Ok, I seriously can't handle this girl. I just love her so freaking much! This age is so much fun. I was not expecting Blakely to pick this theme. The kids have continued to surprise me with their themes! And I gotta say, this theme is super rad. And that costume. Come on! The coolest! Her table turned out so cute this year. This one was the most difficult because I couldn't find any inspiration on Etsy for Maleficent theme. I had a blast creating this!
A big change this year was adding larger backdrops behind their tables. I think that made a big difference in the overall look of their party tables. Everything I used is linked at bottom of this blog. Belen from Crafty Lil Studio was amazing to work with! She made all my ideas and visions come to life with the custom details.
I get a lot of questions about how I set up the kids tables. And to be honest, it's a whole thing. Haha. My process takes a few days to set it all up. I learned a few years ago not to wait until the night before the party to get everything set up and ready to go. So a few days before the party I get out their tables and set up the party favor boxes, iron the tables clothes, unwrap and lay out the backdrops (so they don't have big creases in them on party day), re-wrap the water bottles with their custom labels, set out the cake stands, and get out the tape and balloon garlands. I also call whoever is making the cakes and checkin to make sure those will be ready for pickup the morning of the party. Can't have a party without cake!
The night before the party, I blow up the balloon garlands! I used to be very worried that the balloons wouldn't be in peak condition if I blew them up the night before. But I have learned that the balloons still look great the following day and it saves a lot of time having these balloon garlands ready to go the night before.
The morning of the party, I give myself about three hours to set up. I do NOT like to be rushed. Haha. This way, I have plenty of time to set out the tables, get the backdrops up, get the balloons up, and then take my time setting their tables up. I use Gorilla Tape to hang the backdrops and balloon garlands. This stuff holds up so well! And then you don't have to worry about nailing anything into your walls.
The kids are always super excited and are happy to help with getting their tables organized. I put pretty much everything except the cake out. We put the cake out last minute (so it does't melt in the July heat). We have ordered pizza most years and that will stay inside on the kitchen island for people grab and eat throughout the party.
Tim helps me with setting up the tables and backdrops. I need extra hands, eyes etc to get the balloons just right and he is so helpful! He also helps to clean up the patio the day before the party, which is a lot of work. Tim also helps with the drinks! Lots of ice and drinks for the party goers. :)
The kids joint party this year was so much fun. I dread the day they don't want their fun party tables with themes. So until then, I'll put custom labels on water bottles and make balloon garlands all night long. ;) I hope these tips were helpful! I love seeing your parties, thanks so much for sharing your beautiful creative ideas with me over the years. Cheers!
Photos by Jenna Sparks
You can see previous party themes here:
Ryder and Blakely, Sharks and Unicorns in 2019.
Ryder and Blakely, Star Wars and Ballerinas in 2018.
Just click on the highlighted year to see each blog!
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