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Planning A Semi-Homemade 2nd Birthday Party
For my daughter’s 2nd birthday party, I decided to go with a ballerina theme. To save money I figured I could do all the planning myself and make most of the food and favors. I am by no means an expert cook or baker so I decided to go with a semi-homemade approach. As a working mom, I don’t have a lot of extra time so I chose a few things to make and the rest I purchased.
Semi-Homemade Cake And Goodies
I purchased a small round cake at a local bakery to use for blowing out candles and decided to make cupcakes and cake pops for additional goodies. The cupcakes were just a box mix that I made by following the directions. The icing was store bought and piped onto the top of the cupcakes. The cake pops were made from a boxed cake mix, store bought icing and melting chocolates. As a result, my semi-homemade food made for a cute spread without breaking the bank.
As a result of doing some research, I found a great video showing exactly how to make ballet cake pops. It turned out to be fairly simple, however I did make a few modifications to simplify it. This was an afternoon party planned to avoid nap time so I simply bought a few finger foods instead of planning a full meal. To learn more on how to save some money on food items for your party, click here.
Birthday Decor
To keep it simple, I purchased a ballerina theme party pack online. This was an easy, inexpensive way to get a personalized banner, table cloth, streamers, balloons, cups, plates and flatware. I was able to borrow two small bouncy houses from a friend and I had them set up in the back yard. Because it was late spring, the weather was beautiful and made for a great indoor/outdoor party. There was plenty of sidewalk chalk to keep the kids occupied when the bouncy house was full.
Party Favors
For party favors, I wanted to make tutu’s for all the little girls that attended the party. After finding a great tutu tutorial, I made the favors and a special tutu for the birthday girl. I purchased pink leg warmers and ballet slippers to complete her out fit. The whole party was a success! With a little time, effort and simple planning you can easily throw your own semi-homemade birthday party.
