Here are all of the supplies and DIY projects you’ll need to throw an adorable pink and gold pumpkin first birthday party!
“Little Pumpkin or Mamma Mia??”
My daughter’s birthday was still months away but I wanted to narrow down the theme so I could start prepping.
I always throw a big party for my babies’ first birthday, so I have to start the planning process months in advance.
Since Mia’s birthday is in October, I had narrowed down the theme to either Little Pumpkin or Mamma Mia (to play off her name).
I found adorable ideas for each party theme, but since I already had pink pumpkins and didn’t know if it would be warm enough for a Mediterranean theme in Utah in October, I went with the little pumpkin theme.
Everything turned out so beautiful!
RELATED: Ella’s Floral First Birthday Party
How do you plan a 1st birthday party?
I have three kiddos, so I’ve nailed down a pretty good process for planning a 1st birthday party.
1. Create a Google Doc and outline the four main aspects of the party:
- Invitations
- Food
- Decorations
- Activities
Grab photos from Pinterest and add them to the document with links to any fun party supplies you find.
You can refer back to the document to help you stay organized and to check tasks/items off your list.
2. Pick a date and time!
I’ve found Saturdays work best for family members, so we did Mia’s party on a Saturday.
You’ll also want to pick a time that will work with baby’s schedule. Right after nap time is usually best. Keep in mind that the time of day will also determine what food you serve.
If you have it at lunchtime, guests may expect a full meal; later in the afternoon means you could get away with just snacks.
3. Set the guest list.
I’ve only ever invited family to my baby’s first birthday party, but if you have close friends, feel free to include them!
4. Send the invitations.
If you have the time and money, sending a physical invitation is always a classy move, but I chose to send digital invites this year and it worked just as well.
5. Purchase or make the decorations.
The decor is something you can get ready weeks in advance to save yourself the hassle and stress the week of the party. Decorations can be as simple as some balloons and streamers or as elaborate as a light-up sign, backdrop, and decked-out food table.
Make sure your decor is something that fits your style and budget.
6. Prep the food.
Get as much of the food ready the day or night before as you can. Speaking from experience, you do not want to be rushing the day of the party to get the food done!
Pick items that match the theme and consider having options for both kids and adults.
7. Enjoy the party!
Don’t forget to enjoy your baby’s first birthday and your guests after you’ve put in all of the hard work.
Mia’s Pumpkin First Birthday Party
And now without further ado, here’s how Mia’s pumpkin first birthday party turned out!
Pumpkin Birthday Invitations
Like I mentioned above, I chose to send a digital invitation for Mia’s pumpkin party, but I think this design would have been beautiful to print out (and I actually used the template to create some of the signs for her party which you can see below).
Blush Floral Pumpkin Invitation
Pumpkin-Themed Party Food
I was actually pretty proud of how the food turned out!
Everyone seemed to like it and it went along well with the pumpkin theme.
I served:
- Mini pumpkin pies
- Caramel apple skewers
- Mini brie puff pastries
- Toasted almond dip with crackers
- Hot apple cider
The only hiccup with the food was how long it took! The mini pumpkin pies took 2.5 hours and the caramel apple skewers took me about 2.
If I were to do it again I would halve the pumpkin pie recipe and I would have drizzled a caramel sauce on the apples instead of dipping and decorating each individually.
Links:
- White oval platter (I’ve had these platters since my first baby’s birthday and I use them all of the time! The price is so good too!)
- Rectangle platters
- Cutting board
Little Pumpkin First Birthday Decorations
Mia’s pumpkin birthday decorations were probably my favorite part of the whole party!
I spent weeks searching for inspiration for the perfect monthly photo display and wreath to hang over the food table and I’m so happy with how they turned out.
And the high chair banner and cake topper are even more beautiful in person!
Floral metal hoop wreath (made by me)
Little pumpkin wood sign
DIY Yarn Wall Hanging (monthly photo display)
Pink and gold pumpkin high chair banner
Personalized cake topper
DIY Painted Pumpkins
Easel
Rose gold cups
Rose gold plates
Rose gold napkins
PVC backdrop stand
Table cloth (I’ve had this for years and it’s such good quality. It never stains and it’s a great price!)
Pumpkin 1st Birthday Activities
I planned a pumpkin decorating activity for this party since we had so many little cousins coming.
It was perfect for keeping them occupied while we ate and visited and served as a thank you gift everyone got to take home with them at the end.
I got markers and colored stickers and laid out pictures with some pumpkin decorating examples.
If I did one thing differently I would have gotten some larger craft pumpkins for the adults to decorate, but I just ran out of time!
And of course, I planned for Mia’s cake smash during the party!
I did SO many things last minute that I didn’t have time to order a cute cake (we were out of town visiting family until the day before the party), so I found a $5 premade cake at the grocery store, scraped off all of the sprinkles and frosting and got the perfect naked cake!
Mini white pumpkins
Colored stickers
Metallic Sharpies
Mia’s outfit
Mia’s headband (She wore that headband on her blessing day, so it was so special for her to wear it for her first birthday!
All photography by Kjersti Kachelle.
Want More?
If you liked this post, be sure to check out my list of other adorable first birthday party ideas for even more cute themes including this boho rainbow first birthday I did for our last baby!
Your Turn
Did this give you any ideas for your little one’s pumpkin birthday party?
Let me know your favorite detail in the comments below!
