I knew that I wanted to do a Farm/Cow themed party for Jack's first birthday. Partly because it matched his baby blanket I made for him and partly because I love cows. They have always been my favorite animal. So I cruised around the internet for ideas and everything I found was either way over the top or kind of boring. Being the gal I am I just kind of made things up as I went along. It worked.
I always make their cakes. Its kind of my thing. I used two cake mixes and made two 1/4 sheet cakes. I put them together and iced them in chocolate. I took the kids play "Country Barn" and used scrapbook paper to cover that with "Jacks Farm," placing the barn on a book covered in construction paper. With the barn doors open I made a path with brown sugar and I colored coconut to make green grass. I used the play fence, tree, water trough and food trough to bring it to life. I made cows from Jumbo Marshmallows, double bubble gum (for udders) and chocolate frosting. I put blue frosting in the water trough and oatmeal in the food trough. Then I used some of the farm people and other animals for decoration.
I made Jacks "Happy Birthday" banner from sheets of scrapbook paper. I traced triangles on the back of the paper and Ellie cut them out for me. Seriously difficult to let the perfectionist in me let her do it, but I did and she did pretty good. I used pre-cut re-usable letters that you can find in the office supply section. I covered clothespins in cow print ribbon and hung the banner from yarn on our fireplace.
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| This is the only picture I got of the banner. Sniff, it was so easy and so cute! |
I covered the table in a cow print table cloth from Hobby Lobby and got some cowboy plates (from the clearance section, woot!). I also purchased 1 yard of cow print fabric to cover his highchair. I made a sign for his high chair as well by using leftover scrapbook paper from the banner, cow ribbon and a cowboy boot and cow. Since we were also having a barbecue (his party was on Father's Day) I had a "Water Hole" where we had the cooler with drinks and "Cow Patties" or york peppermint patties on a cow print tray that I picked up at a thrift store a few months ago (for a whopping 50 cents.)
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| The girls had so much fun blowing these in their handmade vintage fabric pillowcase dresses. They were so easy, I'm ashamed they don't have a closet full! |
Guests were sent home with gift bags made by Ellie. She is such a helper! Using clear treat bags, I had her decorate them with farm themed stickers. Inside we filled them with a seed packet of CowPeas (it was too funny to pass up) and fun size peanut M&M's (I used some brown ones on the cake as cow patties). They were held together with red and white gingham covered clothespins.
For each of the kids I have made them a blanket for their 1st birthday and Jack was no exception. For Ethan it was a Thomas blanket, for Ellie I did strawberries with a matching pillow, I made Regan a black and pink polka dot blanket that matched her party and for Jack I used some vintage farm animal fabric that had been my grandma's. I loved watching him open it and since then he sleeps with it every night. I also made him some yarn balls with jingle bells inside. Balls are his favorite toys and he was always stealing my dryer balls, so I made him his own. We all love playing catch with him! More on how to make these later this summer.
I dressed my handsome guy in a cow diaper, bandanna and cowboy hat. Thankfully he kept them on for a couple of pictures. We had such a fun time. My husband was surprised with a grill which he put to great use cooking us up some delicious food. Love that man!
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| I can always find him with a stick in his hand when we play outside. He put this one in his mouth and I simply couldn't resist. |
