My daughters name is Georgia May, so it only made sense that we would have a peach themed party for her big O N E.
I was limited on time and budget, so I decided to DIY, repurpose, and make all of the food myself–with the exception of the fabulous sugar cookies I ordered from my talented friend Jannica. With a glue gun and some extra effort, you too can turn your house into an ultimate party space for any occasion.
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Here are some helpful tips for throwing a DIY birthday:
1. Before you purchase anything, look around your house to see what you have. Build your party around that.
I knew I wanted a peach themed party, but wasn’t sure which direction to take it in. I found old wooden crates, some apothecary jars, chalk board signs, burlap ribbon, and balloon supplies.
I decided on a rustic decor to utilize the crates and burlap ribbon I already had, and create a centerpiece around a balloon arch and apothecary jars filled with candy. By checking what you have, you avoid buying excess decor that will just sit in storage for years to come.
2. Learn to bake and frost a simple cake.
It’s likely that many of you would rather buy a cake to save on time. That’s totally fine, and I get it. I’m the same with a lot of other things. But, if you’re tight on cash, learning to make a beautiful cake is easier than you might imagine.
Follow this step-by-step tutorial from one of my favorite food bloggers, and find out just how fun it can be.
3. Design your own E-Invitations
I created an invitation to email and text to all of our friends and family using Canva. It’s a graphic design app that’s free, and easy to navigate.
If you want to, you can choose to sign up for a monthly membership. My favorite feature is that Canva allows you to purchase certain design elements at a reasonable price (generally $1-3). This means you can control the cost of your design, while creating something custom.
What Else?
Amazon is a DIY-Mom’s best friend. I found almost everything there, but specifically the peach colored plates, straws, balloons, and candy. I was able to snag it all for super cheap, and free shipping.
It took about two hours to construct the balloon arch. As a disclaimer, this isn’t my first time putting together a balloon arch. Check out this bridal shower I hosted last year! So, I already had this nifty little machine for blowing up balloons. It’s worth every single penny. Balloons can be used for almost every event, therefore, you’ll likely use it more than once.
I love functional, repurpose-able decor, and that’s exactly what you get when you use apothecary jars. I filled them with candy for a pretty way to display treats and reinforce the “Sweet as a Peach” party theme.
For the food, I made sandwiches, then kept it simple with veggies, pita bread, and hummus. [Find my high-in-demand recipe for chicken curry here!] If you invest in some quality serving platters, bowls, etc., you will find that they come in handy for years and years. I utilized the serving ware I already had, even though I was tempted to buy this rose gold serving stone.
We had peach Italian Sodas, which also doubled as a fun activity because kiddos LOVE to make their own drink. The recipe is simple: flavored syrup–I like Torani, half and half, and club soda. If you’re serving adults too, you can substitute club soda for a dry, fruity champagne.
Get ready for these AMAZING sugar cookies…
If you’re able, pick an item to splurge on. It gives the party a special touch. My splurge for this party was an order of these glamorous couture cookies.
Being a food blogger is fun because you get to meet amazing bakers like Jannica from Jannica’s Cookies. I gave her a general direction, and she came up with this design that was to. die. for.
Ok, let’s talk about the peach headdress. Over the top? Probably. Worth it? Absolutely.
I took an old stretchy headband, some faux peaches and flowers from Hobby Lobby, then proceeded to hot glue until I came up with this masterpiece.
We had so much fun celebrating Georgia May, sending her into her second year in DIY style.
