A quick flick through our Pinterest boards will show you just how popular decorated cookies and cupcakes are for bringing together a theme at any occasion. Handy that they are also delicious!
Cookies are always the first to go at any of my kids parties! Children just love something that is delicious, small enough to eat and with a cute or fun image!
LLC directory partner Marlena, from Sydney’s Miss Confetti launched her business in 2013 to share her love of putting a smile on people’s faces with her baked goods, and her passion for what she does shows in each and every creation. Marlena has an extensive portfolio of cookies and cupcake themes to choose from, or can work with you on creating a special design to suit your occasion.
I bet just a few of these Frozen cookies have been made in the last couple of years!
How great are these Lalaloopsy faces?!
Hoot and Hootabelle are always a toddler favourite, and details like these are sometimes all you need when teamed with coordinated block colour decorations and tableware.
Minnie Mouse is an ever popular theme and the personaliation on these cookies and matching cupcakes are too cute!
Wrapped in cellophane, cookies make fantastic take home treat or favours.
It’s often the finer details that make an impact, and I love Marlena’s use of intricate icing that add personality to each and every creation.
Miss Confetti is based in Sydney and offers both cookies and cupcakes and you can see more of her gorgeous creations on her website.
After a particularly long term, school holidays are nearly here for the kids to enjoy some down time. I always find that after a few days rest though, the novelty of staying at home in pyjamas all day wears off, and the requests for play dates, trips to the aquarium and movies start flowing in.
So like many parents, I’m always on the look out for new and exciting things to do during this time (that aren’t weather dependent) and particularly love it when our LLC vendors are involved!
I generally do a quick mental check list when qualifying an activity:
- Is it age appropriate?
- Will the kids enjoy it?
- Is there coffee?
If it’s a quick ‘yes’ to these and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, we’re in.
One event you may love to add to the calendar this school holidays is the Kids Day Out on July 14 in Sydney. Presented by LLC vendor and Celebrate sponsor Fairy La La Land, this sounds like a great day out for us all with something for everyone – even us mums.
The talented Fairy La La Land entertainers will be keeping kids busy for a huge 5 hours on the day (if they have the energy to last that long that is!) with live shows, circus performances, Justice Crew dancers, face painting and balloon twisting. Tick, tick, tick!
For mums, there will be plenty of stalls to roam whilst the kids are happily kept busy – and yes, coffee! Held at the Pittwater RSL Club, it’s even worth inviting a group of friends to make a day of it and book a table for lunch too.
The Justice Crews style dancers are always a hit – but be warned, you might see a few moves tried out at home!
Tickets are just $15 each (children under 12 months are free) which is amazing value, and can be booked through Eventbrite. For any show details you can also contact Fairy La La Land.
Have a great school holiday break everyone.
So this year my soon to be 4yr old declared that she wanted a party in a play centre
I admit I do love home parties – creating memories at home and the personal feel of the party not to mention the ease of having all your supplies at your fingertips. We have had most of our kids parties at home – this being her 3rd birthday Snow White party last year:
However after 5 years of home parties (except two first birthdays in a hall) in some ways I didn’t mind not hosting the party at home….being able to avoid all the clean up definitely sounds enticing
However for someone who loves to style a dessert table and decorate for my kids parties…a party at a venue like a kids play centre doesn’t exactly lend itself to a beautiful setup which takes a few hours to get right..does it??
So if you’re a mum like me – loves to style and decorate your kids parties…and wandering how you can still do this outside of home – here are my top tips!:
Realise you can’t decorate the same as a home party
Home parties give you days to get ready for a party. You can set decorations up the night before and morning of the party. You have more flexibility with space if you want to setup a dessert table, kids table, drink station etc. by moving furniture around. You just can’t get this for a party at a venue – you may get 30 minutes beforehand if it’s a play centre type venue with parties back to back!
Rather than stress yourself trying to madly create an amazing setup, it is best to accept you just cannot decorate the venue in the same way you can at home – and you can think outside the box as to how you can use your creative ideas in a smaller way
Know the space you will have at the venue
Superhero party – I Heart Table Art
Make sure you do get a look of the room or space you will be allocated at the play centre so you can at least plan some decorations or what may work in that space
Ask the venue how much time you will have to setup and what you are allowed to setup or stick to walls etc
The image shown above is from a dessert table at a play centre where they had a superhero mural already on the wall which could be used for the party dessert table backdrop. It looks amazing and is an easy setup with the jars already pre-filled and a few added items
Use quick and easy decorations
Balloons are the easiest decorations for a quick setup – and these days there are so many fun and stylish balloons available for kids parties! Think jumbo balloons, confetti balloons, huge novelty balloons – they are fast to setup and will instantly make the space look great!
Balloons – Born to Party
Unicorn foil balloon – Poppies for Grace
You can also use a large printed canvas or backdrop that you can bring in to rest at the back of the cake table if you are keen to have some type of backdrop. This is a simple setup but it still looks gorgeous doesn’t it?:
Tahlia is the theme party- Pretty and Print
Setup a small cake table
A play centre doesn’t always lend itself to a huge dessert table but that doesn’t mean you can’t setup a nice small table if you want to!
