Slice, Slice Baby! First Birthday Pizza Party
When a close family friend asked me to help decorate for their cutie’s first birthday party, I knew it had to be special. Not just because it was a milestone event, but because this little one has brought so much joy into our lives over the past year. And when they told me the theme — “Slice Slice Baby” (yes, pizza!) — I was all in.
This party was packed with charm, color, and a little extra DIY magic. From custom cupcake toppers to a 7.2-foot balloon arch bursting with deep, bold colors — every detail was thoughtfully planned and handcrafted with love.
Custom Cupcake Toppers
Let’s start with one of my favorite little elements of the party: the cupcake toppers! I wanted something that felt playful, personal, and on-theme, so I designed pizza-slice toppers using cardstock in mustard, red, and cream tones.
Using my Cricut, I cut out each layer of the design — crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings (yes, we had mini pepperoni details!). The process took some planning, but the end result? Mini pizza slices on toothpicks that brought the dessert table to life. I cut 12 pieces of each layer, each one at a time to speed the process up. I organize the pieces in ziploc bags as I go to prevent confusion later. Once each layer has 12 cuts (all various sizes) I was able to use double sided tape and hot glue to make each layer come to life.
Each topper was about 2 inches tall, double-layered for durability, and hot-glued onto picks. They added such a fun touch to the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes and were a huge hit with guests (some even saved theirs as a keepsake!).
“Im going to pick the cutest Shea!”
-My 5 year old niece
Balloon Arch Magic: Bold Colors, Big Impact
No Blooming With Balloons party is complete without a signature arch — and for this event, I went bold and rich with a palette of mustard, burgundy, and deep red, all from Kalisan. The goal was to create something striking that still felt warm and fun — perfect for a cozy backyard birthday with family and friends, and of course something to make the perfect backdrop for the birthday girl’s first bite of cake!
Here’s a peek into the process:
I used 15 clusters, each made of:
4 x 9-inch balloons
2 x 12-inch balloons
The clusters were built out and connected by wrapping them around eachother, each cluster attached to the other by 260 balloons of the same color, then secured onto a 7.2-foot arch frame.
The balloon frame was covered with a beige arch spandex arch cover, with custom lettering in burgundy,
To give it that organic, full look, I varied the spacing and layered the clusters slightly as I went, adding in clusters of 2.5 in balloons to cover any gaps.
Finally custom pizza cut outs were attached using glue dots to add to the theme.
The colors were deep and sophisticated but still festive — and it held up perfectly in the rain. A few raindrops and winds didnt stop us from going all out for the very special birthday girl!
Final Touches & Reflections
This setup reminded me why I love what I do. It’s not just about balloons or paper crafts — it’s about celebrating people, creating memories, and making moments feel magical. This party was a labor of love, and I’m so honored to have been part of baby S’s big day.
Whether it’s a first birthday, a wedding, or just a Tuesday that needs a little sparkle, Blooming With Balloons is here for the thoughtful, joyful details. ✨
Until the next celebration —
Stay blooming,
Elizabeth
Founder & Creative Lead, Blooming With Balloons
Created with Kalisan Burgundy, Deep Red & Mustard
