Guest Post by Stephanie Keeping from Spaceships and Laserbeams Blog
On my blog, Spaceships and Laser Beams, I’ve featured a lot of adorable farm birthday parties. With fun colors schemes and an old-fashioned feel, it’s an exciting theme to bring in another year. If you’re planning a farm party, here’s some inspiration:
Farm Party Decorations
The atmosphere of “down on the farm” can be easily reflected through the decorations – in some very budget-friendly ways. I love the idea of incorporating inexpensive burlap into banners and tablecloths. The texture works perfectly and the neutral palette lends itself to just about any color scheme. At this farm themed birthday party, they stacked hay to create a table in their party space and then added the burlap. It’s such a fun idea and it takes the party to a whole new level without a lot of cost. If you’re looking for other fabric patterns to mix in with all this neutral color, you can’t go wrong with classics like gingham or paisley.
Birthday Cake and Party Food
A farm-theme, perhaps more than any other birthday party theme, lends itself to simple, basic food. Pile shiny apples high in baskets for color. Serve classic homemade cookie favorites like oatmeal. For the main meal, roasted chicken, hot rolls with lots of real butter and corn would be a hearty treat. I also love incorporating mason jars wherever possible in a farm theme — use them to serve cider or sweet tea. Instead of birthday cake, how about serving carrot cupcakes (topped with tiny carrots, of course) that reinforce the theme of homemade, fresh grown goodness? The birthday boy’s mom at this farm birthday party served them as one of the treats and the idea was very successful.
Birthday Party Activities
If you’re lucky to have a hobby or adventure farm nearby, they make excellent locations for this theme. As a bonus, you’re not stuck with any mess. But I’ve seen many moms recreate that farm feeling in their own backyards. There is a wide range of activities that can take place at a farm birthday party like sack races, beanbag toss and pumpkin bowling. This barnyard carnival party has to be one of my favorites. There was a small baby animal petting zoo, a pumpkin patch and tons of farm-themed carnival games.
Farm-Themed Favor Ideas
As far as party favors go, you can be as simple or as elaborate as your budget allows. Tiny toy tractors and farm animal figurines both fit with the theme and are very easy to find at your local dollar store. If you have a bit more room in your budget, send little guests home with their own “farming kit.” It can include a small pot, seeds and any tools they might need like a tiny watering can.
What’s your favorite idea for a farm-themed birthday party?
Stephanie Keeping is the mom of a boy named Sam, a blogger, and an Etsy-preneur. She celebrates boyish charm at Spaceships and Laser Beams, where she talks about all things boy and birthday party. You can connect with her on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter and on Etsy.
Kids love animals so a jungle or safari theme is always a popular birthday party choice. It’s an easy party to style – lots of fun and there are so many supplies online or in stores you could use!
You could either style it with very natural tones and textures, or go bright and colouful – browns and greens or add in reds, yellows and oranges. You can incorporate fun animal prints to really help theme this party.
There is so many items online for this them – here are some of my picks for this theme mainly from vendors on the Life’s Little celebration’s children’s party directory.
