The Birthday Boy
How has a year come and gone? The first year flies by and goes even faster when it’s not your first baby. Luke entered this world very quickly in a total of 4 pushes! He grew in a blink of an eye and I can’t believe how big he is! It has been such a joy watching him grow and learn.
Picture above my Summer Days Photography
Theme
Luke has always been such a thick, bulky, and HEAVY baby (born at 8 lbs 13 oz). The Lumberjack theme was just too perfect from him to pass up. (Fun fact: My husband and I met in college, and the Lumberjack was our school’s mascot.)
For publishing purposes I edited out my personal information from the invitation
Decor
When picking a theme I usually try to pick one that I know I can use the decor for other purposes. For example, all my buffalo check runners and coffee mugs are currently being used as a part of my fall home decor. I told myself if I have to buy anything for this party, I need to make sure I can use it again. I found all these table runners at Hobby Lobby months ago. ( I have some similar runners linked on my LIKEtoKNOW.it feed for you to shop).
My sister-in-law, Summer let me borrow those wood serving platters, burlap banner, and metal number one. She has great party decor taste, and I’m so thankful she let me borrow from her stash!
The life-size bears I used for decor were borrowed from my Mother-in-law
Balloon Arch
I created this balloon arch myself from the Instagram tips at Cake and Confetti ! She shared that you really only need a few key tools to create this look. It turns out she was right! It was really easy, and the hardest part was tying the balloons. (why does it always hurt my fingers?!) You can find this image below linked on my LIKEtoKNOW.it feed for product details. I do not have balloons linked there, but you will want to buy two sizes to create this look. The standard size balloon and the jumbo size. I purchased mine from Party City. If you do decided to create your own arch, make sure you use different balloon sizes and colors.
Monthly Pictures
For the first year I always take monthly pictures. It’s so fun to watch them grow and progress as the year passes. Some people get really creative with sets, outfits, stickers, etc. However, I usually just stick to the same picture spot and outfit to make it easier on me. Its hard enough to remember to do it, and if you have to plan it out in advance it makes the task much harder to accomplish. With that being said, I think its super adorable when it’s styled and planned out… I just don’t have the time for that with two kids. It was more important to me to capture each month than it was to have a styled photo shoot.
With these monthly pictures I made a banner. You can buy themed banners off of ETSY that are perfection. They are created so well and have no flaws. However, like I stated before… If I wasn’t going to use it again – I’m not going to spend the money on it. I will say I made Scarlett’s banner and it was done so well! I spent SO MUCH TIME on it… honestly, too much time. With Luke’s banner, I cut triangle slices out of scrapbook paper with a banner template. Next, I hole punched for the ribbon to loop through. Then, I cut the monthly pictures to size ( I normally would have mounted them on a plain paper… but I was feeling lazy) LOL. Last, I placed Lumberjack theme scrapbook stickers in the corners of the picture to give it a little pop. All of the items I used for the banner were purchased at Hobby Lobby.
These life-size bears so fun! I borrowed them from my mother-in-law!) The kids LOVED them!
Guest Book
I LOVE having a children’s book replace a guest book for a first birthday party! It’s an easy way to create a memory for you little one in years to come. The guests can either write a little note or simply sign their name. Tying the book into the theme is a fun touch as well. I usually search on amazon for my theme and see what comes up.
The tree table confetti you see above is something I created at home. I purchased a shape cutter from Hobby Lobby and used green scrapbook/ card stock paper. ( Card stock is a thicker paper material and easier to cut with a puncher.)
Party Favors
Who doesn’t love teddy grahams? I thought those little bears would be the perfect item for little ones goodie bags. I found the berry cartons and ribbon at Hobby Lobby, and the clear bags from amazon. It was cheap, easy, and delicious!
Goodie bags were filled with Teddy Grahams
Cake
The cake was something I dreamed about! I had the hardest time trying to find a baker who wasn’t booked. I ended up using Virgina’s Cakes located in Spring. She created my wedding cake almost five years ago – talk about full circle! She did an AMAZING JOB! The cake was not only a conversation piece, but also tasted amazing! If you are local please check her out… she really is so talented!
This highchair banner was a hand-me-down from a friend.
Food – Name Tents
I’m still cringing at my first time calligraphy attempt. Let’s just say I will be signing up for a class before I try that again. LOL I made the name tents with scrapbook paper and scrapbook stickers from Hobby Lobby.
S’MORE MIX: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows
S’more treats: Pretzel rods and jumbo marshmallows
water infused with strawberry and mint for a pop of color
I hope you enjoyed Luke’s First Birthday Party! Let me know what you thought in the comments below! 🙂
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