How to style your child’s birthday party
Tips from a pro party stylist
Achild’s first birthday will always merit a celebration. Whether it’s going to be a simple and intimate affair, or a huge and lavish party, decorations will always be in order. If you think that décor is on the frivolous side—meaning, you don’t really need it as much as food or guests—bear in mind that a properly styled party sets a festive mood for all guests concerned, the birthday celebrant included.
If you wish to get more involved with the party styling and get your DIY side up and running, here are a few tips from pro party stylist Janus Gonzales, proprietor of Janus Partyworks.
1.Research, research, research— and give yourself a lot of time for execution
Online tutorial videos on how to style your own children’s party are all over the internet, and Janus is a-okay with that. “It’s really a fun experience to create your own décor,” he says, “My most important advice for them is to pour in a lot of time, patience, and persistence. Art entails a lot of time—that is where love for the work grows.”
2. Start with a theme
More than displaying your child’s current obsession over a cartoon character, color, or what not, a theme helps reign in your ideas and focus. Parents oftentimes already know what the theme of the party would be, but Janus says that he lends a helping hand as well if the parents need it. “I always tell my clients that whatever theme that is, there will always be ways to possibly create a design from that,” he says. “Sometimes when a client doesn’t have an idea on the theme, I then suggest something I have never done before. We will both benefit from it.” Originality makes your party more memorable.
3. Stick to pastel colors and cartoon-ish images
Janus says that there’s a big difference when styling for kids of different ages. “Whatever the theme is, christenings should always look heavenly. When kids have their seventh birthday party, it’s a little more of the basic colors and the designs are more realistic and bold. First birthday parties, meanwhile, are visually tasteful, an outburst of colors in mostly pastel but festive, and images are cartoonish.”
4. Make Styrofoam cutouts your best friend
DIY-ing your own lettering or cartoon characters out of Styrofoam is also an affordable way to breathe more style into your party. Janus admits that he cannot live without Styrofoam cutouts. “They are the life of a party stylist!” he says. “Our designs are 50 percent styrofoam, and the rest are balloons, wooden posts, and backdrops.”
5. Keep the décor stylish yet safe
A children’s party will obviously have a lot more kids than you’ve ever imagined under one roof, and it will definitely be chaotic and prone to accidents. Janus cannot stress the importance of safety when it comes to styling. “We make sure that all our props are well fixed in their position,” he says. “I always let four people from my staff watch over the whole venue during the entire event to advise children on what areas to avoid. So far, never in our history has an accident ever happened.” If you’re looking into styling your own children’s party, think of the party as an extension of your baby-proofed home—no sharp edges, no small parts that can pose as a choking hazard, and nothing heavy that can fall on and injure unsuspecting children.
DIY décor is time-consuming, but fulfilling when done right and with a whole lot of love. If you would wish to mix in your DIY décor alongside Janus’ expertise, you may contact him at Janus Partyworks, 6356 657 8317; 6399 942 7997; janusmercado@yahoo.com. Facebook/janusstyling; Instagram/@januspartyworks.