Invitations/Printables
Party in the Jungle printable range – Fairydust Stylish Stationery
Jungle party printables – Little Dimple Designs
Jungle/Safari invitation and matching stationery available – I Will Invitations
Jungle Safari party printables – Sassaby DIY Printables
Jungle backdrop printable – Giggles and Grace Designs
Jungle Safari backdrop printable – 2 Love Birds
Jungle party stationery and toppers – Charli Mae
Decorations
Jungle safari balloons – The Little Big Company
Jungle safari balloons – Party and Co
Pink zebra balloons – Just Party Supplies
Jungle safari lanterns – The Little Big Company
Zebra print lanterns – Just Party Supplies
Giant round balloon – Emiko Blue
Jungle animal parade garland – Ruby Rabbit Partyware
In the jungle garland – Emiko Blue
Hessian bunting – Paper Face
Tissue garland – Magical Parties
Jungle pinwheel printables – Sassaby DIY Printables
Orange honeycomb ball – Love The Occasion
Tiny honeycomb green garland – Love The Occasion
Tableware
Some ideas for whether you want to style the party with a more natural feel, or with bright and fun decor or a mix of both!:
Hessian roll – The Party Parlour
Kraft natural tablerunner – The Party Parlour
Leopard print table runner – The Party Parlour
Bamboo plates and bowls – Love The Occasion
Brown kraft favour or meal box – Style Party Love
Zebra print party plate – Deer Little Parties
Leopard print plates – The Party Cupboard
Giraffe print plates – The Party Cupboard
Jungle safari party cutlery – Bespoke Party Products
Jungle print Picnic paper – Confectionately Yours
Bamboo straws – Butterfly Kisses Celebrations
Leopard print straws – Confectionately Yours
Desserts and Accessories
Jungle animal parade cupcake toppers and cases by Meri Meri – Ruby Rabbit Partyware
Jungle safari cupcake toppers and tent cards – Matchie Matchee
Zebra print cupcake cases – Party and Co
These rustic stands are perfect to put to use for this theme!:
Forest cake stand – Confetti and Cake
Jungle Cake – Devour Cakes (Sydney)
Animal print cake pops – Sugar Pop Bakery
Jungle cake and desserts – Savvy Cakes by Lena Macarons by – Moreish Macarons
Jungle cake pops – Cake Pops and More (Melb)
Special Themed Items
A few fun items! All the kids would love to be given these at the party. Set up a kids table with all their jungle wear displayed! You could also get other items such as some toy binoculars from a $2 shop etc:
Safari Hats for kids – Party Kit n Kaboodle
Safari jungle dress up costumes – Special Celebration Events
Colour in jungle masks – Party and Co
Safari Jungle printable activity sheets – Sassaby DIY Printables
Jungle animal masks – Bubbles and Rainbows
Some fun HIRE items you could use for this theme. View the party directory for all the kids party hire companies across various states.
How amazing would these life size jungle animals be at a jungle or safari party? Kids would love them!:
Jungle animal props for hire – Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney)
Green bubble chairs – Tiny Tots Toy Hire
Tables and props for hire – Boo Boo and Bear (Sydney)
Tiki bar for hire – Lovely Occasions and Styled Events (Qld)
Kids cane chairs and table for hire – Parties and Prints (WA)
You can also view the Entertainment and Venues category on the Directory to help when planning this Jungle / Safari party. Here are a few of the vendors you will find:
Apples and Jam kids party venue – Melbourne
Jungle face painting entertainment – Fantasy Faces by Belle (Sydney)
Safari Jungle kids party entertainers – Fairy La La Land
Party Favours
There are lots of jungle theme party favours online and in the shops. Here are just a few along with some packaging options for your goodies!
Jungle animal pencils – The Party Parlour
Jungle lolly tubes – Matchie Matchee
Jungle safari chocolate bar favour – Sweet Art
Jungle Safari Chocolate wrapper printables – Emajine Designz
Jungle safari favour box available in other prints – Bespoke Party Products
Jungle safari print favour bags – The Little Big Company
Natural jute favour bags – Butterfly Kisses Celebrations
Scalloped kraft favour box – Little Red Chick
Paper Eskimo green party bags – Little Red Chick
Real Parties
Need some real jungle or safari party inspiration? View these amazing parties for lots of creative ideas!:
Amazing Jungle safari party by Boo Boo and Bear
Love the jungle decorations and styling by Opulenticity Party and Buffet styling
Lots of fantastic ideas in this Jungle 1st birthday by El Evento
Incredible jungle safari party by Miss Deliciouza
Gorgeous Jungle Safari party by Simple Elegance Melbourne
Fun and amazingly styled Jungle party based around Raa Raa the Noisy Lion by I Heart Table Art
Absolutely amazing Jungle/Monkey party by Piece of Cake Parties and Celebrations. Lots of ideas and inspiration!
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Hope you have fun planning this party! Your little ones are sure to love it!
A classic boy theme which so many little men seem to love at some stage of their childhood! It’s cute & boyish at the same time with lots of red, yellow and black & can also feature orange and blue. Tin & metal elements could also work into this theme and you could choose to go modern or vintage.
Key images you could work into your decor are fire engines, fire hydrants, fire helmets, whistles, torches, ladders, firefighters, fire alarm bell, hoses, dalmatians, sirens…just to get you started!
I hope these ideas will either contribute to your party planning or inspire you with some ideas!
