Eleven rocks… when your {awesome} mom throws you a NEON Camping Party! ;) At her sons request, Jenifer Hill of Hello Love Designs, combined neon + camping inspiration (while omitting pink!) to create party with colorful treats, painted pine cones + brown kraft paper and more modern details that were cool enough for a party full of preteen boys. (And if you can’t get enough camping inspiration, browse around here.)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Orange Macarons, Neon Smores and “Hit the Trail Mix”
• Neon Green Checkerboard Wall + Kraft Paper Tablecloth to “Make Your Mark” with highlighters!
• Painted Pine Cone “Flames” in Lanterns and Jumbo Circle Confetti
• Amazing Cookies from Icings by Ang and Flashlight Favors

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Jenifer…

My oldest was turning 11, and he wanted to combine a neon party with a camping party.  He also requested that there not be any neon pink.  I had a huge challenge combining the two themes and using neon without pink (which is very hard to do!) while still keeping it age appropriate for a preteen boy.

We live in Texas, and Texas in July is 100+ degrees outside, so while I would love to have set up the party outside, the cake and desserts would not have loved it.  Instead, I chose the rock fireplace in my house to give the camping party the rustic touch it needed.  For the backdrop, I used foamboard covered in kraft paper and neon flagging tape to give the party a more modern, neon look.  I spray painted pinecones and rocks neon colors and placed them on the dessert table with my son’s deer antlers.  I love the rustic and modern looks contrasting each other.

Icings by Ang made the most gorgeous neon camping party cookies that matched our theme perfectly!  The kids also roasted “neon” s’mores over the sterno cans on the party table.  I used Wilton Color Mist to spray the marshmallows neon-ish blue and yellow, and the kids thought it was “so cool!”  We also had neon orange macarons with neon blue filling from Le Bonbon (a camping must for mom – ha!) and we couldn’t go camping without our “Hit the Trail Mix.”

The kids also enjoyed other party activities like geocaching in our neighborhood, a “Fear Factor” eating contest, and blacklight Simon Says with glow sticks!  All things you would do camping, right?!  At least preteen boys thought so.  For party favors, the boys enjoyed filling their bags with a flashlight, survival cord bracelets (both purchased at Target’s $1 Spot), Pop Rocks glow lollipops, and their choice of a neon camping cookie.  Jennifer Schattle Photography did an amazing job capturing the feel of our neon camping party!