Birthday Party Must-Haves!

I absolutely LOVE celebrating my kids' birthdays!  It's a day where I do my very best to make them feel special.  I decided a long time ago that you don't have to spoil them with tons of presents to make them feel that way.  But you do have to spoil them with time and thoughtfulness!  Isn't that what we all crave any way???  Oh and hugs, cuddles and spankings... (Yep, this year it was 7 spankings to be exact :-)  Soooo this is what my house looks like on a birthday.  Nothing you see here is expensive.  But it sure looks like a PARTY!

Tissue Paper Puff Balls are way super easy!  And CHEAP!  All you need is tissue paper (like the kind you wrap presents with) and I just buy the 99 cent packs, and clear plastic string or ribbon.   I hang them from the ceiling with thumb tacks.

Here is a tutorial on puff balls!

The string of lanterns plug in and create a fun ambiance, especially if you're partying after the sun goes down.  And the boa is just so much easier and cuter than crepe paper!  Both can be found at Hobby Lobby.  Our birthday boy/girl sits there in front of the fireplace to open gifts, so it has to be a festive-looking spot for pictures!

The banner and table cloth?  Walmart!  The banner we've had for years and just keep reusing it.  No one seems to mind :-)

Balloons?  Smiths or any grocery store.  I love balloons!  They're cheap and a great finishing touch to any party decor! 

The next thing you need is a birthday cake!

   

Did you recognize the cake stand?  Yay, I finally got to use it!  

Frosting and I have a very tumultuous relationship.  Nothing seems to go right with us!  Frosting is one art medium (yes, it is art...in the right hands :-) that I haven't quite figured out despite years and years of trying.  So I am now trying FONDANT!  I used to love my pottery class in high school.  And using fondant is kinda sorta like sculpting (except for the fact that you try your best not to handle it too much).  I learned how to use fondant from You Tube:

Here are some useful links

here, here, and here.

A good fondant cake is supposed to be "flawless", but let's be honest...my cake was far from flawless!!!  But it was still a lot of fun to do, and despite the flaws and bad frosting job... I like the way it turned out.

You can buy fondant just about anywhere; Walmart has pre-dyed colors, and craft stores have the pre-dyed and the plain white.  If you're going to dye the fondant yourself be sure to wear gloves!  (My hands may or may not have been dyed hot pink :-)

I got my design idea from this (picture on left) and I tried it 4 years ago for Kaeli (picture on right):

I'm still not sure why my cake turned out so round this time, instead of the nice sharp edge on top, hmmm? 

The most important "must-have" for a successful birthday party is...

 well, a birthday girl of course!