Celebrate unwrapped: mini pinata’s

In my last post, I promised you more details of our Celebrate conference so you can steal our style for your next event, or just get a head start on finding the perfect vendor to pull off your own vision. If you missed the post, you can read it here for all the details on our table centrepieces, and stay tuned as we bring you a more reveals each week.

Today we’re looking at another table detail which was a huge hit as they were are a hugely popular decorating item that doubles as a game, but aren’t often found as mini’s or used for table decoration like we used them for!

Mini Pinata’s

Yes, MINI pinata’s!!

In my opinion, styling is about personalisation and interpretation. So when I came across these mini pinata’s by Party Pony designer pinatas, I knew they weren’t destined to be hung, and certainly not bashed by a stick (would have made for a very interesting conference…).

mini pinata party pony designer pinatas mini pinata pinatas

Instead, we used them on tables – and were styled by Paper Face as part of some of the centrepieces.

Owner Nicola created a mix of diamond and heart shapes in our theme colours, which we then used as centrepieces on tables. Pinata’s are hugely popular as decorations these days, doubling as a bit of (bashful) fun, but using them in an unexpected way is a great talking point for guests.

Nicola can custom make these to your requirements, so let your imagination run wild and run your ideas past her – think cake toppers, photo props or room decor.
number one pinata

 

cactus pinata

 

flamingo pinata

 

swan pinata

 

pinata

 

unicorn pinata

 

Nicola also creates custom tassel garlands and balloon tails for a cohesive look to your event, and you can see more of her work or shop from her website.

 

tassel garland

 

I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work on this event Nicola! Contact Party Pony Designer Pinata’s to see their full range or order a custom pinata

I hope this feeds your imagination and has you thinking about how you’ll use an item differently. I’ll be bringing you more details of the styling, props, balloons and more soon so stay tuned!

 

tanya

Modern Safari party theme

A jungle or safari theme has always been a popular choice for baby showers or first birthdays, but lately we’re seeing a digression from the traditional colour palette of bright colours and cute characters to a more sophisticated and modern interpretation, which I’m just loving!

Keeping to a monochrome theme, it’s easy to build on your theme with highlights of gold or tropical fauna for a big impact just like these beautifully styled occasions by some of our talented LLC vendors.

Remember to CLICK onto any of the images below to find more details or where to purchase/order the items!:

 

safari party theme

Styled by The Sugar Topped Table

 

safari party theme

Modern Jungle Safari – styled by Opulenticity Party & Buffet Styling

 

 

 

monochrome safari party theme

Monochrome Safari – style by The Sugar Topped Table

 

 

This is one theme that can be so easily achieved with what is readily available, and to help you I’ve pulled together a few of my favourite items from some of our LLC vendors to get you started.

 

Invitations

A great place to start when setting your theme! Choose a black and white colour palette with touches of gold, or turn those accents into show stopping starting blocks like this gorgeous Inka print and sunrise invitation from Loulou Pie Creative. These colours can then be picked up throughout your tableware and decorations for an impressive effect.

 

safari party theme

Safari invitations – Loulou Pie Creative

 

 

Although I am showcasing the whole dessert table setup for these gorgeous safari parties below I want to particularly highlight the gorgeous backdrop designs which would also be available for use as an invitation and other party stationery:

 

monochrome safari party theme

Monochrome Safari – style by The Sugar Topped Table. Stationery design by Style Me Gorgeous

 

Styling by The Little Big company. Backdrop design by Jo Studio

Styling by The Little Big company. Backdrop design by Jo Studio

 

 

Table setting

For a monochrome look use black and white as your base for the majority of your tableware, then add highlights of gold, blush pink or tropical fauna using some of these finds.

