Event Design: Paint & Polka Dot Birthday Party

I'm so excited to announce that the Paint & Polka Dot themed birthday that I designed for little Nicole was featured on Hostess with the Mostess! Hostess with the Mostess is a popular blog where entertaining and party ideas are shared, inspired, and discovered. I highly recommend it for those of you who are looking for party inspiration. Check out the feature here

After doing Nicole's Bumble Bee Themed Birthday last year, her mom Christine was excited to have me help out again this year. She wanted something that was going to be a little more interactive for the kids since they are now a bit older. Nicole loves to draw and paint, so we thought why not have a paint themed party! The party was taking place in Christine's backyard so I knew I wanted bright and bold colors such as fuchsia, aqua and lime green that would really pop on a summer afternoon. The polka dot pattern was a perfect accompaniment to the bright colors and theme of the party. See below for all of the fun details!

Dining Tables

The dining tables were covered in a fuchsia linen with a polka dot runner going down the middle. For the centerpieces I purchased empty paint cans from a home improvement store and filled them with bright colored flowers that matched the theme of the party. I used green floral foam at the bottom of the cans and stuck the flowers into the foam so that they would stand straight up. I loved the idea of using one type of flower and color in each paint can. For the utensil packets, I wrapped the napkin around the fork and knife and added a paper band that said “dig in!” to hold it all together.

 
Kids Table

The kids table was a huge hit! Floating above the table was a cluster of bright colored polka dot balloons. The table was covered in a fuchsia plastic table cloth for easy clean up. Each kid got an individual paint packet to create their own masterpiece. The packet included a blank canvas, apron, painter’s palette, and paint brushes. I wanted to make sure the birthday girl felt special, so I added a little banner to the back of her chair that read “I am 3”.

 
Drink Table

For the Drink table we kept it really simple. We had raspberry lemonade and citrus infused water filled in dispensers and placed on white footed platters. This created a beautiful presentation. I purchased a variety of striped paper straws that matched the colors of the party and added a “nicole is three” tag for a special touch.

 
Painters Easel

Since the kids were going to have so much fun painting, I wanted to have a little activity for the adults as well. I had a blank canvas that I displayed on a painters easel with a little note asking guests to help create a masterpiece for Nicole. All the adults got to add their own little painting to the canvas and it ended up being a fun keepsake for the birthday girl.

 
Favors

The favors were super quick and easy! I purchased mini clear paint can containers to go along with the theme and filled them with gumballs. I added a little sticker to them that said “thanks for painting with me”.  

 
Dessert Table
The dessert table was my favorite part! For the backdrop, I hung paint cans at varying heights that spelled out the birthday girl’s name. I cut paper to create zig zag streamers and attached them to the bottom of the paint cans to give the effect that paint was spilling out of the cans. The desserts included paint brush pretzels, paint brush rice krispy treats, and cupcakes displayed on painter’s palettes. We ordered a simple cake but dressed it up with a mini banner that I made that said “three”. The inside of the cake however had a fun surprise. Each layer had a different color to match the theme of the party.

Event Design: Chic Butter Yellow & Pink Baby Shower

One of our in-laws was hosting a baby shower for her daughter-in-law Margie. She called me asking for my help with the decor. I was delighted to help out! We didn't have much time so I quickly got started. I found these gorgeous butter yellow and soft pink linens from La Tavola that I knew I had to use. We also brought in white chivari chairs that paired nicely with the rest of the décor and added chicness to the event. I went to the wholesale flower mart and put together the centerpieces myself in vintage milk glass vases that I had from a past event. The flowers were a mix of hydrangeas, dusty miller, pink peonies, butter yellow garden roses, and white David Austin roses that smelled divine! I’m kind of obsessed with this combination of flowers.
 
For the favors, we filled these adorable boxes that I found on etsy with Jordon almonds and placed them on each person’s place setting. As a little activity, guests got to guess the birth date, length, and weight of the baby and write their predictions on a little onsie. They were then displayed on a cork board with mini clothespins. Margie’s friends also purchased a bunch of onsies and bibs for people to decorate with puff paint.

The dessert table was a hit, yum! I punched out pink, yellow, and grey circles and attached them to a really thin string and hung them behind the dessert table to create a backdrop. I also added a onsie banner to the front of the table. The cake was a 2 tier bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes (LOVE that place). The macaroons and shot glasses were provided by Sweet Tooth Confections. I displayed all the desserts on white footed platters and added little labels. Congrats Margie, I wish you a quick and easy delivery. I can’t wait to meet her!

Fun Fact: Margie was on the US Water Polo team and participated in the Athens Olympics along with other national competitions. How cool is that!?

Event Design, Paper Goods, and Florals: Simple Little Details / Linens: La Tavola / Desserts: Sweet Tooth Confections and Nothing Bundt Cakes / Rentals: A Party Place / Photography: Simple Little Details