How to Style a ‘Two Wild’ Party Animal birthday party (Rya Turns 2!)
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I can’t believe our wild little girl is TWO! In some ways the past year flew by, but I’m also celebrating moving onto the next stage (goodbye endless nights of teething!) I had so much fun putting together a “Two Wild” party animal–themed celebration for Rya’s second birthday ~ and by “party animal,” I mean toddlers running around amped up on cake and presents while I tried to keep the wind from whisking everything away. 😅 It was as chaotic as any good kids’ party, but luckily the sun was shining and the kids could run around outside all evening. I didn’t want to go too over-the-top with the budget or the stress, but I still love making things feel special with thoughtful details. It turned out to be such a fun day filled with family, friends, sunshine, and just the right amount of animal print. Scroll to the bottom for a shoppable list of everything I used! 🐆🎈
D E C O R A T I O N S
The wind definitely did not get the memo while I was setting up the balloons & backdrop ~ but we made it work! I loved this zebra balloon & giraffe balloon, and added a pop of pink with this cute mini flamingo from the grocery store (or you can buy similar balloons here). I added some Dollar Tree party hats to the animal balloons to tie in with the ‘party animal’ theme. The hot pink Jeep was inspired by MacieMincey and I was so pleased with how it turned out! It didn’t take much time at all & my girl is all about pink ~ so I knew it would be a fun touch. (Also! I am definitely going to re-paint this to use for another party coming this winter – stay tuned 🙂 )
If you’re not getting flowers from Trader Joe’s on occasion, it’s time to start 🙂 They always have the perfect complimentary flowers & greenery to fill in the gaps from what I grow in my garden. I loved these bright orange pincushion flowers, pink lilies, a couple different types of eucalyptus, pink ranunculus, and some grevillea (silky-oak). Then I added some hot pink zinnias and purple cosmos from my garden and ended up with the perfect mix of wild & girly!
The dragon fruit on the dessert table was a last minute addition and I did not regret it!
In case you were wondering, Rya’s vibe in these hot pink sunglasses was the inspo for this entire party 🙂 . The girl barely woke up from her nap in time for the party to start & she was clearly a little unsure if this was real life.
T A B L E
The table came together effortlessly thanks to MeriMeri’s safari print plates, matching cups, and some adorable DIY party hats on these little wild animals. (I’ll post a little video soon of how to make these for cheap). I added a few small disco balls and used some kraft paper I had on hand for a table runner. Of course the flowers always complete the look, and I was so happy with how these arrangements turned out!
the safari party hats were a hit & rhe gold fringe accent is so pretty
F O O D
I made these brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies earlier in the summer and thought they would be perfect for ice cream sandwiches! The brown butter + flaky sea salt + creamy vanilla ice cream makes this dessert one of my favorites. I found these perfect watercolor party animal-themed cupcake toppers on Etsy and decided to use them for the cookies. This helped keep them from sliding apart as they melted a bit ~ plus the kids liked picking out their favorites.
It was a pretty small group of less than 20 people so we barbecued burgers for everyone, and served them with shoe-string fries, salad, and watermelon.
I didn’t serve any appetizers except animal crackers with this Funfetti dip. (Oops, no veggie trays at this party!) Just warning you ~ once you’ve tried this dip there is no going back :).
Drink options were a simple mix of yummy pink seltzers ~ Raspberry Pink Lemonade & Strawberry Lemonade by Polar Seltzer.
I decided to DIY my own party-cheetah cake topper to save a little money ~ and I think it turned out alright! (Or you can find similar cake toppers on Etsy, like this one by HalfPintFauna). I borrowed some sunglasses from Rya’s Barbie doll, and made a tu-tu using a little tulle around an unfolded paperclip. (I’ll post a video soon of how I made the mini party hats!) I used a mini orchid from Trader Joe’s and one of the orange pincushion flowers for the top of this Wegman’s Ultimate White cake I picked up from the grocery store. I love the idea of using a tray like this to display the cake in & it made transporting it really easy.
F A V O R S
I used these favor bags which coordinated with some of the paper goods & party hats, and added some sunglasses! Inside were these fun wild animal coloring sheets I found on Etsy, and some bubbles.
it was the best day with these party animals!
links to shop the look
I’d love to help make your little one’s next birthday feel special ~ visit Style My Party for party styling packages, or send me a message with any questions!