 

 

monochrome party theme

Black chevron plate – Love The Occasion

Black and white birthday plates - The Little Event Company

Black and white birthday plates – The Little Event Company

monochrome party theme

Geo dessert plates – The Party Parlour

 

Troppo dessert plates - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Troppo dessert plates – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

gold napkins

Napkins – The Little Event Company

 

jungle party theme

Tropical Jungle napkins – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Gold geometric napkins - My Party boutique

Gold geometric napkins – My Party boutique

 

safari party theme

Tropical jungle baking cups – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Gold foil straws - Emiko Blue

                                             Gold foil straws – Emiko Blue

 

 

Zebra Print Straws - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Zebra Print Straws – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

 

Bamboo cutlery - Love The Occasion

Bamboo cutlery – Love The Occasion

 

confetti

Jumbo Confetti – Love The Occasion

 

Jungle themed food wrappers - Confectionately Yours

Jungle themed food wrappers – Confectionately Yours

 

This tablecloth is perfect if you want to go with a rustic look:

 

Hessian gathered tablecloth - Saffy and May

Hessian gathered tablecloth – Saffy and May

 

 

 

Decorations

If you want to go for a monochrome look then stick to the rule of using only black and white for the majority of your decorations and choose a few stand out items such as jumbo confetti balloons, cake toppers or the use of tropical foliage to bring it all together, or simply stick to all black and white if you wish!

You could also stick to a basic colour scheme of mainly white, or rustic brown and then use gold highlights in the decorations or desserts. Safari animals spray painted gold are an easy DIY to help give the dessert table a fun and modern look!

These items are perfect to decorate a safari cake and make it a stand out!:

 

 

animal cake toppers

Gold Animal Cake Toppers

 

custom cake topper

Gold Cake Topper – A la Roch

 

You can see how the above acrylic embellishments were used on this stunning cake in a party by The Pumpkin Carriage

 

Safari party theme

Gold Sunset Safari cake – Styling Pumpkin Carriage. Acrylic animals by A La Roch. Cake by JK Cake designs

 

For your room decorations, a few items to really fit the Safari style is all you need. You can then mix them in with more neutral items such as honeycomb decorations or plain coloured balloons:

 

 

safari party theme

Zebra foil balloon – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Jumbo palm tree balloons - One Magic Day

Jumbo palm tree balloons – One Magic Day

 

 

safari party theme

Wild One foil balloons – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Willow balloon tail - DD Brand

Willow balloon tail – DD Brand

 

Gold triangle garland - The Little Event Company

Gold triangle garland – The Little Event Company

 

Gold confetti balloon - Emiko Blue

Gold confetti balloon – Emiko Blue

 

 

These jungle animals for hire bring the safari to your party! These are available to hire in Sydney:

 

Jungle animals for hire - Tiny Tots Toy Hire

Jungle animals for hire – Tiny Tots Toy Hire

 

Browse the directory section of this website to discover Hire businesses in your state where you can hire relevant items!

 

Kids stools for hire - Enchanted Party Hire (Queensland)

Kids stools for hire – Enchanted Party Hire (Queensland)

 

 

2m x 2m foliage wall for hire - Sweet Heavenly Events (Sydney)

2m x 2m foliage wall for hire – Sweet Heavenly Events (Sydney)

 

Safari Party Desserts

Browse the Directory to find a cake or dessert maker in your area to create something modern for a Safari party, such as these gorgeous creations!:

 

Safari cake - The Sweetest Jubilee (Melbourne)

Safari cake – The Sweetest Jubilee (Melbourne)

 

Gold giraffe cookies  - Savvy Cakes (Sydney)

Gold giraffe cookies – Savvy Cakes (Sydney). Styling by Sweet Finesse Event Styling

 

Giraffe cake - Frosted by Nicci (Melbourne) in party styled by The Little Big Company

Giraffe cake – Frosted by Nicci (Melbourne) in party styled by The Little Big Company

 

 

These candles are a fun finishing touch if you want to add an extra bit of gold to a modern safari cake:

