Pink Coquette Bow Themed Birthday Party

It is so amazing to believe that it has already been five years, but I am more than excited to be celebrating this sweet new chapter with my daughter!

About two months before my daughters fifth birthday, I asked her what kind of party theme she wanted. 

She mentioned wanting a bow party in the past, and to my surprise, she was completely committed to the bow theme! 

I really thought she might change her mind and choose princesses, strawberries, or something entirely different, she wanted bows! How trendy! (;

So, naturally, we did all the bows! 🎀

I was honestly so happy with her choice because I love bows myself. That made this such a fun and easy theme since we are both obsessed with bows!

Every time we found something with a bow on it, we literally felt like it belonged at the party! 

We chose pink, cream and purple as the main colors, started planning the activities, made our guest list, and slowly brought everything together.

There were so many fun little details, and quite a bit of DIY went into creating the party.

I am hoping to create a separate post showing how I made some of the decorations, desserts, and crafts.

Seeing how happy she was made every little detail completely worth it.

Bow Themed Birthday Party Details!

Come along with me as I take you through everything we created for this dreamy bow themed fifth birthday party, including the desserts, decorations, food, activities, DIY projects, and all the sweet little details that brought her birthday vision to life.

Planning and Baking Ahead

For a birthday party, I usually like to start preparing about two months in advance. 

That might sound like a long time, but I just need all the extra time I can get to bake treats and create several themed desserts for the party. 

All of that baking and decorating can add up and take a lot of time to do! 

The wonderful thing about many baked treats is that they can be frozen.

I can make something ahead of time, put it in the freezer, and then pull it out on the day of the party.

The desserts still look beautiful, but I do not have to spend the entire day before the party baking everything at once and cleaning up the mess. 

As we got closer to the birthday, I tried to make approximately one treat each week.

The bow cookies were probably the first thing we made because I knew they would take the longest.

I am definitely not a professional baker my any means, but I thought the treats came out so cute! 

I decided to have the birthday cake professionally made because I did not want to add that extra stress to my list.

I also trust the bakery we use, and I know that anything I order from them is going to be absolutely gorgeous.

Sometimes it is worth deciding which projects you truly want to make yourself and which ones you would rather leave to someone else.

Bow Themed Dessert Table

The dessert table is the centerpiece of a birthday party!

I have so much fun planning and organizing the dessert table and it happens to be my personal favorite part!  

I love how a dessert table can bring so much joy, color, and pretty much any theme you can imagine to life! 

Here is a list of the desserts I served at the party

• Vanilla birthday cake (the star of the show)
• Chocolate covered cookie sandwiches 
• Chocolate shaped bows 
• Yogurt covered pretzels 
• Yogurt covered rice crisps
• Meringue drizzled pretzel rods 
  
• Meringue fruit bowls 
• Beetroot bow shaped cookies 
• Chocolate drizzled marshmallows 
• Mini beetroot cheesecake bites 
  
• Pink bow wafers 
• Yogurt covered strawberry bites 
• Freeze dried fruits
• Macaroons 
• Chocolate cupcakes 
• A princess cake 
• Meringues 

Several of the desserts and treats were things I was able to make myself, which gave me a little more autonomy over the ingredients. I could choose ingredients I felt good about and use organic or local options whenever they were available.

For the pink treats, I used this  all natural food coloring  and it gave the desserts a pretty sort of vintage shade of pink which I loved for the coquette bow theme. 

I also tried to include a variety of treats to be gluten free, dairy free, plant based, sugar free etc. More than anything, I wanted guests with different allergies, dietary needs, or preferences to have at least one special treat they could enjoy.

I wanted everyone at the party to be able to enjoy a treat no matter their restrictions, allergy or dietary preference. 

Dessert Table Photographs 

The Bow Party Food 

Since the party was held in the middle of the afternoon after lunch, we offered plenty of snacks, grazing foods, pizza, and drinks that everyone could enjoy throughout the party.