Starting off with some modern and vintage printables, they really show off how different colour combination’s could work for this party:
Fire Truck printable - Style Me Gorgeous
Vintage Firetruck invitation - TomKat Studio
Vintage fire truck invite - Mon Tresor
Old Red Firetruck invitation - Paper and Pigtails
Onto your main table & decorations and I love the idea of using this brick backdrop behind the dessert table for a traditional fire station look:
Brick wall backdrop- The Party People
I honestly was in awe when I saw this vintage fire engine bunting! The images look so detailed and this would be a stand out in a party space:
Vintage Fire engine bunting - Collecting Feathers
For another great fire theme effect, try out these these string ball lights:
Red string ball lights - Mini Style
A cute garland which can be hung horizontally or vertically with a great colour combination of red, blue and yellow:
Paper garland, red, yellow, blue - The Princess & the Pirate
Paper chains are making a comeback and this red and white combo would be a cool addition to your decorations:
Red dot paper chain - The Little Big Company
These quality fabric buntings in vibrant colours would also make a great feature:
Liberty Smart garland - Little Sooti
Boo smart garland - Lovely Little Parties
These other hanging decoration options would really bring out the colours you have chosen and brighten your party space for a fire engine theme:
Honeycomb paper ball - Mon Tresor
Teal paper fan - Mon Tresor
Black Paper Lantern (Also available in orange) - The Little Big Company
Red tissue pom pom - Ah-Tissue
For the table setting I have chosen items for various colour schemes so depending on your invitations etc you can find some complimentary table decor. Make sure you also have a look at some of our other party themes where we have also featured red and yellow tableware items.
If you like any of the below designs you should be able to find matching plates/cups/napkins to go with them:
Blue white stripe table runner - Le Petit Party
Tablerunner red stars - The Party Parlour
Polka Dot Table runner - Le Petite Party
Black/White stripe Table runner - The Party Parlour
Red polka dot plates - Little Sooti
Party plates, red, aqua,white spot - Details, details
Red and white square plate - Mon Tresor
Polka dot black and white cups - The Party Parlour
Candy stripe cup - The Party Parlour
Orange spot napkins - The Party Parlour
Black tie napkins - Twiggi
Red star napkins - Twiggi
How “wow” are these mason jars with daisy cut lids? I think the metal lid would work in well with the fire engine theme. The below image is from an overseas website that does offer international shipping however you can find these in Australia from Ruby Ju. Combine them with a cool straw and wrap some twine around them for a unique look:
Mason Jar with straw - Magpie Paperworks
Charcoal Twine - Tout Mon Amour
Blue, red and white stripe straws - Sharnel Dollar Designs
Black & White stripe straws - Sharnel Dollar Designs
Orange stripe paper straws - Sharnel Dollar Designs
These chalk labels would look great for a fire engine theme to create a charcoal look. Use them to label your candy jars, drink bottles or even on your party favour packaging:
Rectangle chalkable labels - Little Sooti
Continue the charcoal effect through the use of these chalkboard placements on your table:
Chalkboard Placemat - The Princess and the Pirate
You could also pop one of the placemats on an easel and use it as a welcome sign to the party or a happy birthday message to the special boy:
Black easel picture holder - Ruby Maine
These tin buckets are so versatile and great for decoration or for holding cutlery or treats. Tie some ribbon around them or use a chalkboard label to top them off:
Bucket 12 cm Burgundy - Lily Chic Events
To incorporate more metal elements, these cute silver plated vases could be used in a myraid of ways!
10cm Silver plated cup vases - The Little Big Company
For a splash of red, this jar is sweet for a lolly buffet!
Jar Montana with red lid - The Bay Tree
Or for a more vintage feel, this rustic jar would look fantastic!
Vanders Rustic Lidded Jar - 1825 Interiors
A few other bright ways to present your sweet or savoury dishes:
Red polka dot bowl - Lark
Red plastic food basket - Mon Tresor
To dress up your cupcakes and tie them into your theme, here’s some cute cupcake decor to make sure your cupcakes don’t just drift into the background!