Meri Meri gold glitter candles - Emiko Blue

Meri Meri gold glitter candles – Emiko Blue

Favours

Send little party guests home with a bit of the jungle with some of these favour ideas and packaging:

 

party favours

Party Favours – fairy floss from Fluffy Crunch. Styled by The Sugar Topped Table

 

Lollipop party favours - Glitter and Glue Designs

Lollipop party favours – Glitter and Glue Designs

 

 

party favour bag

Gold treat bag – Love The Occasion

 

treat boxes

Treat boxes – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Cupcake boxes - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Cupcake boxes – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

White with gold foil dots favour bag - The Little Event Company

White with gold foil dots favour bag – The Little Event Company

 

Some final modern safari party inspiration for you in this amazing party styled by The Pumpkin Carriage in Sydney:

Modern safari party - The Pumpkin Carriage

Modern safari party – The Pumpkin Carriage

 

You can literally let your imagination run ‘wild’ with this theme, and the beauty of keeping it to a minimal monochrome palette wth luxe touches is that you don’t need to be a stylist to pull it off either!

 

tanya

 

Prop it like a pro – A sparkling first birthday

Twinkle twinkle little star, oh how truly talented our LLC Vendors are!

Continually inspired by the imagination and collaboration within our creative industry, this first birthday celebration I’m sharing with you today is of no exception.

Styled by the team at Sydney’s Tiny Tots Toy Hire, using their gorgeous hire items – Petra’s Twinkle Twinkle Little Star birthday celebration was a sparkling display of creativity and clever use of party props, all available to hire for your next event too!

 

Twinkle twinkle party theme

 

A simple, modern colour scheme of silver, black, white and aqua brought this nursery rhyme to life with the help of star prop accents and incredible balloon displays.

event prop hire

 

twinkle_little_star_123

 

I’ve always said that it’s the finer details that help bring a theme together, but if those finer details are oversized numerals, light boxes and props on a grand scale, then you’ve got yourself a winning formula! In this case, the props from Tiny Tots Toy Hire were the shining light, and every other little detail worked in seamlessly to create the perfect party.

 

party prop hire

How great is this life size number 1 – perfect for photos!

twinkle_little_star_127

 

twinkle_little_star_128

 

star themed party props

 

twinkle_little_star_109

 

twinkle_little_star_110

 

Entertainment for this age group can be a little tricky, but from the looks on the guest’s faces, a jumpy castle, ball pit and pint sized toys were just the ticket – all available for hire from Tiny Tots Toy Hire.

party toy hire

 

twinkle_little_star_150

 

twinkle_little_star_380

 

Older guests were also kept busy with a star cookie decorating table.

 

Start birthday party theme

 

The simple use of the right props for your next celebration can really take your event to the next level, and if you’re in Sydney it’s nice to know you can source them all from the one place too! Be sure to check out the Tiny Tots Toy Hire website for a full list of items available, from infant and baby toys, games and sports, playhouses, tables and chairs and themed props – you’re sure to exactly what you need!

 

Full vendor credits

Concept, styling, props and toys by Tiny Tots Toy Hire

Photography by Captured by Kirri 

Cakes by Art of Baking

Cake Topper by Merc+Jones

Balloons by Bubble Moo Balloons

Star Macarons by Arelio Sweetbox

Cake Pops by Devour Cakes

Mini desserts by The Pumpkin Carriage

Chevron plates by Love the Occassion

Star garland by Paper Face

ONE highchair bunting by Sugarlicious Parties

Star stickers (backdrop) by Sack Me

 

 

tanya

What’s trending in party themes

Just like the world of fashion – party theme trends seem to come and go, but there’ll always be your classics.

If you love styling, events and party planning then I’m sure you enjoy seeing the latest party decor which is available!

Making it easy to keep up with the trends and find everything you require to execute the theme of your choice is LLC vendor, Ruby Rabbit Partyware. Owner Alex has her finger on the pulse when it comes to sourcing new supplies, so who better to ask a few questions on what we should be looking out for than the party Queen herself!

