Dr. Seuss Birthday Bash!

If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good!

~Dr. Seuss


This week’s Party Planning Showcase features a friend from college, Jen, and the fabulous birthday party bash she threw for her son’s first birthday! She did an amazing job with some really clever ideas that I think you will love!

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What type of event did you plan/attend and for who?

Dr. Seuss themed first birthday party for my son, Alex.

How far in advance did you begin planning and how did you decide on a theme?

Since his birth! Lol. It was really more like 8 months before his birthday that I decided on the theme. I saw tons of Dr. Seuss themed parties on Pinterest with a lot of cute ideas that seems pretty easy to pull off so I decided to go for it! I started casually collecting Dr. Seuss items for the party once I decided the theme but really didn’t get into full planning mode until after Christmas (mid-February party).

Where did you get some of your ideas for the decor/food?

Pinterest was pretty much the source of every idea for the party. The menu included: Green (deviled) eggs and ham (for sandwiches); Roast “Beast” (for sandwiches); Cheese Trees (sliced cheese for the sandwiches); Hop on Pop(corn); Fish in a Pot (Goldfish crackers); Truffula Sticks (Veggie Sticks in Ranch); Sneetch Treats (mini fruit pizzas); and Poodles with Noodles (baked macaroni and cheese). Drinks were Pink Yink Ink Drink (Cherry Limeade)  and Hop on (soda) pop. I got cupcakes from Sam’s for dessert and make toppers for them myself.

The décor was pretty simple. I went with a red and aqua color “story” and the basic party supplies were all pretty easy to find in those colors. My mom helped with the centerpieces and I added Dr. Seuss books to the tables. I also made a banner with Dr. Seuss fabric for over the gift table. There really is a lot of Dr. Seuss themed items out there so it was all pretty easy!

What was your favorite part of the party and/or party-planning process?

I love a good “theme” so I always enjoy finding that perfect item that you know will be just right for the party. Since I knew my theme so far in advance I took my time “collecting” things for the party and making tons of lists of all of the items I would need. I also really like the satisfaction of pulling off a crafting project when it turns out like the picture I saw and cost me far less money! The party itself was pretty casual since it was for a one year old who didn’t really know what was going on. We all just enjoyed the birthday boy as he opened his (too many) gifts and enjoyed (making a mess with) his cake! 

What was your least favorite part?

The clean up! All of a sudden this thing you have been planning and working on for months is just over and done and now you have a huge mess to clean up and a lot of stuff to cram in your car! It is not that bad though…. I just started thinking about next year! 

With regards to a budget, did you set one and if so, do you think you stayed within it or went over?

I did not have a budget for his party and really since I began purchasing items so far in advance, I am not really even sure of a “total” for the event. Since it was a small party (about 20 people) the food costs were not too terrible. We had simple sandwiches and my mom and mother-in-law pitched in as well.

I did a lot of the décor myself and saved a ton of money that way. Instead of ordering items from EtsyI just found a way to make them. Fabric pennant banners generally run between $20 and $30 on Etsy and a custom birthday shirt is also $20 or higher depending on what you want. I made my own banner for about $7.00 in materials and maybe two hours cutting and sewing. My mother-in-law made Alex two Dr. Suess birthday shirts for about $12.00 in materials. (Her fancy sewing machine makes me happy!) I also did a custom high chair banner with ribbon I got on sale and with coupons. The one I originally fell in love with on Pinterest was $18.00 and I was able to customize mine to my color story and all I needed to do was cut and hot glue! Same story with the cupcake toppers… $$$ on Etsy or a paper punch I already owned and a printer! I did pay a little more to have custom invitations but they were so cute I thought the cost was justified.

Feel free to share any of your favorite links/online stores that you utilized in planning or buying materials!

As I mentioned, Pinterest and Etsy were both great sources of inspiration. The invitations were designed by Anna Jayne Prints (formerly Snuggles N Kisses) on Etsy. They were adorable. She creates a JPEG and you print them wherever you want. I used Snapfish because they had the best deal on photo cards at the time and I am always pleased with the product I get from them. (Print with a matte finish! It makes all the difference!). I also ordered some of the party supplies from Oriental Trading Company and got the rest at Party City. For anyone in the St. Louis area, Jackman’s has the best fabric selection and was the only place I could find the actual Dr. Seuss fabric.

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Adorable, right?! Her creativity is through the roof (I’ve seen other parties she’s done) and when she’s not working, I think she should start a party-planning business! {Not too mention, how cute is Alex!?!?} He was born just a short time after Jack, so it’s fun watching them “grow up together” on Facebook!