I am the type of parent that likes to do crafty stuff. For my son’s 1st birthday party, I wanted to ensure everyone knew he was the birthday boy. I, of course, looked around on the internet for fun pictures. I found one I thought was fun and put my spin on it. This is what I did for my son’s 1st birthday invite.
- I used two old sheets for the backdrop. You need old sheets to do this because it gets messy.
- I positioned it so that both sheets acted as one big backdrop. Some of it was on the floor, and some or most of it was behind him. I needed to have it held up by something, so we used a couple of ladders. Two utility clamps fastened it onto the ladder, creating a vertical backdrop.
- “For abeyance, I blew up some balloons, and lucky for me, my husband has a helium tank, but you can get helium balloons at your local party store. I found blue balloons with the #1 and Happy Birthday on them. Balloons can also be purchased at the local party supply store. I have seen them at Wal-Mart or Target, just check the birthday cards. Arrange the balloons at different levels around the backdrop. This formed the backdrop for my son’s picture.
- I added a spotlight for more light in the room. It was not a professional spotlight but an automotive spotlight that my husband had in the garage. When taking a digital picture, you want to ensure enough light in the room. Adding too much light will cause dark shadows, so play around with the lighting.
- I bought a hat for him, it was a little something that I was going to have him wear for his party, but thought he looked cute in it.
- The most important thing, besides the birthday boy, was the cake. It was a one-tier cake I bought at the local grocery store. You can make one, but for all of the effort necessary to have it look great, it’s just easier to buy one. I know it is a little cheaper to make it, but time is money too.
Those are all of the things you will need to do the photoshoot. Now, for the pictures. We stripped him down to his diaper because, frankly, it was cuter. Also, I did not have to get more cake into his hair when I needed to take off his shirt. Something to remember at the birthday party. It’s cute to see them full of cake, but it’s just more messy later for me to clean up.
When he was down to the diaper, I plopped him onto the sheet and tried to get him to stay there until I brought the cake out. He sat still because he had no idea what was going on. When I put the cake in front of him, there was no hesitation. He dug right in.
By the time I was done taking pictures he was full of cake and needed to take a bath after. However, it was worth it. Make sure that the bigger part of the sheet covers the floor because you DO NOT want cake frosting on the carpet. Unless you’re getting new carpet, which I wasn’t.
Well, that is how I did my own DIY photoshoot. I hope that this encourages you to do your own 1st birthday party invites. It was fun for me and my husband, and hopefully, it will be fun for you, too.
I have an extra invitation set aside for my son when he gets engaged, just to show his fiancé. Oh, what fun I will have showing off this picture and remembering the memories made that day.
About the Author
Michelle Obrochta is a mother of two boys, a wife to an entertainer, and runs a balloon business. Planning is a passion of Michelle’s, and she is always quick to volunteer to help in planning an event, participate in a school function, or help make the event special.
