Pepper’s “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” 1st Birthday Party

How to host a meaningful 1st birthday party for your shining star with a “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” theme during a global pandemic or otherwise!

Party Planning in a Pandemic

As Pepper’s first birthday on May 8th neared, and we were still under a stay-at-home order here in Orlando, Florida, I came to terms with the fact that she wouldn’t have the big first birthday bash we were planning on.

Not going to lie, I was really bummed at first. But I determined that we could still make her birthday a special occasion with our little family-of-four at home. And, thanks to Zoom, we could still include our loved ones through a virtual party!

In fact, we were able to include family in our celebrating that day who would have never been able to attend in person due to distance or being in the homestretch of pregnancy (shout out to my sistah, Lisbeth!). So, it ended up being a truly meaningful first birthday celebration for our Pepper-girl.

And I can’t wait to dish all the party details with you, dear reader. Let’s dive in!

*I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience and also compiled all of the Amazon links shared in this post in a handy collection on my Amazon storefront, which you can peruse HERE.

Party Theme

I love a good theme. When it comes to party planning, the theme serves as my inspiration for EVERYTHING: from the invitation to color scheme to decor to activities and beyond.

Here are some of the birthday party themes I’ve done in the past:

• Juniper’s Blooming 1st Birthday Bash
• Juniper’s Ice Cream-Themed 2nd Birthday Party
• Jodi’s “Anne of Green Gables”-Inspired Birthday Party
• NEW: Juniper’s “Madeline in Paris”-Themed 4th Birthday Party
• NEW: Pepper’s Puppy Paw-ty 2nd Birthday Celebration
• NEW: Juniper’s Princesses & Knights Golden 5th Birthday Celebration
• NEW: Pepper’s Magical “Mickey & Minnie Mouse” 3rd Birthday Party

It took me a while to land on a theme for Pepper’s 1st Birthday Party, but once I came across the idea for a “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”-themed shin-dig, I knew it was a winner.

Singing the classic lullaby is the one thing that can quell Pepper’s tears during a diaper change. In fact, she loves it so much, she “blinks” her hands to request we sing it and does the hand motions along with us. It’s uh-dorable.

Flower Crown & Color Scheme

Juniper’s Blooming First Birthday Bash was 100% inspired by a flower crown, and so I decided to take to Etsy to search for a crown for my second-born that would fit with the “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” theme.

When I discovered this gold star crown by PetalCrownCo, I knew it was the perfect match. I loved the gold and pale yellow color scheme.

Then, I found a small, wooden, gold star wand by Legacy Learning on Etsy to complete Pepper’s party accessories!

Now for the rest of her outfit: initially, I purchased a gold “ONE” onesie and gold tutu skirt on Amazon, but the 18 month onesie was far too big for our Pep, and I ended up returning both items since I didn’t have time to wait for a smaller size to ship.

However, when looking through Pepper’s closet, I ended up finding an outfit option I loved even more: a vintage dress in an ethereal pale yellow fabric that actually belonged to my Mom when she was baby. It was so special to dress up our girl in a family heirloom for her birthday.

Lucy Owl

And because I’m a gal of tradition, we decided to gift Pepper with a Hazel Village doll of her own for her first birthday, just like we did Juniper.

Meet Lucy Owl–a lovely counterpart to Juniper’s Phoebe Fawn. And don’t you just love Lucy’s little flower crown and peach linen dress?

Invitation

Once we landed on a time for our virtual party that worked well for our immediate family members, I sent out a “formal” invitation via email–that way, we could easily include the clickable Zoom link and a few tips for using Zoom.

Of course, I still had to make the email invite pretty…and incorporate a pun!

Twinkle twinkle little star

One-der-ful is what you are!

So, I just drafted up a paperless post invite, took a screenshot, and inserted it as an image in the email. And fun fact: since hosting our party, Paperless Post added a feature that allows you to include clickable links for virtual parties.

