Last month, my youngest daughter turned one, and you can probably guess what that means…party time! ;) We somehow started calling her “bunny”, so because of that nickname and the fact that she has a winter birthday, I thought it would be fun to create a “Snow Bunny” theme for her first birthday party. I realize that the idea of carrots and bunny tails mixed in with a “snowy” themed birthday might sound a little random at first, but it ended up coming together in the end, with a little help from themed food and crafty decorations. ;)

And speaking of the party coming together, I have to confess that despite my best intentions to not be last minute with everything like I was with Macy’s first birthday, I again found myself starting on it within the few days before the party – and finishing up the paper designs oh… about 1.5 hours before! The responsibilities that have come with 2 young kids (ages 1 and 2) + a growing business seem to have me in a constant battle with the clock… and one that the clock usually wins. (grrr) I know many of you can relate though, and I’ve started to accept that it’s just the way things are going to be for the next couple years. All I have to say is thank goodness for friends & family willing to help out in a pinch (including my mother & father-in-law who made most of the food for the party!).

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Bunny shaped grilled cheese, snow cone cupcakes, and rice krispie “snow balls”
• DIY painted mason jars filled with cotton ball (“bunny tail”) flowers + balsa wood flowers
• Crepe paper carrots & bunny wreath + “bunny” kids chair with cotton tail & foam ears
• Homemade smash cake with paper-and-stripy-straw cake topper
• Pics of the birthday girl embellished with winter hat and other “snowy” graphics

PARTY DETAILS…

The main elements of this Snow Bunny theme were carrots, snowballs (made from cotton & yarn), DIY painted mason jars, bunnies (of course!) and “winter woodland” creatures. I tried to incorporate a lot of party crafts that were simple but also impactful – like the crepe paper carrots and paper circle and cotton ball garlands. Here’s a quick rundown of the details:

Decorations

• DIY Paper Carrots made from crepe paper & tissue paper (tutorial here)
• Yarn “snow balls” (styrofoam balls covered in yarn)
• Cotton ball “snow” garlands (cotton balls strung on clear thread)
• Paper circle garlands made from punched paper circles + clear thread
• Food table covered with white quilt batting for a “snowy” look
• DIY painted mason jars filled with cotton ball “flowers” + balsa wood flowers dusted with sparkly white glitter
• A “bunny wreath” that was made from 2 sizes of white styrofoam craft wreaths wrapped in white crepe paper + foam bunny “ears”
• Crepe paper backdrop for photos of guests (made from alternating colors of crepe paper strands)
• Knitted cone Christmas Trees (from Target) embellished with yarn and yarn poms
• Woodland creatures embellished with fluffy yarn poofs, paper party hats, and crepe paper carrots
• Paper signage and photos featuring the birthday girl dressed up with digital winter hats & other snowy graphics. I also designed a sign featuring the “I’ll Love You Forever…” message because I love that sentiment so much. :)

Food & Drinks

• Sparkling Pink Lemonade Punch
• Bunny shaped grilled cheese sandwiches
• “Christmas Salad” topped with homemade heart-shaped croutons
• “Bunnies in a Blanket” (same as pigs in a blanket)
• Taffy Apple Salad (this has a white, snowy look & tastes amazing! recipe here)
• 2 types of pasta: Mac-n-Cheese + Marinara with turkey meatballs

Dessert Table

The dessert table was set in front of one of our windows so that I could use the curtains as a backdrop and hang crepe paper carrots and paper garlands from the curtain rod. I kept things really simple with the dessert, which were all homemade except for the store-bought wafer cookies. We had:

• Rice Krispie “Snowballs” (covered in powdered sugar)
• Wafer sandwich cookies that matched the color palette
• Clear rock candy sticks for an “icy” element
• Snow Cone Cupcakes garnished with striped straws (white cupcakes dropped into 4 oz styrofoam cups (from Staples), then decorated with piped white frosting and a very generous amount of white sparkling sugar (from Wilton)

Saying Thanks

As much as I love doing the party details, the guests are ALWAYS the best part of any party. Thanks so much to everyone that came over and celebrated “our little snow bunny” and to everyone that helped bring the party to life! We love you so much, Rylie… you were the best “surprise” we could ever receive! ;)