I know it’s October but we got one last taste of summer this past weekend at Ella’s 6th birthday shellabration!
Ella’s birthday party is pretty much my Super Bowl. And I wasn’t injured, necessarily, before the big game– it’s just that I had a baby. But I love a challenge and I love Ella even more. And fortunately, the theme she chose lends itself to a lot of great activities and decor. This somehow ended up as one of the easier parties I’ve ever put together. Keep scrolling to see all the details!
DECOR
The decor this year was all about the pastel rainbow color palette. I chose those colors because they’re summery and not exactly your typical mermaid colors–I like having things I can easily use again in the future. So very few elements were directly mermaid related. The first showstopper was this fringe curtain on our living room window.
I attached the “Let’s Be Mermaids” banner to personalize it for our event.
The second showstopper was the fireplace mantle.
I had never done a balloon garland before! I’ve probably wanted to do one at every party I’ve ever done but have been intimidated by the prospect. But it’s actually pretty easy! Just labor intensive but the impact is immediate and beautiful. And this balloon garland paired perfectly with the fringe curtain. I added the mermaid balloon and I personalized Ella’s girl power sign to say, “mermaid power.” I love simple touches like that.
The rest of the decor was pretty simple. I used the paper honeycomb balls because they reminded me of bubbles. I used pictures of Ella at the beach over the year to decorate one of the craft stations– real life mermaid moments!
ACTIVITIES
I love to do activity stations so that the kids don’t all have to be doing the same thing at once. The three activities were a buried treasure dig, decorating treasure chests, and making mermaid medallion necklaces. Each one was a hit! For the buried treasure, I provided the girls with personalized pails and I buried keys, coins, gems, and little bottles in kinetic sand.
I found treasure chests on Amazon and I made a table setting with pretty plates and napkins and the girls could paint and put stickers on their chests. I decorated some plain aprons so that their clothes were kept safe.
The mermaid medallions were great because I like to have a dress up element at Ella’s parties and these doubled as a craft. I also left out tutus and capes for the girls to dress up in if they wanted.
Speaking of dress up, I made these mermaid braids for the girls to wear and take home. Keep an eye out for that DIY tutorial!
FOOD
This was our easiest food yet! We wanted to minimize chances of germs spreading so we kept the food very simple. We got a bunch of packaged snacks and drinks and for cake, we did mug cakes in paper cups. All so easy and pretty tasty too.
ELLA’S OUTFIT
Again, I like things with multiple uses. I didn’t want a straight mermaid costume but something with the right vibe. I found this tutu and thought the details on the torso were reminiscent of scales.
Another DIY tutorial to look out for– this mermaid crown!
I thought about this party for a lot of my pregnancy. I didn’t want Ella to lose out on anything, especially since this year has been so strange. This party was simpler but still special and a joy to put together for her.
xo
eb
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