DIY Birthday Projects

(This is another long overdue post 🙂 )

My daughter Bea Lauren just adores Dora and so I thought a Dora theme would be in order for her 3rd birthday. Unlike her 1st and 2nd birthday where you couldn’t really tell what she likes and so you kind of just wing it and choose what’s popular or what you (the mommy) likes. Her first birthday was a ‘strawberry shortcake’ theme. Personally, I think the first birthdays (especially if you have a baby girl), are influenced by what mommy wants for her daughter? Right? lol.

This time, I made sure she was the one having fun, not me. Dora it is. I made a few DIY projects though to satisfy myself, hee! hee!

The Candy Tower

I made a Candy Tower using some round styrofoam in different sizes. You can easily find them in craft stores. Here in Cebu, you can get them at National bookstore or at Caro and Marie where i get my stuffs for baking. You may also use paper plates and paper cups. I used styrofoam cylinders as stands. Start at the bottom with the biggest round styrofoam. I used the small cylinder styrofoams as base. I just covered the sides with ribbons. I borrowed some of Bea’s very tiny Dora and Boots toys as toppers together with Bea’s cupcake pick. (If anyone’s interested to make this, let me know so I can make a tutorial).

I bought colorful candies and chocolates and arranged them on the tower. I bought that tree cake decoration from Caro and Marie. There you have it, my Candy Tower.

The Cake

Nope, sorry to disappoint you, I didn’t bake this. I wish I could make cakes this pretty. I got this from my favorite pastry shop in Cebu, La Marea. They make the best-tasting warm brownie cup, mmmmmm!

Few people know this but they also make the prettiest children’s cakes and cupcakes. The Dora candle (she’s holding a balloon) and the Happy Birthday candles I got from Party City in Baltimore. Yep, all the way from York Road, Baltimore  just for my Bea. Thanks to my good friends Heidi and Sherwin who accompanied me to Party City a couple of days before my flight coming back to Cebu. While I was busy rummaging through all the Dora party essentials like the cupcake tower, loot bags, etc., the two were busy clowning around, trying out the halloween costumes. Party City has everything, ad I mean everything. I wish we had Party City here in Cebu. Oh well, we have Colon and Carbon anyways. Nothing can top that, lol!

The Cupcake Tower

I just bought cupcakes from our neighborhood cake shop and told them I wanted icing swirls in Dora colors: purple, pink and yellow.

The Cupcake Picks

I’m no good with Photoshop and so I kept bugging my husband to make a simple cupcake pick design with my daughter’s picture in front. I had it printed in The Red Tag. That’s where I get almost everything printed from the cupcake picks to the invitations. Even for my wedding cords in Marryl & Lauren. It’s fairly cheap there, plus I get to choose what paper I want. I used C2S for the invitation.

What many of my family and friends don’t know is that Bea was born on our first wedding anniversary. Yessireee! Double celebration indeed and so the name Bea Lauren which is Latin for bringer of joy. Every time Bea celebrates her birthday, we also celebrate our wedding anniversary.

I thought what better way to tell people about this little trivia was to put it in the cupcake pick. The other side of the cupcake picks look like this.

I arranged the cupcakes on a Dora cupcake tower that I also got from Party City. It’s very durable and could hold about 24 cupcakes. Aren’t those cupcake picks just the cutest or what? 🙂

I arranged them on a long rectangular table with the cake, cupcake tower, candy tower and the loot boxes. Those Dora loot boxes I got from Party City also (they should pay me with this free advertising, lol!). I filled them with lots of candies and toys.

I know a little balloon art since I’ve been to ballon art seminars before but I knew my hands would be full with all the preparation so I called my tutor ( a ballon twister) and asked him to help me out with the animal balloons for the little ones. I had a few long balloons left from that so we just twisted three long balloons and tied them in the middle with some 5 inch balloons and formed a small flower. Fairly simple, yet adds color to the table centerpiece.

A children’s birthday party in the Philippines won’t be complete without a hotdog with marshmallows. I do’nt know why, but kids just like to eat hotdogs. The hotdogs here in the Philippines aren’t your usual pale brown and bland. It’s red, juicy and tasty and my favorite is Purefoods (I’m beginning to sound like I’m advertising and promoting some products. I wish they’d give me freebies for mentioning them 🙂 ). I just placed them on a styrofoam and covered it with crepe papers to make it look festive.

The birthday banner was of course Dora and Bea designed by my hubby (done haphardly 😦 was too busy with work). But the invitation made me smile. I wanted it like a ticket and with Dora colors of course. I think it came out well.

The Pabitin

Pabitin (to dangle) is a popular game in the Philippines during birthdays. It makes use of bamboo sticks that are criss-crossed framework with candies and toys attached to the sticks. It is suspended in the air with a string. It can be lowered or raised quickly and the children gather under the Pabitin and take as many toys and goodies as they can. It’s so easy to make. Just get some bamboo sticks and cover them with foil to make it look bright and safe for the kids. You wouldn’t want anyone getting splinters. You can also buy them at Hannahs (just the frame). I bought my candies and toys at Hannahs. You can also ask the lady at the counter for some pre-cut crepe papers and attach them to the bamboo sticks to add color to your Pabitin. The kids enjoy this game a lot. Of course, the birthday girl gets to pick a toy first, haha!

I would say the best part of the party is being with family and friends and sharing good food and good memories. Aren’t we a happy bunch?

That’s my little girl.