FAMILY KIDS party

First Birthday Party Ideas for a Girl

first year baby birthday :: Cakes by Tatiana :: flower-power ballons and favors by martha stewart :: food presentation

I received an email from Janine who is thinking of doing a garden party for her daughter’s first birthday.

She feels that all of the kids party decorations look so passé and cheesy. I have to agree with her. She asked for some ideas. I am proposing a cool flower theme.

Party Planning

A first year birthday is often more for the parents and family since the baby is not well aware of what is going on. It is best to plan for a two-hour party. Schedule some activities to play with the kids.

Flower-Power Décor

The cakes for the 10th anniversary of Cakes by Tatiana were my inspirations. Located in Ottawa, Cakes by Tatiana has a list of distinguished customers including two former Prime Ministers of Canada and Adrienne Clarkson. The two cakes are creations by award-winning pastry Chef Tatiana Vorobej.

I do not expect you to get such an exquisite cake for a first birthday. The flowers and spheres can be reproduced on a larger scale for your garden. Make a few vignettes that you spread across your space to define and cheer up your garden.

A cheap version is the cute Flower Ballons created by Martha Stewart. The steps by step instruction are published on Martha’s site. It is not complicated to do. Fill pails with a baby friendly toy (sandbox tor for example) and insert a paper daisy to dress it up. Reserve the lollipops for older young kids or distribute them to the moms.

The Menu

Since you need to entertain and take care of the babies, keep the menu simple. Serve bite foods, sandwiches and snacks. As long as you make your food look pretty, serving simple foods look sophisticated. And it can look stylish without a lot of work.

Take this cool tray of vegetables designed by Martha. I am sure you have seen those before. You can use square flower vases instead of the glasses or clear acrylic boxes. Start by cutting your vegetables. Cut each type on a same length. Blanch the asparagus, beans, cauliflowers and broccoli to give them a vibrant color. Serve the veggies neatly in the glassware sitting on a tray.

Get inspired by Revisiting the Sandwich Box for serving sandwiches to the adult guests. For the kids, you can serve the blossom sandwiches by Martha Stewart.

Baby Activities

Singing is always popular with babies and parents. Set up a singing circle in the garden where parents and kids can sit. A sandbox is always a fun activity for the little ones.

You can organize a small play. My sister in law asks her teenager babysitter to create a 10-minute show. The farmyard party photo canvas available at Pottery Barn will make great memories and older kids can participate.

Get a girls’ first birthday bib for the day. Preserve the memories not just in photos and videos; store the bib and the other decorative elements in a cute keepsake cardboard box.

I hope this will inspire you. And Janine, keep me posted on how the first birthday of your little girl will turn out.

SOURCING:
Party supplies: Flower Balloon How-To [Martha Stewart]
Inspirations: cakes by tatiana -10th anniversary [cakes by Tatiana]
Party supplies: Flower in Pail Party Favors [Martha Stewart]
Buy online: farmyard party photo canvas [Pottery Barn] – price: on sale at $24.99 USD
Buy online: girls’ first birthday bib [Pottery Barn] – price: $12 USD
Video: Crudités with Buttermilk Peppercorn Dip Recipe [Martha Stewart]
Dishing up: Edible Blossom Sandwiches [Martha Stewart]

  • Nicolas
    May 12, 2008 at 16:19

    happy bday Kim !

  • At Home with Kim Vallee
    May 14, 2008 at 12:24

    New Styles of Swim Rings and Beach Balls by Designroom Group

  • Paige
    July 9, 2008 at 05:47

    HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY LUCY.
    ON THE 16TH OF JULY
    LOVE YOUR SISTER
    PAIGE
    XOXO

  • Jenni
    August 30, 2008 at 00:03

    i love your ideas for the flower theme for a girls first birthday. I am already looking for ideas for my little Maya

  • At Home with Kim Vallee
    September 2, 2008 at 00:37

    Jenni: Looking at your blog, I saw that I still have some time to inspire you for Maya’s first birthday.

  • Birthday party ideas
    December 3, 2008 at 13:50

    One idea could be to create an online wish list. This will help the people coming to the party easily find and choose a gift, and will allow you to pick the things that you think your child would like to have.

  • Beth
    June 5, 2009 at 15:02

    This is a wonderful article indeed! I particularly agree with the statement that first year birthday is often more for the parents and family. So I had my son’s first birthday in my local tgi friday’s that had an enclosed green lawn- so that the parents could enjoy a nice lunch while the older kids could run around in the lawn. It was a themed-party and I bought all decoration stuff from oriental trading. I also got a musical show dvd made from smilingsnaps which showed my child grow up from a newborn to the first tooth, first smile, first crawl etc with a personalized Happy Birthday song that I played before the cake cutting. We all enjoyed the day thoroughly!

  • Judy
    June 17, 2009 at 18:04

    Oh my god, this was such help I have to tell you. I especially liked the menu (tray of vegetables), my little girsl will be so happy, she is a vegetable fiend.

  • rachel
    September 1, 2009 at 11:06

    Love these ideas. I will be doing the balloon blossoms for my baby girl’s first birthday, and I have filed away the crudites display for another year!

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  • updatetoo
    January 12, 2011 at 15:32

    Good Ideas for a my Girl

  • Kiara Michelle
    October 25, 2011 at 16:46

    I would like to have some ideas for My Daugther 1st Birthday…

  • Shveta
    January 13, 2012 at 19:25

    So we are doing my daughter’s first birthday party with a 100 people at a banquet hall. january is really cold in the midwest leaving us no choice but to have a party indoors. Yup, people have called us crazy for that but it is so much easier with the baby since you just show up with the cake and they take care of everything including food!

  • Matt Guru
    May 14, 2012 at 16:37

    This is great! And just in time. My girls birthdays are June 18th and 20th (2 and 4), and we’re already tired of the same old boring ideas.

    Thanks!

  • vencanje
    June 7, 2012 at 03:27

    Thanks for a nice ideas. All photos are so great, but my favorit is the cake.

  • Paul
    March 3, 2013 at 19:20

    Great article Kim!
    And as you talk about singing circle, it would be nice if the parents hire and a DJ (kids like to dance) 🙂 as i suggest in my blog too. Also a little gift for each kid is also good to be considered.

  • Jim
    March 30, 2013 at 23:51

    Great article, great ideas! My daughter’s first birthday is coming up. Thank you 😉

  • Birthday Blueprints
    April 12, 2013 at 05:53

    We did same thing Beth! I had my son’s musical dvd as well. It showed his captured moments 🙂 It was a simple birthday party and very memorable.

  • Rhonda Winters
    April 29, 2013 at 16:38

    These are beautiful ideas for a little girl! Thank you posting these and giving me some plans for our friends daughter’s first birthday!