Happy 1st Birthday to my granddaughter Lisette Arabella! She's sweetly Lissy to us. She's a beauty with strawberry blonde hair, big round blue eyes and a spirited personality that leaves me shaking my head while trying to hold back a smile. I love this little girl. Her mom is my daughter Sydnee. We wanted her first birthday to be as special as she is, yet easy and inexpensive. Mom picked a strawberry theme and Operation First Birthday Party commenced. If you like our ideas, you can do it too! Here's how with approximate costs and where to find the stuff you'll need.
DECORATIONS. Mom used fabric to make streamers. She tore them for a shabby chic look. They are her signature design even using them at her wedding for the cake background.
You will need 1/4 to 1/2 yard of 3 to 4 coordinating fabrics for streamers. She used a Strawberry Shortcake fabric, olive green and beige chevron, pink and white polka dot and pink and white chevron. Cost $10 Be sure to use coupons for fabric at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's. Streamers were draped from the light fixture over the food table as shown and hung from the curtain rods in the dining area. Sydnee used chalk and a small decorative chalkboard for Lisette's name as seen in the picture. Cost $5 You can find all these supplies at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's.
The Birthday Girl's high chair was decorated in the same fabrics as the streamers as seen in the pic. Buy about 1/4 yard extra of the two fabrics you want to use to decorate the high chair. Cost already included above. We try to reduce costs by clipping coupons also.
FAVORS. Helium balloons courtesy of Auntie Scronge were tied to the food table legs. The balloons doubled as decorations and favors. Young party guests were given a balloon to take home as a favor. Kids love balloons! Cost $10 from a local grocery floral department.
SMASH CAKE. Lisette doesn't eat sugar. I was challenged to plan food with low or zero sugar content. I found this adorable cake on pinterest and recreated it. I used a Wilton 4" cake pan I ordered from Amazon for $6 to reproduce the small layers. My icing is 1/2 cup real heavy whipping cream whipped with 1 tbsp. powdered sugar. The layers are Duncan Hines Classic White with a smidge of Wilton Christmas Red for the bottom layer, a smidge of Wilton Pink for the middle and 3 drops of liquid food coloring for the green. A white chocolate (colored with pink) dipped strawberry on top with a drizzle of yellow white chocolate. Cost $10 (including pan cost) I had all the coloring on hand so I don't have a cost for them. You don't have to use Wilton, it's just what I had previously purchased. What do you think?
FOOD. Food is the biggest expense. Pink Princess Punch I'm serving above was a hit with everyone. I used this
recipe. I bought a cute water bottle label on Etsy. Cost $2.50 for label file. I had the label paper on-hand.
Strawberry Shortcake for all Adults! I used fresh strawberries and Classic White Duncan Hine Cake Mix as the shortcake baked in cupcake tins. I used 1 to 1 1/2 cupcakes per cup with about 1/4 cup strawberries each cup. I whipped more cream from the recipe above layering in the cups with cake and strawberries. 1 bag of frozen strawberries and 1 cup sugar pureed together made the strawberry sauce which was drizzled into each cup just before serving. The perfect touch! Cost $35-$40 depending on price of strawberries.
A plate of white chocolate covered strawberries fit the theme perfectly!
THE OUTFIT. Onesie from
Etsy. Hard decision with so many to choose from. Simply pick the one you love the best! Search "first birthday onesie" and so many different themes will come up. Cost $26 including embroidery Lisette's Grandnan (my mom) made the Strawberry Shortcake skirt. I'm sure you can find one on Etsy or maybe sew one yourself. And finally....
Total Cost Estimate for this Easy and Inexpensive Strawberry First Birthday Party is $150 - $200 for 25 guests or $8 per person. Such a SUCCESS!
One Tired Tammy,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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