I’ve mentioned how much this kid loves music and dancing, and it is no joke. She will dance any and every time she hears music. Of course while brainstorming a theme for her first birthday, music was the obvious choice!

I went a little nuts with the DIY and decor. Actually with the whole thing. But it was fun! And since everyone asks, yes I would do it again.

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We had the party in the upstair’s party room in Mr. Marker’s grandfather’s highrise building. It’s a big open room that has a kitchen, so it’s perfect for large gatherings. It was from 12-3pm on a Sunday (between her naps) and we had just about 50 people.

Decor

Here’s our invitation, which I sent out via Paperless Post:

I had Lauren Haddox Designs create a personalized party package of printables, which included an invitation, pennant banner, favor tags, napkin rings, water bottle wraps, menu cards, door signs and 2, 3, 5 and 8 inch circles. I printed them all on cardstock and cut them out. It was quite a project to do the napkins/silverware, circles, etc. – but the results were pretty impressive!

I took photos every month, so I made a monthly Photo Banner, similar to this.

I followed this tutorial for the Tulle Pom Poms (hanging from the ceiling over the dessert table).

The streamer wall is great for creating a big look on a low budget – just tape streamers near the ceiling, twist, then tape near the floor. Repeat. For table centerpieces, I bought white flowers from the grocery store and put together 2 printed circles on a craft stick. Voila – cheap and easy!

Then I made the Chalkboard Birthday Sign just by looking at examples on pinterest. I bought a black foamcore board and a set of metallic markers. I used pencil to outline first! I love how it turned out.

Food

My mom and I made all the food, excluding her fantastic cake. We got most of the supplies at Costco which helped keep costs down.

We served:

  • Mini buffalo chicken sliders
  • Mini BBQ pulled pork sliders
  • Mac n’ Cheese
  • Rainbow Fruit Skewers
  • Kale & Cranberry salad
  • Tortellini Salad with Salami and Mozzarella
  • Veggies & Hummus
  • Cheese & Charcuterie

Our cake was made by our friend Natalie who own Sweet Fairy Desserts. It was a 2-tier orange almond pound cake alternated with chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. We also served homemade funfetti cookies, chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Since the party was from 12-3pm, we had some beer, a champagne punch for adults and raspberry lemonade for the kids, as well as water and sodas.

Small Details… 
We had about 8 or 9 kids there, so I made favors for the littles. They included a neon maraca, mini cymbal, rock candy swizzle stick, pop rocks and these star-shaped kids sunglasses. I also put out more maracas and adult sized sunglasses on all the tables.

Because we had quite a few crawlers and toddlers attend, I brought a few blankets from home and some of Annabelle’s toys to create a play area for the kiddos. I’m so glad I did – it was great to have place to keep them entertained.

In lieu of gifts, we collected toys, instruments and art supplies to donate to Lurie Children’s Hospital. We collected so much! We are incredibly grateful to our friends and family who contributed.

Ok, full disclosure, it was a lot of work – but it was also a lot of fun! Our kiddo is never one to shy away from attention, so she loved having all her favorite people gather to celebrate her special day.

Did you go all out for your little one’s first birthday?