Here is everything we served:

Cheeseboard and Grazing Foods

• Cheeseboard with:
  • Cheddar
  • Brie
  • Gouda
  • Seasonal fruit
  • Fresh figs
  • Tiny Chardonnay wine grapes
  • Assorted crackers
• Caprese skewers with:
  • Tomatoes
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Basil
  • Balsamic
  • Bow shaped picks
• Vegetable crudité board
• Hummus
• Crackers
• Fresh watermelon
• LesserEvil popcorn
• LesserEvil cheese balls

Pizza and Salads

• Cheese pizza
• Gluten Free Mushroom pizza
• Caesar salad
• Greek salad

Drinks for the Adults

• Pinot Noir
• Rosé
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Sparkling water
• OLIPOP
• Water

Drinks for the Kids

• Honest Kids juice boxes
• Sparkling water
• OLIPOP
• Still Water

Snacks, Fruit, and Grazing Boards

We put together a large cheeseboard with several different cheeses, including cheddar, brie, and Gouda. We added crackers, figs, fruit, and tiny seasonal wine grapes.

I absolutely love the tiny grapes because they are so flavorful, and the kids think they are adorable. They can be a little challenging to find outside of harvest season, but they are such a fun addition when they are available.

We also made Caprese skewers with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic. Of course, I had to use little bow shaped picks to tie them into the party theme!

Along with those, we served a vegetable board with hummus and crackers, plus lots of freshly cut watermelon.

Instead of traditional chips, we put out individual bags of popcorn and LesserEvil spaceballs.

The kids love their cheese balls, and they are one of my littles ones favorites too, so I knew any leftovers would not go to waste.

That is something I always think about when planning party food. There will usually be a few things left over, so I try to choose snacks that my family will happily finish afterward.

Pizza and Salads

For something a little more filling, we ordered a few pizzas from one of our favorite local pizza makers. They make everything from scratch in a wood fired oven, and they also offer gluten free options.

We ordered several different kinds, including mushroom pizza and plenty of cheese pizza.

Pizza is usually an easy crowd pleaser, especially for the kids and an easy addition to serve. 

We also had two salads, a Caesar salad and a Greek salad. Unfortunately, I did not get photos of either one, and I am still a little disappointed that I did not take more pictures of the food!

Overall, we had more than enough for everyone without going too overboard. Almost everything was gone by the end of the party, which felt like the perfect amount.

Drinks for Kids and Adults

We also made sure there were plenty of drink options for everyone.

For the adults, we served Pinot Noir, rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc. We also had sparkling water and six different flavors of OLIPOP.

For the kids, we offered Honest Kids juice boxes along with water and the OLIPOPs. 

There was a nice variety for everyone, whether they wanted wine, something sparkling, juice, or just a simple glass of water.

The entire food and drink setup was casual, and lovely for an afternoon party where everyone could snack as they visited. 

Bow Themed Dining Tables 

I kept the bow themed kiddy dining tables pretty simple this year. We have had these little solid wood tables for several years, and they were starting to look a little worn, so we sanded them down and re-stained them before the party. I love that they are solid wood because we can give them a fresh new look instead of replacing them whenever they start to look a little tired.

I also reused several decorations from previous parties. I had a sequin table runner from the craft store that happened to fit the miniature tables perfectly. Then, I added a cute bow shaped plate for each child, scattered sparkly pink disco balls around the tables, and placed a few sweet wooden wand decorations throughout.

It was a simple setup, but still fun, sparkly, and fit for the bow theme.

Because the party was outside and it was a little windy, I kept the napkins, forks, spoons, and other lightweight items inside near the food instead of placing them on the tables ahead of time. I did not want everything blowing away before the kids even sat down!

I also placed a small piece of double sided tape underneath each paper plate to help keep it in place. It was such an easy little trick, but it worked really well and made setting up the outdoor tables so much easier.

Bow Theme Arts & Crafts Station

This was probably one of my favorite parts of the entire party to create! (outside of the dessert table)

My daughter and I had so much fun choosing the crafts and supplies, although we definitely had to remind ourselves not to go too overboard. There were just so many cute things to choose from!

For the main craft, we found these adorable coquette laser cut wooden bows for the kids to decorate. They could color them, paint them, cover them in stickers, or create their own completely unique designs.

