Party Inspiration: A Whimsical Hot Air Balloon Ride
I love parties.
No seriously. I like LOVE parties. Decorations, crafting, desserts, outfits… I love it all. There are few things I prefer to do over party planning. That said, although we don’t have birthday parties every year for our kids their first birthday is always one we celebrate. When my youngest child and only daughter turned one I was completely over the moon about the opportunity to throw her a little girl’s party! Here’s what I did to create a fun and whimsical hot air balloon inspired birthday for my baby girl, Koko.
My Inspiration: this adorable dress from Screaming Owl
Initially I wanted to do a carousel theme for this party, but when I saw this dress in the same color scheme I wanted I was sold. Sparkly gold with purple, pink, and blue over a rich, creamy white made for an absolutely delicious little birthday dress.
Every Princess needs a Crown
I found this crown on Etsy, THE place to find cool, crafty items you don’t have time to make. Lovecrushcrowns has a huge selection of styles, sizes and options for customization. This shop gives you exactly what you want; size, colors, even sparkly numbers. The crown I chose had a mermaid effect, with sweeping strokes of gold over real lace. I chose lavender flowers to match the dress, and added a gold glittered “1.”
Crafty Decor
What’s a hot air balloon party without a balloon ride photo op? Big basket, doll stuffing clouds, blue blanket, balloons, BOOM.The kids had a great time posing for pics inside the basket.
These mini hot air balloons were truly a labor of love. I used small lanterns from Oriental Trading Co., glittery washi tape, kraft snack cups, twine, a burlap and lace ribbon, and my hot glue gun to create these sweet little things. I hung them all over the room using Stretch Magic jewelry cord. I made gifts for our guests using dollar store buckets, stuffed animals wearing mini tiara hair combs, and some healthy snacks and treats. I used glittery stickers for each girl’s first initial.
The room turned out lovely! Check out the banner, available on Etsy by PartyLemonade.
Simple Snacks
We decided to keep it simple with cupcakes and finger foods for our guests. The typical go-to is pizza, but I didn’t want to risk staining baby girl’s dress 😉
Kisses from Daddy, a favorite snack, and a room full of friends make one Happy Birthday Baby!
