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I love that very simple DIY cakestand!

While I think it IS beautiful, I resent the pressure to make birthday parties so perfect and well-designed. Last year, at our daughter's 3rd birthday party, we were introduced to the concept of the goody bag, and despite our attempts to keep things sane and reasonable, my husband, the very voice of fiscal reason, wound up spending $100 on candy for the goody bags. Sheer insanity. I respectfully submit that designing a colour coordinated centrepiece such as this puts you on the slippery slope towards the kind of birthday party we endured last year. If you have a perfect centrepiece, you need the perfect cake -- or cupcakes as in this case. And they need to be matched by the party favors, and the decorations inside and outside. And then the birthday girl needs a lovely dress. And of course, mommy must keep up! And you have to send out lovely invitations too.... and so on, and so on...

This DIY centerpiece cake looks nice. The first birthday celebrations seem quite reasonable to me. This is a perfect example of making special decorations without spending a lot of money. It's cute and fun for a little girl!

So I am sorry Monika but I think you are exaggerating a little bit. A birthday is important enough to dress nicely but you do not need to get a new outfit for that.

Let's forget the goody bags that are not an obligation like you said. But celebrating our loved ones birthdays with some kind of style should never become a chore. We only have one life to live. I feel that we can indulge ourselves at our birthdays. Creativity, not money, makes the difference with Carolyn’s birthday table.

Well these pictures were attributed to Carolyn, but she is only 13 months old. I am her mother, and responsible for the party.
It was just a little party that I planned two days prior. I didn't send invitations, and there were no goody bags. I am economically challenged, so the budget was tiny. I do love pretty things, and loath all the character ( Dora, Sponge Bob) decorated party goods that seem to flood all kids' parties. I just wanted something original and inexpensive. All the flowers I made by cutting and twisting tissue paper, I was able to make about 80 flowers (this WAS time consuming, but I did it while I watched Grey's Anatomy) from one multi-color package of tissue which I bought at Walgreen's Drug Store ($3.99). I made the cupcakes from boxed cake mix (2 for $3), and frosted them with easy homemade frosting which I added different shades of food-coloring to. The marshmallows were from the dollar store. The solid pink napkins and paper plates were also dollar store finds. I wrapped her gifts in solid color paper which I had stored under the bed, and put a few of the paper flowers on top.

My Carolyn is just one, so preparing for this little party was so much fun... it was the first chance I've ever had to throw a party as a MOTHER! I'm really COMPLIMENTED that Monica thinks this extravagant, because it was so inexpensive. Really this is the type of party that girls of my mother's generation in the 1950's grew up with. Homemade cakes, homemade decorations, just the neighbor girls attending. It's really pretty humble, compared to the rented clowns, bakery cakes, and inflatable bouncers that are staples of many contemporary childrens parties.

By the way, she did have a beautiful pale pink linen party dress with a tulle petticoat from Baby Zara, but I found it at a THIFT STORE($3.50)!

Beauty is not inaccessible to those of modest means! I think that many of you AT readers are of the same school of thought.

this WAS time consuming, but I did it while I watched Grey's Anatomy
I love that this looks great, both on a financial budget AND a time budget. The latter always stresses me out every time.

Did you work out how to create the flowers by yourself, or did you have instructions? I'm craft-challenged but that looks like something I could do if I can only figure out how it was done!

I worked out the idea of the flowers myself. Here's how it goes;
1.Take a perfect square (more or less) of tissue and fold it over once, then again, so that you have a small square exactly 1/4 the size of the original.
2.With scissors round out,put a point or even scallops on the loose side of the (the side where all four layers end) little square.
3.Unfold and twist between fingers the "center of flower".

I got good and started layering different size papers/colors,
so I was able to make different types of flower petals. As I progressed I even put flower 'stamens' in the flowers. You'll see once you get started, it's easy to figure out.

So many ideas have blossomed in my head as to future uses of these flowers (they are stashed away under the bed). I was thinking about stringing them to make Lei (flower necklaces) for a Hawaiian theme. I could put them on top of a cake as decoration. I will use them on gift boxes/bags instead of ribbon. I might pour them out en masse on the bed or floor and plop my daughter down in them for photo shoot. I might dab a bit of hot glue and adhere them to a barrette.

It is also a simple and relatively clean kids' craft idea .(provided you have a vacuum handy, for all the tissue bits)

dear carolyn's mom...

what a lovely, gracious note to accompany your lovely, charming birthday decoration photos. a very inspiring and cheering way to begin the day! thanks for sharing...

best,
phoebe

Thanks ladies, you make me feel good.

Excellent! Carolyn is so fortunate to have such a creative mom. Love, Grandma Barbara

Thanks, Carolyn's Mom. I think those flowers are well within my craft-impaired abilities. :-D