My First DIY Monster Party (The Finale)

If you've stuck with me this long, here is the final photo gallery of my son's 1-year-old monster-themed birthday party! I didn't originally plan to make such a big deal out of it, but it ended up being such a wonderful day, celebrating with many of our close friends and family.

For invitations, I decided to skip out on personal mailers and just used an Evite to spread the news. Unfortunately, several people had technical difficulties RSVPing, so next year I may use Facebook or another method.

The party was actually on a Saturday, but we did limit the time to 2 hours to accommodate for naptimes.

For decorations, the poster board monster cutouts we made really brought the party theme together. Balloons, streamers, banners, and DIY tissue paper pom-poms were also hung up around the house.

Decorations on the floor, waiting to be hung up

To complete the party scene, K chose the perfect background music – a cheerful but not too kiddy Ultra-Lounge album.


I thought it'd be fun for us to dress up in monster-themed clothing, so we encouraged our guests to do so as well. Most people didn't, but there were a few parents who actually obliged us. :)

Dexter's outfit was slightly preppy but still fit the monster theme. Other kids went all out with their costumes. :)

To entertain the young kids, we placed a giant toy chest indoors (which also served as a childproofing obstacle in front of the TV) and various activity stations outside (such as the incredibly popular kiddie pool full of toys).

Oops, didn't think that the kids would actually try to get in the pool. O_O

We served a buffet of toddler-friendly finger foods that were not only delicious but also relatively mess free (mmm, pigs in the blanket). Dexter really enjoyed his smash cake –  the one-eyed monster cupcakes.

I think Dexter's birthday wish was for a bigger mouth so he can stuff in more cake at a time.

For party favors, we set up an "Adopt-a-monster" box, so that the kids could take home their very own crochet monster plushies. A couple of the adults in attendance even asked if they could have one as well, so I guess they were a big hit! :)

The party was a huge success! If you're interested in doing something similar, I would say it took us a week of preparation and a total budget of about $60:

• $30 for food and snacks
• $20 for decorations, disposable tableware, and kids' games (courtesy of the Dollar Store)
• $3 for Walgreens photos of Dexter that we used as thank you cards

Thanks to all you old and new readers who have been here supporting me throughout Dexter's first year. I was packing away some of his old onesies and I can't believe he used to be that tiny. We're so blessed by God to have him in our lives! :)

Dexter - 1 day old

Dexter - 1 year old