My Baby's 1st Birthday Party

DIY-ing almost everything has been a trend lately. Aside that it exudes creativity and patience, it also makes one save a lot because you’ll get to trim down possible add-on expenses. Just like what happened on our baby's 1st birthday party! 

Since I like to planning and creating, I decided to DIY my baby's 1st birthday. We DIY-ed the whole preparation, from the tiniest detail up to the largest ones. We also crammed with the last minute adjustments and tweaking just to make sure that the whole party is set. Let me take you down the memory lane because despite the late post, I still want to document everything and reminisce the whole situation again. 

It is not my first time to DIY. I actually DIY-ed our wedding. What's great about it despite the whole basket of stress is that it helped us saved a lot. But more than that, we got to cherish the tiniest bit of memories of all the preparations on that special day in our lives. We almost saved a whopping 80-100k. Yep! It was entirely true! Too bad I wasn't able to document everything because I was totally busy during that time and wasn't able to blog about it. Who knows, I might end up doing a post on it someday hopefully! (Let's cross fingers that I would have so much time for that! Anyway, I still have the notebook and a whole bunch of receipts on that event so it is still possible to do it and hopefully I can do it soon.) 

Anyway, going back to the party. Let me break down each area so that you will also be guided in case you want to DIY your children's birthday party. 

A. Invitation

We came up with a minion theme because we noticed that he likes the adorable little creature every time it is introduced to him. So to put up the DIY a start, I searched the web for some cool inspiration and found some really cute pre-designed Minion invitation. I edited it and put captions on it. It's from HaleGraphix.

B. Costume

We tried looking for the minion jumper and long sleeves combo but didn't really had much time to search for it because work was super hectic that time. So we decided to let him wear his own jumper with a white shirt inside. He had a minion hat instead which was crocheted by my good friend Cams. It's quite big though but it's really cute. I am sure that baby will still use it in the future. (He already used it during Halloween.)

We also decided to have a minion theme t-shirt - all three of us for the photo op. We bought a shirt with a Team Minion print on it. At first, we only found something for Railey and me which we bought immediately. Sadly, as we were looking at the men's department, they didn't have my husband’s size and there's no possibility of restocking so we decided to just print out his own version of the shirt elsewhere. All’s well that ends well. 

  

C. PARTY DESIGNS

Included here on the list were just some of the designs we decided to use. If you will DIY, you can add or just lessen your party designs. 

Balloons - We purchased balloons in yellow, blue and black since it is what’s needed with the theme.

Tip: Use 3 colors and limit it to 5 if you want a clean and polished look for a party. Some would go for colourful ones so it’s still your discretion but I we prefer to use only three colors. Each pack of the balloon was around P100-P160 and its already 100 pieces. The price differs on the brand. We were the ones who inflated it so a little helping hand is needed. 

Minion Balloon - This is optional. There are balloons that goes well with the theme and luckily, we got a minion-themed balloon design. I got 2 pieces for both ends of the stage and each one costs around P40.00. Unfortunately, the other one popped even before the party started. Good thing I have the #1 baloon added on my list too! 

  

#1 Balloon - We just spotted a #1 and we thought of getting one. This is also optional. 

Table Balloons - We created a table-designed balloons for each of the table. It consists of 3 small balloons and one big one. 

Printed Name - I also researched for names that has a minion design on it and found these. Perfect for the small stage where we set-up. 

Buntings - I simply printed samples and cut them and created them into buntings using yarn. I just stapled it and made them long. 

Curtains - These are needed for the background of the stage. You can adjust this to your liking. 

D. TABLES AND CHAIRS 

If you have an open venue like what we had but without a complete set-up, then you need to rent some tables and chairs. Take into account table clothes as well.  The shop where we rented ours already had table cloth with them matched with the theme so it's easier to accomplish more task with one less thing to think about.  

*** Long Table - You need this if you are setting a buffet and a sweets station.

*** Round Table - This one's better for the visitors because it promotes camaraderie since they will be required to face each other and will see each other’s faces.

E. Don't forget the FOOD

Cakes - A birthday wouldn't be complete without a cake. I actually had to rush ordering a cake because of a miscommunication from a sponsor who was supposed to carry the task of creating a cake. We had 3 days left before the big day so we had no choice but to get one from a local cake store, Goldilocks.

Buffet – It is up to you if you’ll cook or just order everything. We decided to go with the latter. Aside from we don’t have huge pots and pans, we are short of people so we ordered from a reliable catering service. All the dishes were delicious. We had Roastbeef, Seafood Supreme, Fish Fillet, Chopsuey, Back Ribs, Spaghetti, Rice, Drinks and Dessert. The spaghetti is for free since we booked 2 months before the date. The drinks were sponsored by my good friend and the dessert was made by my sister. Talking about making it affordable! The food only cost P7000 good for a 80 pax. Amazing, right? J

Candy Station – We also decided to set up a candy/ sweets station because we also have kid guests.

F. Games

Clown – It is up to you if you want to hire a clown. We had one since he is my husband’s friend. It was actually a good idea because he really made the whole crowd happy, even the adults were excited with his games and the way he handled the whole party was just amazing.

Lootbags/ Prizes – Our clown was actually the one who took over the party and he was also the one who distributed the lootbags to the kids. He made sure that all kids were given the lootbags.  

Pabitin – This is a traditional Filipino game that every children love. We had so much fun, just like the kids.

G. Photographer – A party wouldn’t be complete without the keepsake of the memories that happened. I have blogger, influencer and photographer friends so I have no problem with good and quality photos.

OTHER MATTERS – We also prepared other items like plates, drinking glasses and utensils. We also had a karaoke that time which was borrowed from a friend. We just got so many things for FREE!

BUDGET

                Venue  – P3500

                Shirts – P600

                Candies for the Candy Station and giveaway         1145

                DIY items (Balloons, Invitation, Supplies, etc)        1345

                Drinks – Water, Sodas, Juice, etc                              1212

                Food                                                                               7000

                Rent for Tables and Chairs                                         1400

                Cake                                                                               1500

TOTAL                                                                             17702

Our preparation isn’t as flawless as you can see. There are a lot of things that we can actually DIY if we want it to be but me and my husband are both working so we barely had much time to prepare, rest even. So we decided that we let go of the things that we can’t do and seek for help with the professionals.

For the list, you can still trim down the expenses for the venue, food and cake. If you also have items like tables and chairs or know someone who can help you with those matter, you can also lessen the expenses on that.

All in all, we were happy in celebrating my little one’s big day. It’s our first and we love preparing it for him. I hope that this post will help some moms on how they can create their little one’s birthday party too. Don’t be stress on the result. At the end of the day, what’s important is how we spend our precious moments with our loved ones and that we are thankful for the gift of life and good health. 

Much Love, Mommy ❤