My daughter and I also made a trip to the sticker store, and let me tell you, she had so much fun picking everything out. We ended up with quite a collection! I did not place all of the stickers on the table at once because I wanted to refill them throughout the party as needed.

The stickers were such a huge hit. By the end of the party, I was basically left with nothing! They are such a simple addition to a craft table, and the kids absolutely love them. They are also relatively mess free, although I cannot say the same thing about the markers and glitter glue!

Hand Painted Wooden Wands

We also had wooden wands for the kids to decorate. Before the party, my daughter and I painted each wand in pink, purple, or blue.

We found a mix of star shaped and heart shaped wands and made sure there was one for every child.

Once the kids finished decorating their wands with markers and stickers, we tied pieces of lace and ribbon around them to create little bows.

Each child could make their wand completely their own, and they all came out so cute!

Crowns and Custom Bow Piñata Bags

I also placed paper crowns on the table for the kids to decorate. They could add stickers, draw on them, and use as much glitter glue as their hearts desired.

The final craft was their personalized piñata bag. My daughter and I DIY'd the bow themed bags ourselves. 

Each child wrote their name on a bag and then decorated it with markers, glitter glue, and, of course, plenty of stickers.

This made every bag feel special and completely unique to them. Once it was time for the piñata, they could use their custom bags to collect all of their treats.

Play Dough Activity Station 

This year, I decided to create a Play Dough station alongside the arts and crafts table. 

I knew a few younger children would be attending, and from past parties, I had noticed that some of the little ones were not always interested in sitting down to complete a craft.

I wanted to offer another activity that was simple, affordable, and still engaging, especially for the younger kids. 

I put out 12 containers in six different colors, with two containers of each color.

My hope was that having two of every color would help prevent any disagreements if more than one child wanted the same one.

I also added wooden tools that the kids could use to roll, cut, stamp, and shape their Play Doh.

This little station ended up being such a huge hit, and not only with the younger children!

All of the kids had so much fun creating, rolling, stamping, and playing together. It was also a surprisingly calm activity that kept them happily occupied throughout the party.

Party Games & Activities in action 

Along with the craft and Play Dough and arts and crafts station, we had a couple other activities available to keep the kids busy throughout the party.

One of our favorites was the parachute game. Since we had so many children there, everyone could gather around the parachute and take turns playing together.

We lifted it into the air, let the kids run underneath it, and played a few simple group games. It was a cute way to bring everyone together!

We also had a bounce house with a small basketball hoop and lots of little balls inside. The kids could jump, play and get some of their energy out. 

I tried to space out the group activities so the party continued to feel exciting and fun. 

When the kids first arrived, the bounce house, slide, arts and crafts station, and Play dough tables were all open for them to explore at their own pace.

Once everyone had arrived and started to feel more comfortable, I invited the kids to come over for the parachute game. We played until everyone had a turn and seemed ready to move on. After that, we gathered everyone together for the piñata.

The kids had plenty of free play, followed by a couple of activities that brought everyone together. The party lasted around a solid three or so hours which gave everyone plenty of time to play, create, snack, and participate in each activity too. 

Bow Party Decorations 

When it came to the decorations, I searched high and low for anything and everything with bows on it!

My daughter also requested flowers, so anything with bows, flowers, or a combination of the two was something we kept our eyes peeled for.

I was actually surprised by how many pretty decorations included both, which made the theme even more fun to shop for.

Every time we went into a store, I found myself scanning the shelves for anything that might work. Not everything matched perfectly, but I think that is part of the charm of it. 

Searching all over for little bow details was also a big part of the fun and created a lot of anticipation for my daughter. I loved seeing everything come together!  

Bow Party Goodie Bags 

Next, be sure to check out the full post on the bow party goodie bags and how those came together HERE

Birthdays only come around once a year, and I feel so grateful that we were able to make this one feel special. Even though my little one may not remember every detail, balloon, or dessert, I do hope she will always remembers how loved and celebrated she felt that day.

I know that every time I see something with a little bow on it, I will think back to this very sweet fifth birthday and all of the happy memories we made together.

Xx

Next Up check out 

Mermaid theme birthday party

Unicorn theme birthday party 

Strawberry theme birthday party

Daisy theme birthday party