Ladybug Decorations for a First Birthday Party

You're hosting your first birthday party for your 1-year-old, and you're trying to come up with a theme. You're also a do-it-yourself-er who loves tackling all of the decorating projects associated with birthday parties. Ladybugs are an ideal birthday theme for the DIY party planner, and the ideas are fun to carry out.

Set the mood for your ladybug-themed party by decorating the outside area of your home where guests will enter the party. Entwine black and red streamers around the doorway, porch columns, overhangs, stair rails and banisters. Attach red and black balloons to your mailbox and front door to let guests know that this is the place for the ladybug party. Finally, as guests arrive, greet them at the door with ladybug headbands that are simple to create by using headband forms wrapped in red felt, black pipe cleaners (antennae) and foam balls painted with black poster paint (tops of antennae). When placing headbands on babies and very small children, make sure adults are carefully supervising.

Before the party, baby-proof the entire space so that the area is safe for very young guests. To set the mood in the main party space, hang a banner across a wall or doorway that says, "Happy Birthday to our Little Bugger!" Create the sign using white paper, black and red paint and ladybug felt shapes that are available at most craft stores. Buy red and black poster board and plenty of black pipe cleaners to make your own crawling ladybugs to hang on party walls and doors. Borrow or purchase inexpensive ladybug-stuffed animals to place around the room. To really add pizazz to your ladybug party, dress up the birthday guest of honor in a ladybug costume (available at party stores and costume shops). Better yet, dress up the family pet. This is a real hit with children.

Finger foods are appropriate for a first birthday party, especially if most of the guests are adults watching their small children and babies. Continue the ladybug theme by serving chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies decorated with red frosting and black spots. Place dishes of red and black jelly beans and other candies throughout the room. Serve food on red and black paper plates. For a clever twist on drinks, pour red punch into clear plastic glasses. Then place two black straws into the cups as antennae.

Ask a bakery to design a birthday cake in the shape of a ladybug, using red and black frosting. Request the same "Happy Birthday to Our Little Bugger" phrase that you used on the party banner as your cake greeting. Even if the guest of honor is too young for cake, the adult guests at the party will love this whimsical touch to your ladybug theme.

Cover tables with red felt. Then glue black felt spots to the red felt to make one-of-a-kind ladybug tablecloths. Then fill red handle bags with black jelly beans to use as weights for holding up red and black balloon centerpieces. For place mats, cut out large leaves from green felt. Place a little ladybug-stuffed toy on each leaf for guests to use as party favors.