I have seen lovely little setups with just a cake and party favour bags and perhaps some cookies or drink bottles…and that is it ! These can look really nice using some cute printables attached and can be quite quick to setup.
You can hang a garland along the front of a table and use balloons either side for some quick decorating.
For example in this gorgeous confetti party setup there are 4 platters/stands and the lovely garlands – and the effect is really cute! It is especially helpful if the venue has a white wall you can use – if not perhaps you can work in the colour of the wall into the party colour scheme!:
Sprinkles party – Sweet Style
Here is an example of a party table set up at a play centre in 30 minutes – jars were pre filled and with a simple, clean layout it is easy to put it together without having to reshuffle things around. Keep in mind printed backdrops do take a bit of time to setup and someone else assisting you is the easiest way to get it done in time and also someone to be there helping you with your children if they are also with you early at the venue:
Peppa Pig party – I heart table art
Have fun with the kids table
Most play centres will setup an area for the kids to eat food during the party. Rather than a dessert table – you could use your time of setting up to lay down a cute tablecloth, fun party plates and drink bottles instead of the ones the play centre uses. This can really make a big impact in the space and help to theme the party to match your child’s theme even without a dessert table.
Kids party table – Red Wagon Events (Melbourne)
Cut the cake at home
If you really love the personal feeling of cutting a cake at home or in a quieter location for your child’s birthday, there is the option of having the kids at your house before or after another party venue.
This works well for a SMALL group of older kids who may be going out to a movie or bowling for example rather than a toddler party.
Here are two gorgeous small set ups by stylists before the kids headed off to the movies and bowling:
Movie dessert table – Saffy and May
Bowling party – Favor Lane
Have fun with the party favours!
It’s all about seeking out what you CAN add a special touch too when it comes to parties at a kids party venue. Invitations is one area to add a cute personal touch and party favours is definitely another! By choosing unique and theme specific items or using fun packaging and tags – you can help theme the party bags and have a little (or a lot!) of fun putting them together!
Favour bags – Styling by Red Wagon Events. Printables by Pretty and Print
Favour bags – Styling and photos by Sweet Style
Party bag – Styling by I Heart Table Art. Tag by Pretty and print. Octonaut items from Favor Lane
So if your child requests a party at a venue – I hope I’ve shown you that there are still ways you can have fun with it and add personal touches while also keeping things simpler!
Special occasions don’t roll around that often, which makes it totally acceptable to go all out and make them memorable in my opinion!
But regardless of it being up to a year between parties, choosing the where and the what just doesn’t come easily.
So for an event stylist, staying on trend and having a bag full of ideas is a must for those SOS calls for help, and I’ve dived into the gorgeous portfolio of Sera from Sugared Events in Melbourne for a few ideas you can draw inspiration from if short for ideas – and if you’re in Melbourne you are lucky enough to be able to call on Sera to style your own party!
Sugared Events is a sponsor for the Celebrate conference in August in Sydney – providing business owners within the party industry with incredible inspiration and business tools! So be sure to join us to connect and network with other business owners in the party and event industry and purchase your tickets here.
I love Sera’s diverse range of ideas when it comes to themes and styling, particularly this geometric Christening and first birthday.
Sometimes a theme can be as simple as a colour scheme, like this gold and pink Christening. Who can resist an opportunity to incorporate pink glazed doughnuts?!
Using pastels to create this gorgeous pony carousel theme allows plenty of pretty colour and a vintage touch for an alternative to a simple pony or Saddle Club theme.
Whilst dinosaur themes are always popular, a Jurassic Park movie theme opens up the styling variations and entertainment options too with a little imagination!
Feeling inspired? I hope so!
As you can, the work of Sugared Events is gorgeous and sure to add that extra special sugared touch to any celebration!
To see more of Sera’s work or to enquire about her styling services if you’re in Melbourne, visit the Sugared Event’s facebook page here.
Today I am delighted to share with you a pretty 3rd birthday high tea party!
With a beautiful pink and gold colour scheme and floral and balloon decor – the setting created was truly fit for a little princess and her friends!
Styled by The Pumpkin Carriage who also created the delicious mini desserts – this birthday party is a delight for the eyes!
Everything from the gorgeous tableware and kids table to the stunning dessert table is inspiring and princess perfect!
All vendor credits are provided at the end of the post and many vendors from the Life’s Little Celebrations directory were involved!
Vendor Credits:
Concept & styling along with mini desserts, floral styling, servingware, cake stands, some props, and a few canapes: The Pumpkin Carriage.
Photography: Captured By Kirri,
Cake: Sugarpot
Tableware: Ruby Rabbit Partyware
Chocolate coated strawberry tower: Dom’s Strawberries Delight
Cookies: Miss Confetti
Tulle pom poms: Pom Pom Princess
Kids table and chairs, pink tablecloth and birdcage prop: Sweet Heavenly Events & Party Hire
Balloon decor: Balloon Elegance
Feeling inspired? Ready to plan a pretty high tea party or pink and gold party for your little princess? Head to the Directory and start party planning!
