At most birthday parties, there is a moment where everyone sits down to eat. Whether you are hosting a full meal or birthday cake at your celebration, designing a tablescape for this moment is the perfect opportunity to offer guests a pop of joy. Sitting down together for a meal offers the chance to connect, play, and reinforce the welcoming environment you planned and worked hard to create. When designing a tablescape, it is important to consider the theme for the event, interactive elements, and functionality.
Joy and Interactivity
If you are designing a birthday party tablescape, and the party has a theme, the table decorations can be a great place to pull that theme through.
The above picture is from a Star Wars birthday party we hosted. This is an example of a kids’ table. We started with a tablecloth that kids could color on. This was one of the first items we purchased because we wanted kids to have a safe and creative activity while waiting for their tacos to be made.
We also carried the theme through with some custom Darth Vader crayons. These crayons are so easy to make. You just need to purchase a silicon mold, remove the paper wrapping from some old crayons, break the crayons into small pieces, and then arrange them in the mold. Put the mold on an older baking sheet you don’t mind getting dirty (this keeps the wax from dripping into your oven), and then bake at 300 for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your mold. Let your new crayons cool and then remove them from the mold.
These crayons are wonderful because they reinforce the theme, are easy to grip for young hands, and are a little more sturdy, so you won’t end the night with broken crayons. They also double as a great add-on party favor if you want your guests to take them home after the party.
Functionality
When designing this table, we also thought a lot about functionality. Specifically, we thought about lighting. This was an evening party in November, after daylight savings, guests needed additional lighting to eat outside after 5:00 p.m.
We came up with some fun on theme solutions. First, we 3D printed some “Death Star Lanterns.” These lanterns were printed so we could put tea lights inside. By the end of the night, they were glowing and had made a huge impact. Guests were able to see and eat in an environment that felt magical with a sea of glowing orbs.
We also included some glowstick lightsabers. Obviously, lightsabers are a must at a Star Wars party. However, the host did not want full sized lightsabers for the party (heading off any full-fledged battles), but some mini glowstick lightsabers turned out to be the perfect solution. These were laser cut with a keychain attachment and a single glowstick each.
We loved these because they offered additional light and another small party favor for guests to take home. Kids also loved sitting down and unwrapping their little glowsticks to crack and have during dinner.
We also sprinkled a few extra glowsticks around on the tables for a more glowy impact and in case children wanted to take home a replacement or weren’t fully satisfied with their lightsaber color.
We placed the glowsticks inside 3D printed Darth Vader helmets for a little extra joy and connection to the party theme.
Finally, we added some beauty with small flower arrangements and little trinkets like this 3D printed Millennium Falcon. The flowers added color to the table, and the kids loved playing with the additional spaceships on the table.
Bringing it Together
Sharing a meal together at a birthday party is a great way to build connection. Planning a meal for a large group of children can also feel daunting if you are not prepared. The time between sitting and eating can become chaotic quickly. However, when designing the tablescape, if you add joyful, interactive, and functional elements, you are sure to keep all guests entertained while waiting for their meal. Simple tools to create art or trinkets that drive interaction between guests will bring delight and whimsy to any birthday celebration.