Well, folks. I did it. Again. I managed to give birth and keep another child alive for a whole year. I am awesome.
Now a year later, it was time for a party. I always throw BIG parties for my babies 1st birthdays. I mean, its more a party for myself and a way to say thank you to my friends for walking a long side me if these baby years. Let’s be honest, that year is hard. I had Eden’s 1st birthday planned in my head before she was even born. You can see it here and here. I was a tad bit busier with the 2 kids now, so it took me slightly longer to decide on a theme. However, my bestie gave me some adorable super hero swaddle blanket and bib from Modern Burlap as a baby gift and it served as inspiration.
It was a total shift in thinking when designing a party for a boy, but I knew I wanted it to be cool, modern and graphic. And I got to use my 2 favorite colors to achieve this: Black & White.
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See Below for all the details that brought this idea to life. You can even download all my party printables for FREE if you sign up for my email list!
Party Supplies:
plates / white popcorn boxes / black popcorn boxes / napkins / white ice cream cups / black ice scream cups / white adhesive sticker paper / black vinyl sticker paper (for cricut) / clear ice cream cup lids
Table Backdrops:
I bought 3 – 4×4 Plywood Pieces and painted them white. I then designed the cityscape background in CAD. You don’t have to have CAD to do this (perks of my full time job), but you can just map it out on graph paper. I simply used a ruler to draw out the template onto the backdrops and then painted black.
4×4 backdrop / trays (white, painted black with spray paint) / white trays / white bags / white popcorn boxes / black popcorn boxes / white cups / black ice cream cups / white ice cream cups / white tablecloth / ice cream cup lids / cone holders
Signs:
If you look at my other party posts like Eden’s first “Music” Themed party or her 3rd “Donut” party, I like to use small plywood signs you can buy at a craft store. I get these from Joanns. I designed the signs and uploaded the image to my cricut machine. I then let it do the work of cutting out the templates. (Side note: My Cricut is the best thing ever, it made my life so much easier and made these tasks so much quicker.) If you don’t have a Cricut, you can print and cut out the templates with an exacto knife or scissors. I painted the signs with white paint, traced the template onto the boards and then filled in with a sharpie. They are always great for showing the different sections of the party and easy way to show the theme.
You can download the signs here
Photo Booth Template
Design Your Own Cape Template
Favor Template
Photo Booth:
You have to have a place for everyone to take pictures. If they don’t post it to Instagram, did it even happen? This was an easy one. I bought the backdrop and stand from amazon and used the stickers to tape on the backdrop.
White Backdrop / Backdrop stand / Vinyl Sticker Paper
Download Lightening Bolt Sticker Template
Download Photo Prop Images Template
Activities:
If I have learned anything about kids parties in the recent years, its that you should always have fun things for kids to do, so us parents can actually have a conversation while the little ones play…
Super Hero Masks
I had these at the front, so everyone could pick one up on their way in. I designed the mask, uploaded the image to Cricut’s Design Center and cut these (with my cricut machine – serious life-savor) out of felt fabric. See instructions at the bottom of the post.
Design you own cape: Kids love crafts and I always think you should have one that kids can participate in. I bought canvas capes and put out stickers and fabric marker for the kids to decorate however they wanted.
tablecloth / canvas capes / fabric markers / stickers
There was a backyard area at our venue and after the kids picked up their masks and decorated their capes they could run around as little super-heros!
How to Make a Super Hero Mask:
heat n’ bond / elastic string / felt squares / cricut machine
STEP 1: Download mask template here.
STEP 2: If using a Cricut, you will need to use heat n’ bond and iron on the back of your felt squares. Follow the instructions on the package. If not using Cricut, move on on to Step 3b.
STEP 3: If using a Cricut, put your felt squares onto a heavy backing mat and switch to a heavy duty blade. Use your machine to cut the masks.
STEP 3b: If not using a Cricut, tape the paper template to your felt squares and cut out each mask.
STEP 4: Cut elastic string to desired length. Use a needle to thread the elastic through the felt and knot it off on each side.
Come back Monday for Part 2 where I talk about the menu!