 

T: What are some of the most popular colour schemes you are noticing for boys and girls parties at the moment ?

A: Trending this season for boys’ parties is the ‘Little Camper’ theme with the use of teepees, monochrome colour choices and a touch of green cactus fun! Outdoor fun with lots of space for energetic little boys to run wild! Unicorns and rainbows continues to be our most popular girls’ birthday party theme followed closely by Alice in Wonderland.

These themes are whimsical and timeless keeping both Mum and birthday girl happy with being able to add a personal touch when it comes to styling the party. These themes suit a broad range of ages from first birthdays up to around eight year olds.

 

little-camper

Little Camper party theme

 

unicorn balloon

Unicorn party theme

 

unicorn-balloon-kit

Unicorn balloon kit

 

T: What unique decorating ideas and theme ideas would you suggest for a baby shower? 

A: I’m loving the green palm leaf with luxe gold for something a little different, or for a softer touch with baby pink.

I’m a sucker for palms and have a ridiculous amount of cushion covers in my home in just that! Yes, I may have a cushion obsession, a rather large one my hubby would say!

 

tropical baby shower

Baby shower theme

 

 

 

T: What are your top picks for spring / summer party trends ? Any particular themes or looks? 

A: The party shop is busy with lots of fun bold colourful orders heading out the door as we move into Spring. Plus we can’t get enough of those green palm leaf and gold pineapple party pieces!

 

pineapple-plates

Pineapple plates

 

watermelon-balloon-ohd

Watermelon balloon

 

 

color-splash-party

Colour splash party styled by Tiny Little Pads

 

T: What are some of the well loved kids themes you have noticed from your most popular  customer buys? 

A: It seems that pale pink and gold isn’t fading, especially for little girls’ 1st birthdays.

Unicorns and rainbows are a close second and then super cool monochrome for the boys, plus colourful confetti spot orders are always strong and work perfectly for both girls and boys.

The ever popular donuts theme has faded away this year.

 

sangria-cupcakes-02-856x1284

Paper Eskimo pink and gold partyware

 

 

modern-camp party theme

Little camper partyware

 

 

polka-dot-party

Confetti + polka dot madness party by Lucinda Gould

 

 

T: Are there any must have items you would suggest for mums planning their first kids party? 

A: Balloons and a fun cake topper! Balloons are such simple happy party decorations, and cake toppers can add that little special something to your cake. Both are definite must haves!

 

jumbo-confetti-balloon-fringe

Jumbo confetti balloon and fringe

 

 

cake-toppers-group

Poppies for Grace cake toppers

 

Thank you so much for these tips Alex!

You can shop all of these items and loads more on the Ruby Rabbit website.

 

tanya

 

 

 

 

Finding Dory party supplies

With the release of the new finding Dory movie, my prediction is an influx of kids requesting a Finding Dory party or underwater party this year!

My girls and I enjoyed the movie over the school holidays and it is definitely a fun one for both boys and girls – so if you have a little swimmer wanting a Dory (or Nemo) party, I’ve curated some Finding Dory party supplies to get you started!

Some inspiration to get you started –  this table setting by Tiny Tots Events (Melbourne) is a great example of pulling it all together simply with theme treats, colour and sea shells as props!

