Skip to main content

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

7 decor ideas for baby’s birthday

A baby’s first birthday is a huge milestone. Of course, a celebration is in order. Whether you want a big birthday function for family and friends, prefer to keep it small, or need to host an online get-together because of distance issues, there are adorable ways to dress up the home, yard or even a designated party room to mark the festive occasion. Some awesome birthday decorations will make the day extra special.

A fun birthday decor can set the tone for your baby’s noteworthy day, and the key to baby birthday decorations is to keep them simple, colorful, and fun. Babies aren’t necessarily going to notice a huge happy birthday sign stretched across the patio door but will get a huge kick out of an arch fashioned from balloons. Try and balance the decorations with a couple of interactive areas with toys, a hands-on activity, or books to fit the birthday theme.

Recommended Videos

Primary colors

Red, yellow, and blue are the three primary colors. Using them for your baby’s birthday decor is a straightforward, colorful way to brighten up the house for the big day. Plastic table coverings are an ideal choice because they handle spills better and make for a quick cleanup. Cover up the kitchen and dining room table with a primary colored tablecloth and tie yellow, red, and blue balloons on chairs using a pattern.

Using red, yellow, and blue construction paper, spell out your child’s name with one letter on each piece. Hang on the patio door or wall with a big number one. Pair the decorations with primary-colored plates, cups, and napkins. Outside you can set up a kiddie pool with primary-colored balls and a painting or drawing station using red, blue, and yellow.

Seasonal colors

Another light decorating style that is effortless for your baby’s first birthday is to dress up the home in seasonal colors depending on the time of year their birthday falls. Like the primary-color decor, decorate the party room or kitchen in red, yellow, and orange for fall, white and navy for winter, and neon colors for spring and summer. If you are doing a virtual birthday celebration, let family or friends know ahead of time so they can use the birthday colors in their background.

Quack, quack

Go ducky with a rubber duck decor for your baby’s first birthday celebration. Get yellow table coverings, plates, napkins, and cups or go online and go duck crazy with an assortment of rubber duck-themed party decorations. The topper for a rubber ducky birthday is to get bags of adorable rubber ducks. Fill the kiddie pool with rubber ducks or hide them around the house and have a rubber duck hunt. Put a bunch of ducks aside and put them into the bathtub for a special birthday bath time. Guests leave with the rubber duck of their choice.

Baby boy surrounded by balloons on first birthday
Kseniya Maruk/Shutterstock

Up, up, and away

Like ducks, balloons are super fun and a baby favorite. If you have pets, a balloon decor may not be the best pick, but if the household is pet-free, go balloon wild. Create a DIY balloon arch, garland, and table runner to get the house ready for a day of balloon birthday fun. Make a balloon lake on your baby’s bedroom floor or in the playroom by scattering medium-sized balloons. Your baby will have a blast walking through the ocean of balloons. Pair all the balloons floating around your house with balloon-themed table coverings, plates, and napkins. Add a miniature hot air balloon display. Launch balloon wishes at the end of the party.

Art fun

DIY your baby’s birthday decorations instead of making or buying them. Let the guests do it with a crayon or art party. Place white art paper across the tables and floor along with coloring sheets or books. Leave crayons in baskets nearby. Be sure to have thick crayons on hand for little ones. Encourage guests and the birthday baby to get creative. Hang a giant number one cutout and ask party-goers to leave birthday wishes. Complement the artwork with Crayola paper plates, napkins, and giant crayon balloons. If you’re feeling brave, you can do the same with paint.

Baby boy painting with balloons and cake for his first birthday
Serenko Natalia / Shutterstock

One-derland

One isn’t the loneliest number when it’s your child’s first birthday, and they don’t need a winter birthday to have an onederland party. Snowflakes dominate the decor for any onederland party and can be refreshing even for a summer birthday. Highlight the snowflake theme with white and blue balloons. Hang snowflake garlands above doors and windows. Spell out happy birthday and your baby’s name in snowflakes.

Note-worthy

Babies love music, so why not have a note-worthy first birthday party. Use musical notes, records, and instrument cutouts as decorations around the house, along with some bright balloons. Keep the tunes rolling by playing kid-friendly music throughout the party. Hang pots and pans on the wall or put them upside down on tables and floors along with wooden spoons for the youngest guests and birthday baby to compose music of their own. Use beans to create paper plate tambourines or cup shakers.

Your baby’s first birthday is truly an exceptional day for the whole family to enjoy. Remember to try and time the festivities around the birthday baby’s nap-time and designate a friend or family member to capture post-worthy photos so you can have fun too.

Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
18 budget-friendly baby shower favors everyone will love
Inexpensive baby shower favors people will use, really!
Baby shower favors

Being put in charge of planning a baby shower for a family member or a friend comes with quite a bit of responsibility. While baby shower organizing is super fun, it can be very stressful, too. You want everything to be perfect, including those favors. Baby shower favors have been around for ages. It's one of those traditions that started when baby showers became a thing back in the late 40s and early 50s. Like birthday party favors, those cute little gifts handed to guests on the way out are a way of saying thank you for coming.

Baby shower favors have come a long way over the decades, especially in recent years. Social media sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok have made posting those amazing baby shower favors noteworthy. Sure, you can draw inspiration from those posts, but the problem with making or buying baby shower favors usually is the price tag.

Read more
6 signs of cyberbullying in teens to look out for
How to protect your teen from online bullying
Upset teenage girl on a cellphone

Most parents of teens are all too familiar with the dangers that come with their kids being on social media. It feels like kids are getting online younger and younger and as a result are being exposed to the world of cyberbullying. The internet is the ultimate double-edged sword for teenagers. Sure, it makes researching book reports a whole lot simpler; it can provide hours of online streaming entertainment, and even opens up opportunities to communicate with friends across the world. On the other hand, the ability to hide behind a computer and converse with someone you do -- or don't -- know without repercussions can result in some rather unpleasant interactions.

Cyberbullying is, unfortunately, a modern reality for our teens. It can take place publicly on social media platforms, via gaming forums, or by direct message. Regardless of the medium, its effects can damage an adolescent's mental and physical well-being -- making it crucial for caregivers to proactively talk to their children about why it happens, how it happens, and what to do if and when it happens. Read on to find out what you need to know about cyberbullying in teens.
Signs of cyberbullying in teens

Read more
6 creative family game night ideas
These fun games will entertain the whole family
Parents with children playing a board game.

If you're frustrated with how much time everyone in your family spends in front of screens, family game night can be a great way to disconnect and have fun at the same time. And even though board games are fun, there are lots of other games you can play as a family that can be done both in and outdoors. We have some fun and creative games to share that will have your family laughing, giggling, and having the best time together.
Family game night ideas

The alphabet game
This is a rather fun trivia game that everyone can enjoy. It is a simple game that begins with choosing a category. That category could be anything, whether you want it to be desserts, music, or fruit. After that, say, your category was animals, the first person can say whatever animal they want that begins with an 'A.' But the next person has to continue it on, answering with an animal that begins with 'B.' If you can't figure out an animal within an allotted time frame of your choosing, you have to wait until the next go-round.
Family Olympics
Much unlike the actual Olympics, you do not have to be an acrobatic high-flying gymnast or a figure skater. All you have to do is bring your sense of humor. There are all kinds of games that the whole family can play. Some of them include:

Read more