Birthday party ideas: Tie-and-moustache party theme

Let’s be honest—first birthday parties are really just a celebration for the parents, a way to say: “Hey, we did it! We made it through our first year!” I started thinking about my son Johannes’s birthday party about six months before his actual birthday. The thought that my baby would soon be one whole year old was terrifying, so I immersed myself in planning every detail of the event instead. My husband, Michael, and I decided early on to have a bow tie-and-moustache theme as a funny way of saying to the world that our little boy was one step closer to becoming a man. Michael took over the design of all paper goods—including invitations, menus and water bottle stickers—and I was chief crafter, baker and cake decorator.

The party was a huge success, and everyone had an amazing time, including Johannes (even though he didn’t really understand what all the commotion was about). But the best part came later that afternoon once all the guests had gone. Michael, Johannes and I took a long walk through the park. Although it was March, the party fell on an unseasonably warm day and Johannes conked out in his stroller, giving Michael and me a chance to really reminisce about the past year and all that we’d accomplished.

Fun

Savoury snacks: From mini quiches and mini chicken pot pies to five-spice meatballs, my mom did it all. However, she did cheat when it came to the mini pizzas—those were store-bought all the way.

Sweet things: I was in charge of the sweets table. My cake pops were a big hit with the kids, but the lemon blueberry cake was the star for all the grown-ups.

Drink up: We served milk and water for the babies, beer and wine for the moms and dads, and tea and coffee for the grandparents.Michael had a lot of fun making the water bottle labels; we kept one bottle for ourselves as a souvenir.

Doable decor: I took my favourite photos of Johannes’s first year, printed them onto white bristol board and cut them out into “Polaroid” shapes.

Hairy situation: To make the moustache props, I drew a moustache onto a piece of black cardstock, cut it out and traced a second identical design (you’ll need a front and a back). I then glued the two sides of the moustache to a wooden dowel. (I bought mine at a craft store, but you can also use shish kebab skewers.)

Download and print our “moustache” template.

Loot bags: We filled them with picture books, balls and bath toys, and personalized each with a bow tie or moustache stamp.

Want to see more from Ana-Maria’s blog? Go to bluebirdkisses.com.

A version of this article appeared in our April 2014 issue with the headline “Moustache mashup fun”, p. 20.