to share including baking tips and design ideas....stay tuned!
I hope you enjoyed our Strawberry Shortcake party, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer
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