DIY Balloon Garland

You know me: every new party is a new opportunity to try my hand at a new DIY party backdrop.

A backdrop can instantly transform your ordinary living space into an extraordinary party–without costing an arm and a leg. Plus I love how FUN it looks in photos.

Case in point:

This was my first ever balloon garland, and definitely not my last! I was so thrilled with how it turned out. Pepper’s face here says it all:

Here were the supplies I used to make our banner (for your convenience, I saved them all in a collection on my Amazon storefront):

• electric balloon pump (well worth $24)
• clear balloon tape, 25 feet (necessary)
• set of 52 copper/white/gold confetti balloons, size 12″
• 24 gold mylar star balloons, size 24″ (self-sealing!)
• fishing line
• clear command clips

I’ve been eyeing this electric balloon pump for quite a while, and this was a great opportunity to finally take the plunge. I don’t know what took me so long because y’all, it is a game-changer! No more huffing and puffing after blowing up a million balloons in those few hours before party guests arrive.

Here are a few pointers and my notes to self for next time:

• It worked well to blow up a bunch of a balloons first, then assemble.
• Assemble most of the banner first before hanging.
• When inserting balloons onto the balloon tape, alternate which side you pull the knot through as you go.
• Leave a few empty slots on your balloon tape as you go, only using the larger holes, and skipping one or two openings. Otherwise your balloons will be too close together.
• Also, change up the order of the balloon colors, so you don’t end up with a regular pattern.
• Use clear command clips secured at four or five various points on the wall and run clear fishing wire through an opening in the balloon tape and tied around the hooks (seek help from your engineer-brained husband for this step!).
• Be prepared that a few balloons will pop during this process, and if those balloons happen to have confetti in them, it’ll be an instant party ev-er-y-where. And your one-year-old will try to eat said confetti. So, keep the dust-buster handy. {Wink.}

This probably took me two hours to complete (like most of my backdrops do) and was well worth the time!

Not only did it create a festive atmosphere, I was amazed by how long it lasted. It honestly looked just as good after hanging up for a week as it did to start, so this is definitely a project you can do well in advance.

Shout-out to Chelsea from Two-Twenty-One who totally inspired me with her Balloon Garland Tutorial. And to the Nash Sisters who shared this video tutorial that was helpful in understanding how my balloon pump worked and how to insert balloons into the balloon tape.

And here’s a quick tour of the DIY party backdrops I’ve made in the past:

• $10 Plastic Tablecloth Backdrop (Halloween party photo booth)
• Braided Tablecloth Backdrop (timelapse video)
• Shabby Chic Fabric Backdrop (wedding reception photo booth)
• Ice Cream Party Backdrop

High Chair Pennant Banner

Because I save everything, I was able to use the same wooden pennant letters I had purchased for Juniper’s party (here’s a similar version in burlap on Amazon) to make Pepper’s high chair pennant banner.

Just like last time, I incorporated some white tassels from a tassel banner that I disassembled and strung it all together with twine. And I used clear packing tape on the sides and rolled duct tape on the back of the letters for added reinforcement. Easy peazy!

{NOTE: the tassel ain’t worth the hassle, so beware of purchasing tassel banners on Amazon you have to assemble yourself–unless you have a few hours of free time to spare! A fabric tassel banner like this one might be a better option.}

Milestone Photo Banner

I’ve been taking monthly milestone photos of Pepper throughout the year and sharing them on Instagram. The hard work of taking those photos with a wiggly baby was done…and printing 4″ x 4″ photos at Walgreens was a piece of cake!

Then, I grabbed a set of star twinkle lights we still had hanging up since Christmas (eek!) similar to this set, strung it across the mantel, and attached the photos with mini clothespins. In lieu of twinkle lights, twine would work well, too.

I loved being able to look back over the past year to see how quickly Pepper went from being a yawning newborn to a bright-eyed, pig-tailed one-year-old!

To complete our decorate mantel, I updated our felt letterboard with the punny “Twinkle Twinkle” lyrics from Pepper’s invitation.

