This Monkey Birthday Party is ridiculously cute… not to mention as fun and playful as a barrel full of monkeys – just check out the party favors! ;) Hayden’s 1st birthday party was designed by mom, Alexis of Alexis Campbell Event Styling. Full of red and white polka dot decor, fun lunch box place settings and monkey face sweet treats, this party is sure to make you go BANANAS!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Red and yellow polka dot birthday cake with fondant monkey topper
• Adorable dessert table “curtains” backdrop and ruffled streamer accents
• Cheerful yellow and white flowers displayed in yarn wrapped mason jars
• Handmade party hats embellished with rick rack and paper rosettes
• Playful “barrel of monkeys” party favors

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Alexis…

Theme

When thinking about a theme for Hayden’s first birthday, a monkey party came to mind right away. We call him our little monkey because he is a climber. I contacted Kori of Paper & Pigtails about the invite and matching cupcake toppers. She informed me she was starting a new line of hand illustrated invitations for her new shop Kori Clark Designs and I was so excited to see what she came up with. I gave her some specifics of what I wanted the invite to look like, and when I got the invite, I was jumping up and down! It was exactly what I wanted.

We went with a red and white polka dot and yellow color scheme for the party. Oh Goodie Designs made me the cutest red and yellow ruffle streamer which we used throughout the party. We hung paper lanterns all over the house and patio. It added that little extra something to the party. I found a really cute ribbon tied wreath on Pinterest but made it with yellow fabric to match the party. I painted an “H” with red and white polka dots to match as well.  Guests also enjoyed the picture booth with fun props!

Food

I wanted to keep the menu simple. We ordered two three foot subs from a local BJs Wholesale and they were just enough for the 45 adult guests. I also made pasta salad, Greek salad, fruit skewers, antipasto skewers and veggie cups with carrots and ranch. We had no leftovers.

Dessert Table

For the desserts I wanted to keep with the monkey theme. My mom made homemade banana bread that was outstanding! We made individual banana puddings in the small yellow and white polka dot cups from The Tomkat Studio Shop and small wooden spoons from Kara’s Party Ideas Shop. Those were a crowd favorite!

I contacted Susan from A Cookie Jar about making some monkey cookies and she was so quick to respond and get started. She’s never made monkey cookies before and made a batch and sent me pictures before I even ordered them. After I saw the cookies, I fell in love. I also placed an order for polka dot cookies on a stick as well and they arrived a few days before the party. They were the most amazing cookies I’ve ever tasted!

I made Oreo truffle monkey cake pops that were another favorite among the guests. We filled a few large candy jars with M&Ms, Jelly Bellies, gumballs, taffy, whirly pops and candy sticks. Brittany from Edible Details made cupcake fondant toppers and a cake topper to match the invite. They were adorable! The little monkey topper sat on top of a two tiered vanilla and chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.

Kids Table

We had 15 little kids at the party so I set up a kids table for them. I used white gable boxes from The Tomkat Studio to pack each child a lunch. Each box was filled with a sandwich, goldfish, fruit and a juice box. The kids enjoyed lunch while wearing a handmade party hat and coloring a monkey page from Anders Ruff. Each child left with a “Barrel of Monkeys” party favor with a custom label from Paiges of Style.

The party was a huge success and everyone had a blast. I can’t believe my little monkey is one!