Construction Theme Birthday Party
I cannot believe I’m saying this, but we just celebrated my son’s first birthday this past weekend (where in the world did those 365 days go!) and we went all in on this super fun construction theme!
Since he was about 9 months, Calvin has shown an interest in anything with 4 wheels and a motor, specifically our skid loader that his daddy uses at home. So when it came time to deciding on a first birthday party theme, it didn’t take make thought to settle on all things construction.
Honestly, this theme was so much fun and really so easy to do! Several of the decor pieces were things we already had at home. (We also live in our now fixed-up fixer upper, so things “under construction” is a norm for us around here.)
Outdoor Decor
Being in May, our hope was that we would get to be outside to celebrate and some how the weather gods blessed us with the most beautiful day. Our home is tucked back off the road and we have quite a long driveway, so instead of the traditional balloons on the mail box. I decided to do a few signs that fit the theme but also directed people the right way.
The first sign was just off the road on this beautiful sign post we have that actually didn’t have a sign on it at all. I loved that the shovel acted as a directional arrow.
The next sign was where our driveway splits off of the lane. I loved this sign when I first saw it on Pinterest. But again, it worked for directions purposes in this case too. I also wrapped the opposite fence post in the “Caution” tape as well.
The Front Porch
Our front porch is very much still a work in progress, so caution tape and “danger” signs weren’t that far off. (In case you didn’t know, our home - prior to us owning it - sat empty and abandoned for 15 years. So it wasn’t until rather recently that we even uncovered and cleared the porch. You can see more of what it used to look like in the Hudson Home).
I just used some old sawhorses, wrapped them in the caution tape and decided to put those right in the front flower beds. Being the first thing you see when you drive up, adding the truck in the mulch and the plants to the porch made for a nice welcome.
As for gifts, we actually made it clear on our invitations that we were asking for donations to Calvin’s education fund in lieu of gifts. His education, specifically his primary education is super important to us so starting this fund has been a priority of ours. (If you’re looking for a place to start a savings or investment fund for your children, I highly recommend Edward Jones).
But, I knew that family and friends wouldn’t be able to resist buying for Calvin, so this “Dump Gifts Here” sign was perfect for the front porch. We happened to have a wheelbarrow handy and voila!
If you’re interested in what was on Calvin’s wish list, you can see his Amazon Gift Registry here.
The Food Tables
Honestly, I had so much fun with this part. It was so easy to keep on theme and keep with foods that were yummy and easy to prepare. We had “spare tires” and “rebar” and “wrecking balls” and “concrete”. I am also sharing the potato salad recipe that everyone was asking about after the party at the bottom of this post.
The Drinks
A large catalyst to the signage and themed snacks was the “Refueling Station” sign I had seen on Pinterest. I recreated one for ourselves (which you can find in our Construction Theme Party Bundle). We happened to already have these black and yellow storage boxes which we used for a table, topped in with the Refueling Sign, and added the lemonade. I also happened to have these cute yellow Polka Dot Streamers from my mom’s 60th Birthday Party earlier this year.
