Mermaid Party

My little girl just turned one and we had a super fun birthday party! Let me show you some of the fun decorations and activities we had!

Birthday Banner & Monthly Picture Display

Nothing says birthday party like a nice banner! I also love doing the monthly pictures for a first birthday. I created both projects in Cricut Design Space and you can use this link to make your own. I hot glued clothespins on the back of each shell to hold the pictures in place and used an emboss folder in my Cuttlebug to give the inside banner layer (pink) a little dimension. Everything is cut in paper and glued with an Elmer’s glue stick. I used tape to attach some simple curling ribbon to finish the look.

Birthday Banner

Birthday Cake Topper

I topped the cake with this paper cake topper! I created it on Cricut Design Space as well so click this link to make it for yourself. Most layers are attached with foam mounting tape from Dollar Tree to give it a little dimension. The words and small detailing are simply glued with a glue stick. Grab a food safe lollipop stick and tape your creation on top. I served it on these cute mermaid plates and napkins.

Balloon Arch

Ok, I kind of cheated this time. I found this balloon arch kit on AliExpress and bought it. I did assemble it myself, but it wasn’t very creative. It turned out cute but I would not recommend this particular set. The balloons were a very concentrated latex. They smelled very strong and I was a little worried my kids would have a latex allergy that I wasn’t aware of. Thankfully no one was hurt but I still don’t think I would purchase it again. I’ll leave the link and some pictures. You could easily do the majority yourself with balloons from the Dollar Tree and I found the tails sold separately on Amazon.

Poke Game

I can’t lie, I’m in love with how this little activity turned out and I felt like a genius making it. I’ve done homemade piñatas at the last three birthday parties, and I decided it was time for something new. Plus, a one-year-old doesn’t really hit a piñata very well. So I tried to think of something a one-year-old could do. Answer: poke stuff. My baby girl is a poker. She goes around with one finger out jabbing at anything she can find (believe me, you can see the evidence in her smash cake). So, I created a poke game. I took a piece of Dollar Tree foam board and mapped out some windows. I used a little wood block also from Dollar Tree as a stencil and cut everything out with my x-acto knife. I painted the entire board blue with a lot of acrylic paint. The paint caused the board to curl, but that actually was a great thing because it gave it some depth and then it could stand up on it’s own!

Working from the back of the board, I taped a piece of tissue paper behind each window. Then, I taped a cellophane bag filled with a small prize. I had temporary tattoos, slap bracelets, mermaid rings, and mermaid fruit snacks from Dollar Tree. I finished off the look with some paper sea creatures I cut on my Cricut. Here’s a link to my Cricut Design Space project.

Each kid took a turn poking a hole in the tissue paper and reaching back for their prize. It was a blast! I used cellophane bags (because that’s what I had). It worked great for the young kids because the adults could look from behind and make sure each child got one of each item. For older kids, or for more of a surprise, I would recommend a bag that hides the contents.

Mermaid Outfit

I wanted a cute little mermaid outfit for a birthday photo shoot. I actually decided it was finally time to learn to crochet just so I could make this! I used this mermaid pattern for the tail and this bow pattern. I made a little seashell shirt using Cricut Infusible Ink.

Party Favors

Last but not least, party favors! I took the little dolls from Dollar Tree and sewed up some mermaid tails for them with green fabric. I added a little foil heat transfer vinyl for decoration and stuffed a little stuffing. Each kid took one home and I’ve got my tail pattern down below for you as well. The sizing might be a little off with the way it prints so do a paper test run before cutting! (There are also two different sizes of dolls. I used the larger ones.) This is an SVG file so you can also cut it with a Cricut.

Thanks for stopping by! Need more birthday party ideas? Check out my Party Tips on a Budget, Bug Party, and Construction Party blog posts. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Happy crafting and enjoy a few more pictures of the party!