Fire fighter cupcake decorations - Cupcake City
Fireman cupcake toppers - Giggles Cupcake Toppers
Red Muffin Cups - Cupcake House
Cupcake tower baby blue spot - The Party Parlour
Black and white stripe cupcake stand - Mon Tresor
Isn’t this stand amazing? It could be used to house other treats as well, and again great for bringing the metal element into your party:
3 Tier silver plated trays - The Little Big Company
These bright baking cups wrappers are great even to be filled with caramel popcorn, lollies or other goodies:
Paper Eskimo baking cups black and white - Piece of Cake Parties & Celebrations
Paper Eskimo Baking Cups Red stars - Piece of Cake Parties & Celebrations
Paper Eskimo Baking Cups Blue Stripe - Piece of Cake Parties & Celebrations
For your main cake, this wire cake stand will look fantastic if you are using blue in your theme. The wire effect will work well with other metal elements too:
Wire cake stand, french blue - Little Sooti
Or for a bold statement this black cake stand is really something!
Rococo Noir Round Cake Stand - Little Sooti
Such a lovely cake bunting! It also comes in a cream/red colour scheme as well and can be personalised:
Twirling Betty handmade cake bunting - The Little Big Company
Try these 11cm long candles for a stand out effect!
11cm long red polka dot candles - The Party Parlour
For other goodies this cookie cutter set means you can create an array of designs to match this theme:
Fireman cookie cutter set - Sweet Themes
And a few other sweet treats to keep the little firefighters happy!
Orange and yellow swirly big lollipop - The Little Big Company
Strawberry swizzle stick - The Little Big Company
Orange Swizzle Stick - The Little Big Company
Toffee Apples are a unique treat and the deep red would look great with this theme. Love these Designer Toffee Apples which make delicious favours:
Toffee Apples - Designer Toffee Apples
Here are a few other little decor touches for this vibrant and cute party theme:
How stunning is this bright amber colour ? Definitely not a bowl you’d want to put away after the party!
Crackle bowl in Amber - Dusk
Some lovely wall decor:
Fire engine canvas - Oulike Kids Decor
Wooden fire engine wall motifs - Stix and Stones
This sweet toy storage basket is great for the birthday boy and could be used on the party day as a place to keep the birthday gifts, for you to keep items in for party games etc:
Fire engine storage basket - Oulike Kids Decor
For a unique prop this fire helmet would really set the scene for a vintage inspired Fire engine theme. Although it is a bit of a splurge so it depends on your budget and whether it would work into your home decor afterwards:
Fire Helmet - Mantorque
A cute fire bell decoration:
Fire bell alarm clock - Gifts Australia
Your little man may love to dress up in this smart costume and these firefighter gumboots which he can wear on a rainy day but will make authentic decor on the day of the party:
Fireman costume - Toys Paradise
Fireman kids gumboots - Wellies Online
A great treat for the little one’s to wear during the party are these Fireman hats along with the badges, whistle or party blower.
Fireman Plastic hat - The Fire Fighters Party Shop
Fire Badges - Sweet Themes
Achilles Plastic Pea Whistle - Rebel Sport
Party Blower - Speckled Freckle
These fire engines would look so lovely on the table and your little man is sure to have fun playing with them after!
Tin metal fire engine - Nik Naxs
Tin metal fire engine - Carousel Boutique
Wooden toy fire engine - Sweet Peas
For a bit of fun during the party how cute is this firefighter pin party game!
Firefighter pin party game - Speckled Freckle
To continue this theme through to the little one’s take home gifts, here are some ideas for packaging or for favours:
Orange Lolly Bag - The Princess & the Pirate
Black Tote Box - The Princess & the Pirate
Red polka dot noodle box - Mon Tresor
Blue Red Stripe personalised chocolate bar - Le Petit Party
Tiny Tin Toy fire engine - My Tin Toys
This pocket library comes with 6 books which you could divide up to give as useful favours:
Fireman Sam pocket library - Fishpond
Fire hydrant squirters - Gorgeous Little Paries
Fire Truck Eraser - Daisy Stationary
Pull back fire engine toy - Piece of Cake Parties & Celebrations
Lastly a sure to be adored gift for the birthday boy is this metal ride on fire engine. He will definitely feel like a true fire chief in this!
Steel toy ride on fire truck - Hip Kids
Hope you are feeling a bit inspired from this post! This theme is a real classic boy theme and definitely shows there is lots of fun ideas out there for boys parties. Hope your little man enjoys this party and feels truly celebrated!