Twinkle twinkle little star

One-derful is what you are!

And during our Zoom Party, I was sure to give party guests a virtual party of our decorated mantel so they could “ooh” and “ahh” over cute baby Pep!

Star-Themed Eats

Because I find endless inspiration in a theme, I kept the “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” vibe going with our birthday eats!

I busted out my star cookie-cutter to make us some peanut butter pitas that all four of us could enjoy for lunch (a few may have had Nutella mixed in there, too).

Plus, I borrowed an extra tiny star cutter from my MIL (like this one) that worked great for cutting out some Colby cheese stars for an appetizer with crackers.

Most importantly, we made sure Pepper’s birthday cupcake was decorated with gold stars! We used a favorite local shop here in Orlando called Sweet by Holly that did such a wonderful job with our custom order.

I ordered two of Pepper’s cupcakes so we’d have one for the party and another for our little photo shoot the next day with the Mamarazzi!

I also ordered a fun variety of “mini-cupcakes” for the rest of us to enjoy! (I promise we shared these with others.)

I totally forgot to use the gold star cupcake flags I had purchased (womp womp). But they actually came in handy when DIY-ing a star hair-bow for my gal who refused to wear her crown. {Tee hee.}

Cupcake Smash Time!

And of course…the moment we were all waiting for during our Zoom party was Pepper’s first taste of sugary baked goodness: her cupcake smash!

We handed her the cupcake as we sang “happy birthday,” and she dove right into eating one of the gold fondant stars. Yum!

When reaching for her next bite, she got some icing on her hands, annnnd it all went downhill from there. {Tee hee.}

I learned my girl is not a happy camper with messy hands, and she was much more interested in rubbing the icing onto the balloons than eating her cupcake.

Looking at this next photo, I imagine she’s saying, “What in the world is this gooey mess on my hands and where is my fruit?”

Well, after she gave us enough signs she was done with her cupcake, we gave her some of the food she was accustomed to, and her mama gladly enjoyed Pepper’s cupcake leftovers! Nom nom nom.

Time Capsule

One of the most special party activities we had planned for Juniper’s Blooming 1st Birthday Bash was a “Time Capsule Station.” Party guests were invited to grab a pen and a piece of colorful cardstock and write a letter to the birthday gal to tucked away in a “time capsule” to be opened on her 18th birthday.

It was such a gift to Mark and me, reading those heartfelt words after Juniper’s party (as I know it will be to her one day!), and we wanted to give that same gift to Pepper. In fact, we requested that this letter be their one birthday gift to Pepper!

And to help them get started, I emailed our family the same prompts we shared at Juniper’s party:

• My first impression of you was…
• A favorite memory from this year was…
• When you grow up, I predict you’ll be…
• My prayer for you on this day is…

And I invited them to email me their responses or send them via snail mail!

If you are planning an in-person event and want to create a Time Capsule station of your own, be sure to nab the free printable download of the customizable Time Capsule sign I created. It comes in a 7 page printable pack that is FREE for all newsletter subscribers, so you can sign up HERE to download your PDF or below using the nifty sign-up box.

Mark and I each read our letters to Pepper aloud during the virtual party (here’s mine: Part 1, Part 2). And as our party guests’ letters come rolling in, it’s been so touching to read their words of love and blessing… and also anticipate Pepper reading them herself as an adult!

Now, pardon me while I grab some tissues ’cause my allergies are acting up again.

Coloring Page Party Favor

Okay, this might have been my favorite element of Pepper’s party.

Quick backstory: we had commissioned a custom coloring page of Juniper by one of our friends who happens to be a very talented artist, Diana Murray. That coloring page served as a party favor for guests, expressing our gratitude to them for celebrating Juniper’s special day with us, and giving them an opportunity for some art-therapy.

