Thursday, May 24, 2012

DIY Birthday parties

So far, all the birthday parties we have had for Puttachi have been small affairs.  So that gives me a lot of opportunity to involve Puttachi in the organization and preparation. 

Last  year, she wanted decorations, and so we got together and made some things together.  Arvind Gupta  Toys is a wonderful resource for many things, and it proved invaluable for our decorations.

We made:


Chandelier

Another Chandelier



Skeletal butterfly



We also slipped the return gifts into this easy-peasy newspaper bag

While making all these decorations, we got waylaid and made these two lovely toys
Jumping Frog
Flapping bird

This can engage even adults for hours.  So much fun!

This year, we made these, but forgot to hang them up, heh heh :)



For the return gifts, Puttachi spray-painted A4 sheets of paper and wrapped the gifts in them like this:



They could have been brighter, but I did not want to direct her to do this and do that, since she did it all by herself and is immensely proud of it.

This time, she also helped in making sandwiches for the party, and she was there when I shopped for the party.  She hasn't yet tired of telling her father how much fun she had and how much effort she and I put into all the shopping :)

To top it all, both this year and the last, my mother baked the birthday cake.  Last year, it was a lovely three-tier chocolate cake and this time, it was a Mickey-mouse cake.  She brought the cake to my place, and all of us frosted and decorated the cake.  Puttachi had a few cup-cakes that she could frost and decorate herself, and she loved that both times.

This year, she picked out alphabet sprinkles, and decorated the cupcakes with the names of all the friends she had invited, and gave each friend "their" cupcake.

In a five-year-old's life, that is super-exciting.  :)

Okay, I don't know how to end this post, so I'll just end it like this. :)

8 comments:

Mangala said...

Thanks for the resources. Your parties are heart-felt, simple and REAL - not just tinsel and moonshine. Real food cooked at home with love, real decorations containing the joy the making of it involved, the personal touch, the sharing and caring - and no plastic waste! An inspiration to all of us :)

sandhya said...

Happy birthday to Puttachi! As quoting from the Sound of Music, "she's practically a lady!"

Radhika said...

You're so wonderful Shruthi. Involving the child in everything! Am sure Avani will remember these special days always :-)

Veena Shivanna said...

A Perfect birthday party.. Those decorations are really very nice...

Shruthi said...

Hey thanks, Mangala :)

Sandhya, ha ha! yes!

Radhika, aww, I hope she does!

Thanks, Veena!

austere said...

What a fantastic birthday!

austere

praneshachar said...

SUPER its gr8 she is feeling the pain of making things and njoys it thoroughly and I am sure it gives lots of joy and ur pain will vanish. cake home made by ajji is just super and puttachi making customised cup cakes for friends is one feather in the cap
Shruthi and SAndesh u r really blessed to have such lovely princess as your daughter. my salutations ot proud parents and love filled hugs to puttachi
wonder kid

Newspaper Article said...

your guide is very useful. i will try for my friend's birthday. thanks

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