Though he’s still a couple of weeks shy of his seventh birthday, we celebrated the PCP with friends and family at a bowling bash yesterday!
Most all of the party ware came from Party City. I made all of the stickers, labels and invitations.
I made the bowling pin cookies earlier in the week and baked them with sticks inserted into the backs of each one. I iced them white and cut pull apart Twizzlers to make the stripes. I gently pressed them into the wet icing and they held just fine. The black gumball “bowling balls” were a lucky find in the 80% off Halloween clearance bucket at Michael’s. I had Publix make the cupcakes since I was so tied up with the making of the cookies.
We decorated the three tables the same way we did the cake table – with wrapping paper table clothes and balloons.
I made little activity books for the down time and the boys had a great time with them. I’m pretty sure we would have had some swinging from the light fixtures by the end of the party if we didn’t have these to occupy those last twenty minutes. Personalized and non-personalized versions of these activity books are available in my etsy shop!
Even the ball return was decorated with a pennant banner reading “John is 7!”
Mother was a complete doll (as usual) and made these darling shirts for all the boys. It took me ten trips to Michael’s to buy them all with 40% off coupons but made for a precious party favor at under $3 a piece TOTAL. Now that we’ve reached an age where some party goers are dropped off, I also wanted to be sure all of our boys were easy to spot in the bowling alley. These turquoise shirts did just that!
After singing “Happy Birthday” and blowing out his sparkler candle, the littles settled down for cake and ice cream! Mother stamped wooden spoons with Js and we tied those to the tops of ice cream cups with a couple of strands of striped twine.
Sources:
Invitations – my etsy shop
Personalized and non-personalized activity books – my etsy shop
Polka dot and 7 balloons – Party City
Red and white wrapping paper cut to table clothes – Party City
Striped popcorn boxes – Oriental Trading
Red buckets – Party City (saved from the baby’s Mickey Mouse party)
Polka dot napkins – Party City
Plates, cutlery and paper cups – Dollar Tree
Polks dot tissue paper – Hobby Lobby (also saved from the baby’s Mickey Mouse Party)
Cake stands – Martha Stewart line from Macy’s (I’ve had them for a few years but think they still carry them.)
#7 sparkler candle – Party City
Red star balloons – Dollar Tree
Glass bottles (filled with marshmallows) – Ikea (I use these a lot for serving water at parties.)
Striped straws – Pick Your Plum
Bowling pin cookie cutter – CheapCookieCutters.com
Wooden ice cream spoons – Michael’s
I’m so glad that Sister reminded us to take a family pic before we left!!! As always, I couldn’t have pulled this shin dig off without help from her, Mother, Daddy-O and Honey.
As soon as we got home, the PCP requested to open his gifts on the porch. He faired well with all sorts of legos and beyblades and books and gift cards and toys and even a slime making kit!
It was a splendid celebration honoring one of my most favorite kids in the world :-) I’m off to bed…feeling exceedingly grateful for the last six years and thankful that I’ve got a couple more weeks to get used to the number “SEVEN”!!
xoxo
Flattered for the feature at House of Hepworths!
Find me at: My and My Insanity and The CSI Project
OMG! You are God send. My 3.5 year old is obsessed with bowling and wants a bowling party. I was stressing about adding special touches to a pretty sterile environment. Not to mention this is 1 of 3 parties (each for a different child) I have to orchestrate within a matter of 3 weeks! I'm off to Michaels tomorrow in hopes of finding those Halloween gumballs still hanging out:)
Most of all, Happy Birthday to the special lil man who made you a Mommy!!!
Amelia
It takes great talent to make a bowling alley look so cute! What does you Mother use to put the bowling pins on the shirt? It it the super strong heat n bond that you don't have to sew or does she sew around each one. I've always wondered if the no-sew kind does okay in the washing machine. Thanks!
what an awesome party! your kids are super lucky to have such a sweet and creative mommy! i do have to ask though, where do you find the time for all of your creativeness???