Here’s a glimpse at our Favor Station set-up at Juniper’s Blooming 1st Birthday Bash:

Though I knew I wouldn’t be able to give Pepper’s party guests a physical copy of a coloring page or a bundle of crayons, I thought it could still be fun to send them a digital copy they could print out at home!

Diana was already booked up with commissions, so I went on a hunt to try to find another artist who might be up for a coloring page collaboration.

When I came across a French illustrator named Karine on Instagram @LeLapain, I was so smitten with her whimsical renderings of little ones. I reached out to her via email not knowing if we would hear back at all.

What a surprise when Karine enthusiastically replied to say she was interested in the project!

I sent her some photos of Pepper and the party outfit we had selected… and a few days later, this magical masterpiece arrived in my inbox:

I gasped when I saw the finished page and couldn’t have been more delighted with how it turned out.

Mark and I marveled at how Karine captured Pepper’s essence so perfectly–from her eyebrows, to her little nose, to her little cheek creases. And the detail on the crown was incredible! Since Pepper refused to wear her crown on the party day, it made me all the more glad we have it captured in her coloring page. {Grin.}

The morning of our Virtual Zoom Party, I emailed the “Party Favor” to our family via email attachment, and since then, many of them have mailed us their completed coloring pages to save in Pepper’s Time Capsule.

And recently, I enjoyed a little art therapy session myself and got to re-live some of the magic of Pepper’s birthday as I painted and colored away! Here’s a one minute timelapse video of the process:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lauren Lanker | CREATIVE (@thinkingcloset) on Jun 27, 2020 at 2:17pm PDT

I highly recommend giving Karine @LeLapain a follow and reach out to her if you want to commission a custom coloring page of your own! She’s a joy to work with.

Final Reflections

Some might think it’s a bit silly to plan a birthday party for a one-year-old who won’t remember any of it–especially during a pandemic!

But honestly, I couldn’t have imagined a better outlet for my stir-crazy, quarantine energy. I’m the sort of person who loves planning at-home parties, and so even though our celebration was different than I first envisioned it, it ended up being such a memorable and meaningful event.

I mean, first of all: every single member of our immediate family was there. That has not happened since our wedding day and never with this particular group of individuals. That was so special. From Kansas to New York to Florida–some taking a break mid school-day or at work at the limestone mine–those smiling faces on the screen sent so much love our way!

Another special moment was that my Pop Pop, Pepper’s 93-year-old great-grandfather, ended our Zoom celebration with a beautiful prayer over her. That filled my heart to the brim.

I think no matter how we choose to celebrate, birthdays are a great invitation to pause and say thank you to each other and to God for our many blessings. That’s what I was reminded of this May.

And on that note, allow me to say one final thank you is to you, dear reader, for taking this time to re-live Pepper’s “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” 1st Birthday Party with me. It has brought me waves of joy all over again to share these fun, party details with you. And I hope it has brought you some twinkles of inspiration!

Where to next?

For your convenience, I’ve compiled all the Amazon links of party supplies from this post in a collection on my Amazon storefront, which you can peruse HERE.

If you’d like to check out all the fun DIY details from Juniper’s Blooming 1st Birthday Bash that I keep talking about, click HERE or the image below.

For Pepper’s 2nd birthday, we had a Puppy Paw-ty that was dog-gone fun. Check out the paw-ty details by clicking HERE or the image below.

And then, I recommend stopping by Juniper’s 2nd Birthday Party, which was Ice Cream Themed! Click HERE or the image below to treat yo’self.

For Pepper’s 3rd birthday, we had a magical “Mickey & Minnie Mouse” party. Click HERE or the image below for all the mouse-spiration.

And then you can jump HERE to Juniper’s “Madeline in Paris” themed 4th Birthday Party!

Click HERE or the image below to join us for a royally fun time at Juniper’s Princesses & Knights Golden Birthday Pool Party.

For a story-themed celebration, check out our “Anne of Green Gables” Inspired Birthday Party by clicking HERE or the image below.

*Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, The Thinking Closet may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping to support this site!