It may surprise you to know that I am the world’s most useless crafter. I have zero patience for a start. I am the founder of Rock My Wedding which showcases the most amazing DIY creations known to man yet the only projects incorporated in my own big day were those that Adam made (!)

Styling yes, designing yes, actually making anything? erm no, I wouldn’t dare volunteer, my skills extend to a very basic knowledge of flower arranging and how to sew a button onto fabric. I was never going to be awarded a Blue Peter badge.

Mabel turns one next month (I know, I can’t quite believe it…) and I want to do something special. And dare I say…home made? I would love to hear your ideas and what you folks have organised for your little’s birthday celebrations, and any easy (!) pretty bits and bobs I may be able to have a bash at creating myself. In the meantime I’m sharing (and getting inspired!) by photographer Antonina Mamzenko’s Valentine’s themed affair for Sidney’s 4th birthday party at The Green Escape. Enjoy!

Styling

Antonia Mamzenko: We wanted to create a Valentine’s themed birthday party that would not be based on the explosion of red and pink hearts. So instead we opted for greens and purples, using watercolour hearts and a bold sketchy font which suited the craft element of the party and it’s location.

Location

Any mum would know that finding a great location for your child’s birthday party isn’t easy, especially if you want it to have both indoor and outdoor areas. We were so happy when we found The Green Escape – a glamping site set in six acres of beautiful National Trust woodland, tucked away in a secret spot in Surrey Hills. Not only it had a large (and very warm) communal building, perfect for a party of any kind, but there are also so much for children to explore outside!

Invitations

We borrowed the idea for the egg carton invitations from A Joyful Riot but modified it to create an unusual invite which could double up as a crafts supply box. We filled the boxes with various bits and pieces including heart and flower stickers, buttons, pompoms and letters from Baker Ross and Hobbycraft to allow children to create their own Valentine’s Day cards and hanging heart decorations. It was a great success, and the children were fully immersed in the crafts activity for a very, very long time!

Sweets Table

To compliment the picturesque environment we wanted to create an informal sweet table. It was important to use elements from our surroundings so we incorporated tree stumps we found on site to create an interesting and small sweetie area.

The sweets we chose were favourites amongst children including popcorn, jelly beans, bon bons, swizzle sticks and alphabet sweets! We wanted to create something bright and colourful using some of the colour theme including purple, green, yellow and blue. The iced cupcakes were decorated with jelly beans and sprinkles all in the shape of a heart! And the main birthday cake was Sidney’s favourite – red velvet!