11407236_496289540526032_8672178346093505237_n

Under the sea party – Tiny Tots Events Melbourne

Finding Dory Party Invitation

For your printable invitation you can’t go past this cute range available for boys and girls and with a matching backdrop:

 

Dory invitation - Dream a little party

Dory invitation – Dream a little party

 

Finding Dory Party backdrop - Dream a little party

Finding Dory Party backdrop – Dream a little party

Finding Dory Party Decorations

Mix and match Dory specific party decorations with plenty of bold colours inspired by Dory and her colourful friends:

 

Finding Dory foil balloon - Character Parties

Finding Dory foil balloon – Character Parties

 

 

 

 

Finding Dory balloons - Character Parties

Finding Dory balloons – Character Parties

 

ocean-blue-paper-lantern

Ocean Blue Paper lantern – Emiko Blue

 

Tassel garlands - DD Brand

Tassel garlands – DD Brand

 

Dark blue paper fan - Emiko Blue

Dark blue paper fan – Emiko Blue

 

Peach and yellow paper fan - Emiko Blue

Peach and yellow paper fan – Emiko Blue

 

TFE-balloon-confetti-modern2

Confetti Filled balloon – Love The Occasion

 

I love this idea of adding ribbon to paper lanterns – they look like jellyfish don’t you think?

 

malibu_paper_lantern_1000x1000

Malibu Paper Lantern – The Little Event Company

 

blue_confetti_bomb1

Blue Confetti Bomb – Emiko Blue

 

Finding Dory Party Tableware

 

Coral tablecloth - The Party Parlour

Coral tablecloth – The Party Parlour

 

Finding Dory plates - Fantasy Kids Parties

Finding Dory plates – Fantasy Kids Parties

 

 

Blue sherbert paper plates - Emiko Blue

Blue sherbert paper plates – Emiko Blue

 

Orange striped plates - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Orange striped plates – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

 

 

Bermuda blue plates - Ruby Rabbit Partyware

Bermuda blue plates – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Blue stripe plate - Little Kite

Blue stripe plate – Little Kite

 

 

Finding Dory napkins - Fantasy Kids Parties

Finding Dory napkins – Fantasy Kids Parties

 

finding nemo party theme

Orange Paper Cups – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

Nautical straws - Hip and Hooray

Nautical straws – Hip and Hooray

 

 

 

 

Orange candy cups - The Party Parlour

Orange candy cups – The Party Parlour

 

Ombre_blue_candles_1024x1024

Ombre blue candles – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

PPP-topper-pom3set-greenblue2

Pom Pom cake toppers – Love The Occasion

 

 

Use these cute moulds to create some fun Finding Dory chocolates!:

 

Dory chocolate mould - Confectionately Yours

Dory chocolate mould – Confectionately Yours

 

Finding Dory Party props for hire:

The range of hire suppliers on the Directory have cute props and tables/chairs for kids parties! You can search the Directory to find one in a location near you!

 

Under the sea props for hire - Tiny Tots Toy Hire Sydney

Under the sea props for hire – Tiny Tots Toy Hire Sydney

 

 

Gold clam shell for hire - Tiny Tots Toy Hire Sydney

Gold clam shell for hire – Tiny Tots Toy Hire Sydney

 

Rustic table for hire with teal legs - Petite Events Hire Sydney

Rustic table for hire with teal legs – Petite Events Hire Sydney

 

Aqua ombre tablecloth for hire or purchase - Saffy and May (Qld)

Aqua ombre tablecloth for hire or purchase – Saffy and May (Qld)

 

 

 

Finding Dory Party Favours

 

Finding Dory Favour pail - Character Parties

Finding Dory Favour pail – Character Parties

 

Finding Dory party favours - Glitter and Glue Designs

Finding Dory party favours – Glitter and Glue Designs

 

 

tassel horn favours

Tassel Horns – Love The Occasion

 

Blue favour bag - Little Kite

Blue favour bag – Little Kite

 

Finding Dory party favours

Chevron party bags – Love The Occasion

 

Party favour tags

Yellow thank you tags – Ruby Rabbit Partyware

 

No underwater theme would be complete without some Mermaid tears to take home now, would it? Too cute!

 

Treat_-_Mermaid_Tears_1000x1000

Mermaid Tears favours – The Little Event Company

 

So there you have it – my prediction for the newest up-and-coming party theme trend and how to pull it off. Have fun, and just keep swimming!

 

tanya