A Peter Rabbit themed garden party was the perfect way to take our little girl’s birthday celebration outdoors. Thankfully, luck was on our side and the weather delivered us glorious sunshine.
It’s no secret that a first birthday is as much a momentous occasion for the parents and family as it is for your one year old. Throwing a little party to mark our baby’s first birthday was definitely a milestone we wanted to celebrate. It was fun to plan and we opted for a relaxed and intimate gathering in the garden. No doubt, she’ll tell us what she wants in years to come, right?
Esme celebrated turning one with family and friends, making precious memories, dancing to music, waving balloons and eating cake! By the end of the afternoon we had a lot of happy bunnies and a sleepy one in her cot. So, who wants to be whisked off into the adorable world of Beatrix Potter? Hop along then…
A Peter Rabbit Theme
It can be helpful to select party details with a theme in mind but of course you don’t need one. A Peter Rabbit garden party was an easy choice for Esme’s first birthday as she adores being in the garden and loves Peter Rabbit. Just twelve months ago, Daddy welcomed Esme home with a Flopsy bunny and I handed over my childhood Beatrix Potter book collection. Now it’s the only TV show to stop Esme in her tracks!? She dances to the pre-titles music, in fact, we all do ;).
Quickly inspired by this famous bunny, we got thinking about how we could bring Mr McGregor’s garden into This Home and enjoy what’s right in front of us. Using our very our own raised beds and veggie patch did just that. The backdrop of our kitchen garden acted as the perfect setting for Esme’s Peter Rabbit themed birthday party.
Again, using the garden provided a way to tie all the party elements together and create that rustic look. Also, using the decorative touches to echo the colours in the garden worked well too.
Party Decorations
It was very budget-friendly as we could use a lot of items we already had. A lot of the props and décor we’d kept from our wedding and with a little imagination they came in extremely useful.
A Peter Rabbit theme means you can use garden items to add charm to your table. The plant pots double up as quirky decorations and a practical one to display straws and cutlery.
We refreshed the chalkboard and photo frame from our wedding. Here, we used the frame to display memories of our little girl’s first year. Personal items grow with us too if you hold onto them long enough.
Next, a fresh lick of chalkboard paint and any excuse for a creative doodle. The message was a jolly greeting to welcome everyone. You’ll see here, that my daughter shares her birthday with her grandpa. Hence, we were celebrating two birthdays! Thankfully, dad likes Peter Rabbit as well!?
What Peter Rabbit party would be complete without Peter’s jacket hanging in the veggie garden? It was a really simple idea that brings the Beatrix Potter illustration to life. We used two big sticks from the garden and tied them together and Peter kindly left his jacket behind, cheers Peter!
Artificial garlands and flowers from the garden and hedgerows added decoration to the food table. A bunch of Peter Rabbit’s favourite vegetables were picked from the kitchen garden to create an interesting arrangement. These were enhanced beautifully by some supermarket peonies, adding fluffy pink colour to the flower displays.
Lanterns, bunting, balloons and paper decorations brightened up the garden to look more party ready. The tablecloth and napkins are from Sainsburys and add to the floral garden feel. They always have such cute supplies for parties and are extremely reasonable. All the Peter Rabbit signs and cake toppers are from Ebay and they brought Peter Rabbit and his friends to life at This Home Grows.
Party Food
We went for every rabbits favourite veggie, the carrot stick! Plus, cucumber and tomato’s as healthy snacks for all the party bunnies, adults and children included.
Lots of sandwiches, homemade sausage rolls, crisps, cheeses and other finger foods for everyone to enjoy. Plus, bubbles for the adults! All the food was served in bowls and these garden herb planters (to be used next in the greenhouse!) lined with paper. Our IKEA chopping boards worked very well as serving trays and fitted in with the rustic table setting.
The Cake
Importantly, the birthday girl loves fruit and I mean it when I say she luurrrvvess fruit. In fact, Esme often points to the fridge during dinner time for her fill of raspberries and blueberries. Again, to keep the rustic garden feel and to tie in with Mr McGregor’s garden, we decided on a homemade sponge cake topped with summer fruits.
The simple and all-time classic; Victoria Sponge with raspberry filling and buttercream topping. Completed by piling blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and sprigs of mint on top. Dad didn’t mind a quick turnaround on candles for another round of Happy Birthday singing to save making two cakes.
My mum made delicious cup cakes and they were an easy one to add to everyone’s party favours for the trip home…
Party Favours
Don’t forget your goody bag! The party was mostly adults with a small number of children. I wanted to thank everyone for being part of our little girl’s first year.
For the adults, I bought these small terracotta pots from B&Q to fill with seeds (only 0.49p each) to grow their own herbs or veggies. The lining paper was handmade with The English Stamp Company stamp and I added a mini garden tool to help our guests pot up.
I made personalised tags to tie and added these very reasonable Peter Rabbit stickers that I had printed with Esme’s name on. Aren’t they cute? I always look to Etsy for unique pieces and enjoy buying from small creative shops to support growing businesses. A potted gift with everything needed to grow a long with us.
For Esme’s little guests, I filled little pastel-coloured paper bags with goodies. As there was only a small number of children and all different ages, I tried to personalise for each one. Not something I intend to keep up for every party ;). Examples include a wooden wind chime, bubbles, book, hair clips and toy cars! The personalised stickers, tissue paper and brown tags finished these off. They didn’t cost a lot and I hear they went down well with the children :).
A Hoppy Time!
Everyone had fun celebrating Esme’s first (& Grandpa’s sixty-first) birthday in a Peter Rabbit themed garden party. We wanted the influences to be subtle and I think we achieved this whilst enjoying the day outdoors in the sunshine.
Esme, you really do sparkle! I can’t remember time without you. You’re the cheekiest little girl with a smile that lights up a room. And your dance moves are already better than daddy’s! Happy first birthday my darling, we love you more than you will ever know!
Now run along, and don’t get into mischief.
Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter.
Esme’s Peter Rabbit birthday party was a real family effort and we loved it. Namely this one was meaningful as our daughters first. Yet, to simply host a special occasion outdoors for our little girls first birthday with family and friends was beyond special. In a time of uncertainty, that was enough to make the day a time of celebration. It’s about being together.
Whilst not essential, choosing a few simple ideas, add some tableware and well-placed decorations can make a party feel that extra bit special. Are you creating a themed party? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Thanks for reading and happy growing folks.
Hols x