My Grandmother turned a beautiful 80 years young and it was only fitting to celebrate such a momentous life achievement. So many today do not take care of themselves and they end up leaving this earth earlier than necessary. Grandma takes good care of herself, by staying active and doing tai chi, keeping her mind sharp as president of her local stock investing club, and helping to mentor people suffering from alcoholism. If there is one reason to celebrate this woman and her life, it’s for an 80th birthday party!
But you will never believe this……
This is literally her very first birthday party.
Of her whole life.
Like, are you kidding me?
I nearly fell out of my chair when I learned this and made up my mind to throw her the best DIY 80th birthday party I could muster up on a single-income budget. Here are some great photos from my grandma’s first-ever birthday party!
First, I created a mood board to help me focus on what I wanted the party to look like. It can be so easy to get distracted! Creating a plan and then working on the plan has helped me stay focused and the party looks more polished.
Cupcakes and cake both homemade and decorated at home!
I went with a light and airy sponge cake for both because I didn’t want the buttercream flowers on top to overpower the cupcake taste. I baked them 2 weeks in advance which gave me time to decorate them in peace before the party.
It can feel so chaotic trying to bake while also planning a party.
Because of this, I like to get the baking out of the way early…
and keep my cakes stored in the freezer until I need them!
Triple wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then with tin foil to prepare cakes for freezing. A freezer-safe cupcake carrier is used to store my cupcakes until it is time to decorate! You can store baked cakes and cupcakes in the freezer up to 3 months — as long as they are properly wrapped! Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator. Thawing on the counter can cause condensation to build up under the plastic wrap and will make the cakes soggy. Removing the plastic before thawing will leave your cake tasting dry.
Allow frozen cakes and cupcakes to thaw covered in the fridge for best results!
Coffee carriers were ordered from Starbucks and poured into rental thermal carafes. These rentals only cost a couple of dollars each… Seriously! It really elevated the look of the whole party just by pouring the coffee from cardboard drink carriers into pretty white carafes.
PURPLE PARTY HELPERS 🎉
These links are Amazon affiliate links. These are the exact products I used for this party. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no charge to you.
- 8.5” Plastic Serving Tongs – [12 Pack]
- 2800 Pieces Round Dot Stickers 3/4 Inch
- Crafty Croc 4 White Liquid Chalk Markers
- Table signs
- Number 80 Purple Foil Jumbo Digital Mylar Balloons
- Balloons 50 PCS,12 inches Party Balloons Latex Balloons
- One Earth Disposable and Reusable Corrugated Cardboard Trash Cans
- 100 Pcs Disposable Stir Sticks
- Tulip Cupcake Liners 200PCS
- 12x8ft Spring Garden Leaves Backdrop
- Circle Gift Label Stickers
- Gold Birthday Cake Topper Set
- Homestead Honey Sticks (50 count)
- Cocktail Picks 4.7″ 100 Count White Pearl
- Sandwich Craft Paper Box With Clear Lids
- Individually Wrapped White Sugar Cubes
- Taylors of Harrogate Assorted Specialty Teas Box , 48 count
- Gold 80th Birthday Candles
- Edible Butterflies – Cupcake Toppers
- Paperboard Food Tray. 2.5-Pound Size. Pack of 100
- 50 Sheets Vellum Transparent Paper 8.5 x 11 Inches
- 25-Pack Lavender Purple Wedding Invitations with Ribbon Bow and Envelopes
So now it’s your turn! If you try this, tag me at @goldengluegun
Golden Gluegun is a DIY lifestyle blog featuring incredible DIY flips, sewing tutorials, crafts, and creative inspiration. Join me as we plan and create!
Interested in seeing more of our past parties?
Check out these posts for more celebration DIY ideas!
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