birthdaypartyideas’s blog

For my son's first birthday last year, I decided to go with a cowboy theme. I thought it fit with fall (October birthday) and was just adorable.  I thought this would be different -- and he had a thing for cows and dogs. I didn't go all out only because it was his first birthday but here are my ideas from it...

Initiations: What I think is the most important part of party planning. It sets the tone, the theme, and the time.

Since I'm a designer, I made them myself (if you are interested in the design, post a comment with your email and I will give you a quote) I started with corrugated cardboard invites, designed a cowboy sticker to place on the outside flap. Using hemp, I made a lasso in his hand. The inside (which half was viewable when closed) had a denim background with:
Yippee. It's a party.
When the flap was lifted, there was the info: Y'all are invited to Alex's 2nd Birthday Party. And I illustrated a cute little dog with a bandana on.

Cake: I enlisted the services of my sister in law who is fabulous at making cakes. She did a denim looking

boarder around the edges, and copied the cowboy from the invite on top, with a lasso around his name. She even was able to make his icing pants look like denim! He had his smash cake that year, which had the dog with the bandana from the invite.

Decorations: I bought denim at a cheap fabric store to use for the cake table cloth. It's washable and reusable then too and not too expensive. I also had balloons in a dark blue, red, and cow pattern (Birthday Express). I had one star Mylar balloon. I tied all the balloons with the same hemp used on the invites. I did simple streamers of red and dark blue. Since it was fall, I also had access to hay -- I placed these really small bundles of hay on the main table.

I had one cowboy that I made on poster board, which was the size of my son (at 1 year) and cut it out and stuck on our front door. Instead of a lasso, he had balloons. 

Food/Service: solid red plates, forks. I did get bandana printed napkins from Birthday Express. We only had cake and ice cream (which was rocky road to fit the theme). I served milk to the kids and the adults had their choice of root beer (served in the bottles) or water.

Games/Activities: since it was my son's first, I didn't do any games. We did have a DVD of his first year playing for the adults, while the kids colored (I printed out the cowboy as line art and put each kid's name in the lasso).

If we were to play games, here are a few I'd suggest: Pin the tail on the horse. Lasso a horse (give kids a hoola hoop, see who can throw it over a rocking horse or stuffed horse first). Line dance.

Party Favors: My philosophy on this is -- don't give favors that you wouldn't want your kids to have. Keep it simple.

I bought cowboy boot cups (Birthday Express) and bandanas for each child. I filled treat bags with cowboy mix (goldfish crackers, pretzel sticks, M&Ms, licorice, raisins (for older kids)), wrapped the bag with the bandana, tied it with the hemp used above, and stuck it in the cup. They were adorable, and well received. I also made cookie badges (star cut-outs iced with each child's name)

Gifts: Of course, get your child something they will like/use -- but if it's on theme, all the more power! We got my son a Radio Flyer Wagon. We thought it fit with the theme, but was practical and fun. Other people at the party stayed in theme too because he got a rocking horse as well as a video: Ballad of Little Joe (Veggie Tales -- with a cowboy twist)

Other: I also mixed a CD of kid appropriate, but cowboy-ish songs which included: Riding the Range (Backyardagains),  I want to be a cowboy, and some other country tunes.

Time Saver Tip: I pre-scooped the ice cream into cupcake holders and froze. That way, I just grabbed one and put on the plate during the party -- less time.

Enjoy. Comment if you've had a Cowboy Themed Kid's Party and what you did.