Mermaid or Pirate, which will you be?

Here is what the power of guilt and love can achieve. HA! I have a tiny complex about the kids having to share a birthday. My mom always made our birthday so special and we felt like the princess for the day. I guess I feel like since they share, that they will never feel like their birthday is their own. Wow. I need a counseling session on that one.

The idea started with the mermaid. Anna-Jane has an obsession with all things Ariel. I thought about what I could pair with the mermaid to be for Judah and the pirate seemed an obvious natural pair. I didn't want to go all Disney brand on this party and after looking around on etsy for some invites, I decided to go all out DIY. So I purchased some clipart online (some I found through google, some through etsy). They came in sets with little mermaid and pirate "accessories". I made the invite myself but based it off some of the invites I liked on etsy.

I scoured and obsessed blogs that highlighted DIY crafty birthday parties. I found some AMAZING parties so I used some of those ideas and made a few my own. I attached a paper in each book with something like "Happy 1st Birthday Judah" with lots of blank space and used each book as a guestbook.


this was the food area. I used an orange plastic tablecloth from the dollar store as a backdrop. The circle garlands were made using my cricut and sewing machine. They look like I spent forever when they really took about an hour each.

This was the main spread in the dining room. I hung wrapping paper on the wall and added some garland. The Happy Birthday banner was made using my cricut. I made them in primary colors so I could use them for future parties.

I loved this idea! I wrapped 2 empty boxes in the party colors and then used it as a cupcake tree. I LOVE how it came out. I also used my cricut to cut out the backs for these cupcake toppers.


The invitation framed. I googled fun pirate and mermaid names and wrote them on nametags so people could get new names.


This is a project that was not quite what I had in my head, but I'm still happy with it. The cutouts were supposed to go behind and pop out of the tissue paper "waves", but there were technical difficulties and time constraints that kept that from happening.



The Pirate area. I free-handed the treasure map based on one I found online.




I put up pictures of Judah for each month from birth to one year and Anna-Jane every 3 months of her life to 3. I took the same idea from the cupcake toppers and just attached them to clothespins (which you can barely see under the labels).


I set up a craft table with foam stickers, crayons, etc. The kids (and a few adults) loved it! A few even made some notes for my kiddos.


Singing to Anna-Jane and blowing out her candle.

Singing to Judah

"mmm, I think I like this!"
a family picture.
I know how you feel buddy...
With aunt, Robin.
In the last two pictures, you can kind of see their tee shirts that I made. I was amazed at how cute t-shirt transfers could be. I'm so glad I didn't let the kids wear them before the party though, because they show wear quickly.

It was a great party and was low stress (once it started). I knew they wouldn't really remember...well...anything about this party so I hope all the pictures will take the place of all they will surely forget.

Both children really enjoyed their party and I learned a few things for the next party.