It’s been over a month since Sophie’s sixth birthday party, but I can’t stop thinking about it. It wasn’t the most elaborate (or the most expensive) party we’ve ever thrown, but it was certainly one of the most fun. Her only request this year besides unicorns and rainbows, was to have her party at home. We celebrated her first birthday in our dining room, but every party since then has been at Gran’s house or at a local venue. Since our house is on the market, she was worried this might be her last opportunity. After a few minor snafus, we reserved a bounce house for the weekend, spent a month working in the yard and invited all of our favorite people over to celebrate! Enter Sophie’s DIY Unicorn Party.
When I found this t-shirt (sources below) on the web, I knew it was perfect for her. She is so spunky and I wanted her to have something fun and party-themed to wear for her big day. We dug out an old tutu and some biker shorts and she was ready to go. I had promised her unicorn horn party hats months ago and she never forgot. After scouring Pinterest for ideas, I took a few pointers from all of my favorite tutorials and made these headbands for her friends. She loved them, but requested ribbon streamers and a glittery number six for herself. How could I resist?! I’ll be sharing a video tutorial of the entire process tomorrow – a bonus Tuesday post!
For the menu, I kept things simple. Gran made her delicious tea cakes and I ordered a dozen beautiful rainbow cookies from Audrey. These were near the bounce house and the kids decimated them before the party even got started, but I heard they were delicious! We had pretzels, goldfish and animal crackers in easy grab-and-go cups along with PB&Js and cucumber salad sandwiches inside.
How stinking cute are these paper straws I picked up at Target. I mean, rainbow stripes and pinwheels? Dollar Spot for the win.
Earlier in the month, my aunt called to talk with Sophie and ask what she wanted for her birthday. She asked for pink roses and this pretty little arrangement was delivered just in time for the party. We added the mylar balloon and used it as a centerpiece on our dining room table. The remaining food, along with the birthday cake, was on the buffet inside.
I need to tell you about this cake. Remember Malinda? She’s made several of our favorite cakes in the past and I was thrilled when she could fit us into her schedule for Sophie’s party this year. We did a layered rainbow cake with buttercream icing and it was, seriously, the most amazing cake I’ve ever tasted. It was funny to watch everyone fix their plates because the kids all requested a cupcake and the adults held out for the real deal. I wish I could tell you there was enough to indulge in all week, but all that was left were crumbs and candles.
I opted for simple decorations inside, but I loved how the party spread turned out. We decorated the week before and we might have enjoyed it for several weeks after. The frames usually hold botanical drawings and since I didn’t want to dismantle those frames, I opted to hang some of my favorite birthday photos using coordinating washi tape. The banners and streamers were all left over from her first birthday (I’m a party hoarder) and the chenille bedspreads-turned-tablecloths were borrowed from my mom.
In case you haven’t seen the plush unicorn from Target in person, trust me when I tell you that it’s perfect. This was part of Sophie’s birthday gift and she was so excited to have it on the table. She sleeps with her every night and affectionately refers to her as “Uni.”
Since we rented a bounce house for the kids and most of the action was outside, I set up a huge drink station on the front porch. I filled that lemonade container up twice (almost FIVE gallons) in the first thirty minutes of the party and then everyone was relegated to ice water. Whomp whomp.
Gosh, I love these people. I wish we had grabbed this photo before the girls had been bouncing for two hours, but at least Josh & I look adorable. Right?!
I knew we would be singing Happy Birthday and blowing candles outside (because 50 people can’t possibly fit inside my dining room), but I really wanted some photos of Sophie with her cake. We snuck off mid-party and did a practice run with our candles and I couldn’t be more thrilled with these photographs. Her real smile is often hard to capture, so I was particularly excited to see such a big, genuine smile. This girl was about as happy as it gets.
Later on, we gathered all of her friends and family around the picnic table and serenaded her in true family fashion.
And in case you were wondering… YES, Jennifer and I both had some of that delicious cake. How could we resist all of those beautiful colors?!
As always, my amazingly talented sister took care of the event photography so that I could enjoy the birthday girl and all of our guests. I’m lucky enough to have her do this for me every year, but I’m telling you right now that I would gladly write a check if I didn’t. It might seem frivolous to pay for party photography, but I can promise you that you’ll enjoy your people so much more and you will never regret being able to look back on those moments with wonder. I took exactly four photographs with my own camera and they aren’t nearly as beautiful as hers. See…
These girlies get to celebrate together every year since Braylen’s birthday is the day before Sophie’s! Jennifer and I have to coordinate party times and it makes for a crazy-busy weekend of party prep and party hopping, but boy is it fun. They are such hams and wanted to pose all afternoon long!
Warning: Affiliate links appear in the following section. Although shopping the embedded links won’t cost you any additional dollars, it might contribute to an amazing party for one of my little ones. Your support of my obsession is always appreciated!
1. Unicorn Tee | 2. Tissue Garland | 3. Unicorn Cupcake Kit | 4. Mylar Balloon
5. Giant Latex Balloons | 6. Unicorn Pillow | 7. Snack Cups | 8. Unicorn Cookie Cutter
Click Below to Pin our DIY Unicorn Party!
Want to read more? Check back tomorrow for our DIY Unicorn Horn Party Favor tutorial and purchase our printable party package here!
Want even more party posts? All of our DIY parties are archived here. Which is your favorite?!
