Elias’s Train Party Preparation
I am so excited for Elias’s train party celebrating his third birthday. (His actual birthday was yesterday and we had a great day celebrating as a family.)
I have scoured the internet looking for train party ideas, and despite it being one of the most popular young boy party ideas, I have found very little. Sure you can get lots of Thomas stuff, but I wanted something for a little more unique train party.
Here is the plan.
Like last year, we are having the train party at a local park, which will help to keep things simple and the kids entertained. (We will have lots of liquids on hand since it will be so hot!)
My main train party inspiration is this Ann Kelle train fabric.
Isn’t it adorable?
Elias is going to wear a special outfit for the train party using the fabric for a custom shirt that I made. I have also created a coordinating girly onesie dress for Adeline.
I sewed a special banner will hang at the park using the train fabric and following this tutorial.
I ordered these invitations from Zazzle.
All the kids are going to get conductor hats, which I ordered from Oriental Trading, as well as paintable train banks, which I found at the Dollar Store.
It is a morning party and so the food is going to be really simple – fruit, pretzels, etc. I am going to put it all in little fabric covered boxes with wood trains attached (I bought the wood trains at JoAnns for 50 cents).
After much consideration, I am going to make my own train cake, following this recipe for the train on the top of a simple two-tier cake. I was going to use this Williams Sonoma pan, but I just didn’t love how the cars looked and think it might be too much for me to make enough trains for everyone at the party. Elias is REALLY excited about his train cake, so I am going to do my best to appease him, yet not go overboard.
The party is Saturday, so you can expect a wrap up next week!
I love seeing someone else get so excited an run with a birthday party theme. I am the same way and just finished my son’s 5th birthday party. He wanted Mario Kart and so I, like you, scoured the internet and ended up making most of the decorations. I have used the WS cake pan you mentioned and some of the pieces didn’t come out perfectly (probably my fault) and it can be alot of work to decorate. I just added a few icing squirts here and there and stuck some M&Ms to it and I will say that the kids LOVED it. I’m amazed to see how much effort you’re putting into this right after having a baby! Good job, mommy! Hope the party’s a blast! God bless you!
Jessica, how do you find your energy and the time to organize all of this just after having a baby? I love your attention to details and creativity. Do you ever tire?
Can’t wait to see your pics.
I used that very recipe for a friend. It was fun. We documented it here: http://www.thefritzes.net/2010/04/how-to-make-a-train-cake/
Can’t wait to see the photos. My son turns 3 in September and I am planning on a Farm theme. We did the train theme last year and it was fun! Love the tutorial for the pennant. Would like to be able to make one of those for his party.
Wow. I am in awe of the fact that you are doing all this with a new born in the house! You’re amazing!
Celebrating you, mama of a three year old! And your extraordinary Elias! 🙂
Love you, friend…
Ann
I absolutely love that train cake! Can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’m sure Elias is very excited!
That’s the cake we made for my daughter’s second birthday last year! I’ve never attempted anything like it bit it was so easy and turned out so cute:). We had fun all decorating it – my parents, my best friend, my brother and his girlfriend along with our family:)
I love that Elias will have the same cake this year!:)
Great ideas! I may borrow a few for my son’s 3rd birthday in September, as he is bent on having a train themed birthday party too!