My daughter's first birthday party was classic, elegant, but still gorgeous and festive. Here are the decorations and ideas to pull off your own celebration in this classically beautiful style.
Invitation
Pinwheels, clouds and balloons in pretty pastels set the tone for this first birthday. My daughter's name "Laelia" is hand-lettered and then traced in Adobe Illustrator. A light blue colored envelope is lined with polka-dot or watermelon-colored paper, all from Paper Source. The envelopes are hand-addressed in white ink, and the king and queen stamp acts as the finishing detail.
To buy: Paper Source envelopes, $6 for 10
Tissue Tassel Garland
Handmade yellow, aqua, pink and gold tissue tassels hang from ropes fastened between two trees. Confetti System’s tissue garland is one of the sources of inspiration for this party. This particular garland is made by cutting tissue paper in half-inch strips and then twisting them together over a rope and gluing. (If you want to try it yourself there is a tutorial on my blog with step-by-step instructions.)
To buy: Confetti Systems Tassel Garland, $130
Giant Balloons
Teal, pink, yellow and spotted giant 36-inch balloons purchased from Ziggos.com dot the landscape and provide bursts of color. They are so large that we ran out of helium before blowing them all up, and you can feel a very distinct tug on your arm as you hold them. They literally stop traffic, and people get out of their cars to ask where to purchase them!
To buy: Ziggos 3-foot balloons, starting at $8
Table Setting
A tiered cake decorated with pinwheels sits on a large Martha Stewart cake stand, with teal and pink glittering hula hoops around it. Coordinating colorful candy in apothecary jars act as a mini candy bar, and a photo of the birthday girl in a liberty frame adorn the table to the left.
To buy: Martha Stewart cake stand, starting at $22
Pinwheel Cake
We had a simple two-tiered layer cake with white whipped cream frosting from Porto’s Bakery in Glendale, Calif. Two inch-long “diamond” pins hold five handmade pinwheels in varying sizes up one side of the cake. The bottom tier is Parisian cake, the top is white with strawberry filling. The single candle is a red, orange and yellow Hanukkah candle.
To buy: Porto's Bakery cake, starting at $14
Favors
Pink and blue polka-dot bags are filled with various goodies including handmade paper pinwheels made from assorted scrapbook and wrapping paper from Paper Source. Each pinwheel is fastened to a bamboo dowel with a “diamond” pin. The dowels are covered with ribbon and capped with beads. Names are printed and strung through a ribbon to tie each bag closed. There is a pinwheel tutorial if you want to try it yourself!
Tasting the Cake
Laelia sits in her high chair having her first taste of cake. Her party hat is made by wrapping a standard party hat with glitter paper and stuffing the top with a tissue pom-pom. An aqua bin from Party City is filled with ice and colorful sodas in glass bottles.
Finishing the Cake
Baby Laelia finishes her birthday cake by licking her plate clean. She sits in a painted wooden high chair that her aunt and uncle once sat in, which bears the family name. Laelia’s dress was made from an Amy Butler fabric by PerryFinalia on Etsy.
Family Photo
Mom, dad and the birthday girl pose for photos atop a quilt adorned with appliqués of birds and branches that was a wedding gift purchased from Anthropologie. A beautiful day in Griffith Park is enjoyed by all!
*Psst: if you choose to purchase an item from this post, Mom.com may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
