Hello all, I am so excited to finally share another party!
This was a very special event, planned especially for my dear mother's 50th birthday.
For Christmas, my gift to her was a fairy garden that we designed together, and that acted as my inspiration for the party theme. Everything was a total surprise for her, including my visit ( I live in another state from my parents), and it was so much fun to plan this all for her without her knowing.
But let's get on to the photos!
My number one goal for this party was that it had to be budget friendly. Because of this, coupled with the fact that I couldn't bring anything with me from my own party/craft supply, I had to get creative with the decor. The easel above was a chance find, stored away by a folding table we pulled out for seating. It made the perfect sign to welcome guests. The fact that my mom collects gnomes and displays them on her porch helped quite a bit. ;)
Growing up I wanted a "princess" bed, including a canopy. My mom actually made the purple canopy pictured above out of a few yards of tulle, a metal embroidery hoop, ribbon, and a chain of flowers. It was a simple project that didn't cost a lot and has served us well over the years. I was so glad to have found it among my things that still "live" at my parents home.
If you've seen my other party posts, you will notice American Girl dolls are a favorite for my mom and I. This little vignette was probably my favorite to create. I simply dressed the dolls up, one in a cute garden themed outfit, and the other in a collection of items that gave her the look of a fairy. Her wings are actually a butterfly I had hanging on the wall of my room growing up, that I simply tucked into her shirts back. The mushroom is yard art from Lowe's that was brought in the house specifically for the party.
This is the fairy garden that inspired the whole party! It too was made up of new, old, and sentimental items. The tree-like plant in the background was one I used to have in my bedroom growing up (It must be close to 10-12 years old at least by now!), we also used glass from one of our visits to Glass Beach, and stones from a project I had done in high school.
Isn't she sweet? Her crown of flowers was actually one I wore for a wedding I attended as a child! It's all about re-purposing things you already have in new ways! Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when planning a party. Costs start to add up quickly, and it makes having a cute theme seem hard. But as this party goes to show, if you look around at what you already have and plan around that, it can help stretch a budget a long way.
This statue wasn't what I had planned on gifting my mother, but when I saw her I realized I wanted my mom to have a reminder of her special day, and this little figurine seemed just right.
Pictured above, the only items purchased were the streamers, table clothes, and flowers. The lanterns were from my wedding, and the other canopy was another I had growing up. Just those few things made such a huge statement and really added to the party.
Believe it or not, the mushroom banner is actually just a streamer that I used as a base to tape free mushroom printouts on. I simply printed, cut, taped and hung. All inspiration and printables for this party can be found on the Pinterest board I created here. Those amazing (but quite time consuming) white fluffy garlands, that are also hung on the wall, came from Party City! I highly recommend them, they add so much to the space.
The plastic table clothes were stunning and from Winco Foods of all places! I was blown away by their cute party decor.
We carried the theme into the adjoining dinning room. My aunt and brother supplied all the lovely flowers in the photos.
The cupcakes were actually a bit of a DIY fail for me! I wanted them to look like mushrooms and ended up with these. They are still cute, just not quite what I had envisioned! The original idea can also be found on my Pinterest board, linked above.
Small details, like a flower garland in the chandelier, carry the theme into the next room. It doesn't take a ton of decor to carry a theme. All you really need are one or two focus areas, like the dolls vignette and the front door, and then a few items through out the space you'll be entertaining in to carry out the theme.
Isn't this bunny precious? My mom loves all the sweet animal figurines and keeps her favorites in the house. This little bunny and her twin fit right in with our party. The moss you see pictured here was a single package that was added in to add to the garden look.
Last but not least, a last few detail shots of fun things, such as the coordinating cake, and the headdress I rediscovered and used down below.
And there you have it, an adorable party that came together because of creativity and imagination. I loved being able to do this for my mother, and I loved having another chance to plan a party! They can be so much fun if you don't let the pressure of having things perfect get in the way. I hope you all enjoyed the photos and that you too can be inspired to look around you and get creative when it comes to putting something like this together. Thank you for visiting!
