1st Birthday Party on a Tight Budget

On August 1, 2016, my sweet little boy turned one. Today, as you may have noticed, is January 31, 2017. Almost exactly a full six months after his birthday. The last six months have felt more like eighteen which is one reason I haven't done this sooner, but I won't get into that now. 

I planned and executed Kev's First Birthday Party with the help of my sisters and mom who had graciously allowed us to host the event at their house (as we were living there during the summer months while we worked back in the US). As this is a picture-heavy post, I'll let them do most of the talking.

My budget was $50 and I kept it almost exactly to that amount. I bought colored paper, washi tape, felt for the crown, and the decorative posters from Hobby Lobby. I printed the photos at Walgreens and bought helium balloons from the Dollar General. I made a 'healthy cake' from this recipe (which he was way too overwhelmed to eat at the time, of course) and used kebab sticks and twine for the tiny cake topper. The 'blocks' were made by painting 1'x1' cardboard boxes. On the front I painted the letters of his name, on the right I painted his birth date and place, and on the left I painted some birth stats and extras. Lastly, we bought a journal to set out and asked all of the guests to write a note to Kev for him to read when he turns 18. The goal is to set the journal out at each birthday party for the next 18 years, but lets be honest, that's super unlikely to happen...I can dream though.