A few weeks ago I blogged about an old fashioned backyard carnival party I was planning for my daughter's 4th birthday...thought you might all like to see the final results...
- handmade flag bunting set the scene...I cut and sewed a LOT of flags and stitched them to yards of vintage grosgrain ribbon that I already had in my stash
- vintage mason jars from the thrift store held pink garden roses in abundance
- thrift-store tablecloth tied my colors together on the table
- thrift-store apothecary jars filled with circus animal cookies and taffy added height and color to the table
- drinks banner inspired by this post from A Field Journal
FOOD:
- corn dogs standing at attention in recycled styrofoam blocks that I taped together and covered with paper and fabric scraps.
- BBQ chicken sliders with Asian slaw
- shoestring and sweet potato fries in handmade paper cones (see video below for how to make paper cones)
- buttery grilled sweet corn
- mini strawberry shortcakes with farm stand berries and homemade scones
- fresh lemonade with lemon slices and striped paper straws - I originally wanted to serve lemonade in individual mason jars but ran out of time to thrift them. (STRAWS! I featured these straws in my previous post about this party and when I went to buy some they were sold out. I contacted the seller to find out if she had more and when I mentioned that I had featured them on my blog she was so sweet she sent me these straws and another set at no charge! Many thanks to Carrie at CDK Designs for being such a sweetheart!! Be sure to visit her Etsy shop for LOTS of cute party supplies!)
- Not shown: a large metal chest full of iced beer and old fashioned sodas (vanilla cream, black cherry and orange creme)
- rings for the ring toss were made with discarded silk flower stems from my bridal business that I stripped of leaves, bent into rings, secured with duct tape and then wrapped with scraps of fabric and ribbon leftover from my flag bunting.
- the can toss was 6 recycled cans and a ball we had on hand.
- the sacks for the races were vintage pillowcases from my stash...easy to find at thrift stores.
- tickets were "awarded" to the kids just for playing...they redeemed them at the end for their goody bags. I saved them as a PDF, so you can print your own on 8.5 x 11" sheets...just cut them into strips and then use your zig-zag scissors on the ends. :)
All in all, it was a wonderful party...the flag bunting is still up over the deck...too cute to take down, but when it does come down, I will be hanging some of it in my daughter's bedroom. I am also happy to say that I was able to pull this off with almost 100% recycled/compostable waste. I intentionally served food that did not need plates. The napkins, paper cones and food waste were compostable. Beer & soda bottles, plastic cups & spoons for the shortcake were recycled. Hope you enjoyed the party too and found some inspiration for your next event. You can see larger photos and more description in this Flickr set.
XOXO, Cindi
Comments