You did a super job again, Amanda. I love all of your details. He'll remember these parties always.
My 8 yr. old has had a bowling party for the last 3 years in a row! I think he has started his own tradition, as he wants to go bowling for his 9th birthday in January! Haha. This is pretty much the only time we ever bowl, too!
I have had some cute birthday decor…but you have definitely got me beat! I found the mini bowling sets that are sort of glass/ceramic with the pins and ball at Dollar Tree and gave those out as party favors(along with a lollipop or candy) and also had a birthday cake made with the kit. I had Publix make a sheet cake that looked like a bowling lane (wooden lane…sounds crazy…but looked great and pretty authentic) and placed the mini pins and ball on the lane. It turned out super cute!
Stumbled across your blog several weeks ago…love it! Love your new porch, too! I'm just up the road in Greenville, SC. We come to Atlanta a few times a year..maybe to a Braves game, to the Aquarium, but for me…mostly to shop. Any hidden home decor shopping gems(with good deals!) that only a local would know? :)
Would you be willing to share your bowling printables/templates? Thanks!
This party is adorable! You did a great job! :)
Amanda, I LOVE every thing you did! What a great idea to have the activity books to keep them busy…because you know how quickly a group of boys can get crazy! The t-shirts are an adorable touch and the perfect party favor! I have to start planning my almost 9 year old's party! How fast they grow up!
-Shelley
is it wrong that i'm focusing on what a nice, like, actually nice, bowling alley that looks like?
i had my boyfriend's surprise 30th birthday at a bowling alley-i wish i saw your post with those great cookies before! looks like it was a great party!
sooo cute! I think that we are leaning toward the bowling route for my son's 7th birthday in January… I've been trying to figure out how I can lug my big birthday backdrop board to the bowling alley! love the activity printables and the shirts…great idea with the wrapping paper, too! :)
You made a boring bowling alley look beautiful! All the kids, especially the birthday boy, clearly loved it!
Is there any chance you would share, or sell, the printables you created? My son is planning a bowling party and I can't find anything iin the stores that is even half as nice as what you made.
Kudos to you!!
Amazing! You are incredibly creative and each celebration is perfection, down to each tiny detail. :) I know your Mom and sister help too but the ideas have to originate somewhere, right?
When I see the special touches you do for the kids, it makes my heart swell. You are creating such beautiful memories for them and I applaud you for that. There are so many things that kids remember, some you will be "What? You remember ________?" when they're older. They are very fortunate to have parents like you two…and yes, you are extremely blessed!
xo
Pat
Maggie – She uses the strong heat n bond and then does sew around it. We've found that it really isn't as strong as it claims… especially with fabrics like felt and burlap. She used white felt for the pin and red grosgrain ribbons for the stripes. Hope that helps :-)
What a FUN party and stinking cute kiddos. I bet they had a blast! Austin used to bowl and they always had such fun :)
That is so creative!! I'm stopping by from 52 Mantels blog hop.
Thanks
Angie
godsgrowinggarden.com
Such an awesome idea for the party!! Love it!!
What a great day and I love all the decorations! Especially the cupcakes! :)
Cute party!! You included lots of fun details! It sure looks like fun was had by all!!!
Oh my goodness gracious, that's the BEST bowling alley party I've EVER seen! So impressed! Pinning and saving for later; my son is obsessed with bowling too. Thanks for sharing at Shine on Fridays!
How did I miss this post last week? Love it!!!! My boys ( almost 5/12!!!) are abt to have their first ever shared bday party at a gymnastics place…. I am working w/ orange and turquoise and trying to " cute" up the gym :) while keeping it age appropriate and honoring their big age differences at the same time …:) no easy feat but I'm making good progress! Thanks as always for awesome inspiration!!!!!
My daughter had a bowling party when she turned 7. I know how hard it is to make it cute and stylish and not cheesy…NICE JOB! I want to do it all over again after seeing your party stuff!!