A magical birthday party…well, that is what turning three (or any age, really!) is all about! But how to plan a magical birthday party in lockdown?
My daughter Lauren had been dreaming of her birthday party for weeks before her actual birthday. She knew what decorations she wanted (unicorns and jewels!) as well as which friends (both real and imaginary!) should be invited…
I certainly wasn’t about to disappoint her if I could help it – but of course this birthday of hers would look different to other birthdays. The world we live in looks different at the moment, so how could it not?
In South Africa, we were under the strictest lockdown measures (level 5) at the time of her birthday. We were only allowed to purchase essential items from very few shops – so I knew I was going to have to get really creative to pull this party off!
But – I did – and most importantly – she loved it!
So here are my best tips for planning a magical party during lockdown…
Theme
As with all parties – deciding on the theme is key! When planning a party in lockdown – I suggest choosing an “easy” theme. An “easy” theme could either be a theme that you have a lot of things at home that you can use. Think toys, left-over party goodies and all those knick-knacks you have at home that you’ve never had a chance to use. Or an “easy” theme could be a party theme that has been done many times before…therefore there are many creative ideas available!
Decor
When planning your decor for this lockdown party – it’s time to get creative…! This is where you can really create the magic – and it’s so much easier than you think!
Start by taking out everything that you have at home that matches your theme – think pieces of ribbon, paint, toys, decor – the sky is the limit! Lay it out and see if an idea starts to take shape in your head. If not – don’t panic – there’s always Pinterest! 😉 (You can check out my Pinterest party board here for a place to start…) See how you could take some ideas that you like and make it your own….
For Lauren’s party I really liked a hanging backdrop idea as i couldn’t get a backdrop printed. To pull my idea of “unicorns & jewels” together I cut out unicorn, jewel, star and heart shapes. Next I painted them with watercolour paint to tie in with the girly, magical feel I wanted. Lastly, I just added some gold glitter to my cutouts. We had some bamboo poles from a previous party that we used to tie the cutouts on to – but you could just as easily use a branch or pole. Hang it up and you have the cutest little backdrop!
As Lauren loves wands – I decided to do a variation on a theme and create a unicorn wand. It was as easy as cutting out a unicorn head from card stock, punching holes to loop various pieces of ribbon through, adding eyes with a gold pen – and gluing it onto a golden straw. Magic – just like that!
Birthday cake
Ah – to make a birthday cake…
This isn’t a task I take lightly – as there is A LOT of work involved!
My first and most important piece of advice when making a birthday cake in lockdown is … Find a cake to make that has been made MANY times before and that you can find all over the internet.
You want a cake that has a step-by-step video (or hundred!) as well as lots of tutorials and tips.
Once you find that cake – research the heck out of it – watch all the tutorials, look at all the photos – and then just GO FOR IT! (And be sure you start in good time…!)
Eats & treats
If ever there was a time to buy goodies from a store – now is that time! I decided to make Unicorn Oreo pops to add some cute factor. (You can find the link for the tutorial that I used here). Then I bought some unicorn poop sweets (that were rather yummy!) and baby marshmallows to complete the table. I also made some little unicorn “boxes” (good old toilet rolls – painted and decorated as unicorns!) and filled them with some small sweets – and we were all set!
Don’t forget the photos…for memories
Last but certainly not least – don’t forget to grab that camera! (and preferably before everyone tucks into the cake!) Make sure you take lots of photos of the birthday boy/girl, the cake, the table, the decorations and all the treats! You want some memories to look back on – because let’s be honest, there’s nothing like a good party and capturing that magic, now is there?
A colourful and magical Boy’s Birthday party in lockdown
And – just in case you were wondering how to create a magical birthday party in lockdown for a boy …
My son also celebrated his 7th birthday party in lockdown!
I followed the same tips as I did for my daughter’s party above – and threw him a “game” party based on Rubik’s cubes and UNO… it was sooo much fun! The bright and bold colours were so cheerful and happy!
My theme for his party revolved around a Rubik’s cube – as that was the cake that he set his heart on. I love the bright, playful and vibrant colours!
After that it was easy as I knew I was looking for decor with bright and vibrant colours.
I had some brightly coloured brick containers from a previous LEGO party which were just perfect to use on the table!
I bought Wine gums and placed them in the brick containers. Then I added Fizzpop suckers, as well as a slab of Smartie Chocolate for each place setting (a full slab of chocolate is one of my son’s favourite things! 😉) I also made some red and green jelly (jello) which is always a winner in our house!
Luckily a few sweets and treats go a long way when the guest list is just family! 😉
Some bright balloons hanging from the chandelier and some UNO cards on the table completed the look – and it was GAME ON for a magical birthday party in lockdown!
Why not check out my post on Party planning made easy! while you’re here…?