It’s been a year since I threw my first party - a “Wild About Cole” safari baby shower. Well lil’ Cole just celebrated his first birthday and we threw him another wild, wild bash. Cole was more than happy to dress up as a cowboy for his “Wild Wild One” birthday hoe-down.
My stepdad built this directional sign that served as a beacon for guests coming from all over town. I used letters I cut with the Cricuit so that I can use this sign again without having to repaint it. Isn’t it great? I can’t wait for the next reason to tell people where to go.
I used straw to display a cow skull and this tissue paper numeral one. (I got the idea for the tissue paper number one from this tutorial.)
Straw is officially on my do-not-ever-purchase-again-no-matter-what list. What a mess!
Just like I did for the safari shower, I made a burlap banner to announce the theme. This time I used clothespins instead of stringing it through the rope. This was so much faster!
The birthday boy and his parents were ready to greet their hoe-down guests. Have you seen a cuter cowboy? I seriously doubt it.
We displayed the birthday boy’s cake on a red plaid table cloth Cole’s grandma owned and we topped it off with the no-sew burlap runner I made last week.
I used flowers in mason jars on the cake table and elsewhere around the house.
To create consistent signage, I used picture frames wrapped with rope. (Gotta love that hot glue!) You may recognize these dollar store frames from my past parties. I used them to display vintage New Zealand travel posters here, to show off Alvin and the Chipmunks here, to name a bar here, and to show of all of one family’s little sunshines here. That’s a lot of mileage for a $1 purchase!
In case the glare in my painfully-amateur photo prevents you from reading it, the outhouse sign says “Don’t squat on yer spurs.” I crack myself right up over that one.
I’m totally in love with these paper straws. (I used the blue and white ones for the “Time Flies” 1st birthday party a few months ago.)
I purchased these straws on Etsy from Pebbles in my Pocket, which included the PDF for these straw tags. It was perfect!
I made a ribbon banner with red and white plaid paper and a blue starry paper.
The birthday boy’s picture was republished for his wanted posters. (Seriously! Have you ever seen a cuter 8 tooth grin?)
I also bought a wanted poster to leave blank. I cut out the middle, passed out a few faux mustaches and voila! An instant Kodak moment.
It turns out that even the birthday boy’s proud papa is a wanted criminal!
We decorated Cole’s high chair with a small banner using the same paper from the “Cole is 1″ banner.
This is one baby boy who did not hesitate to sink his hands into that frosting!
Cole did not stop until he had cake on the floor, on his bib, on his face, and in his hair. That’s how it’s supposed to be done big boy!
Cole’s youngest cousins were listed on the chalkboard to make sure they picked up their favors.
Each little favor bag included root beer barrels and wax mustaches.
Every one else could take a dum dum from this lollipop flower I made from this tutorial.
Cole bid farewell to his party guests by wishing them “Happy Trails”!
Yee-haw!
Who remembers the wax lips from the 1980s?
