styling

Teddy’s First Birthday

Styling: Alexis Teasdale

Photography: Alana Landsberry

When you call your kid Teddy, is there any other first birthday party theme other than ‘Teddy bears picnic’?!

I found the perfect venue in a log-style cabin community hall, set amongst a little tree-packed park in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Being winter and forecast to be chilly, I set up a little picnic area inside for the teeny guests with a picket fence, astro turf and the cutest kids wicker benches from Mini Party People. And I couldn’t resist the mushroom table and stools from Tiny Tots Hire.

Did you know, there are NO bear pinatas in all of Australia at the moment? True story. So instead I found a monkey shaped one, moved the ears to the top and created a new face for it. The kids all took turns pulling strings for the bottom until all the lollies fell out. A much safer option than wacking it with a stick.

Afternoon tea was all about tables laden in goodies, one for ‘big’ bears (the grown ups) with platters by Dan The Man, and one for ‘baby’ bears with homemade honey sandwiches, popcorn cups, fairy bread and carob bears.

It wouldn’t be a Teddy Bears Picnic without the song lyrics which I made into felt banners, along with a felt ‘Pin the bow tie on the bear’ game and little name tags for the little guests bear friends so no one got lost.

I made the bear cake myself (I was inspired by talented Coco Cake Land) after two (very essential) practice attempts. Who knew it was so hard to find the perfect shaped biscuit eyes and ears?!

Favours were bags of Tiny Teddies (an iconic Aussie biscuit) for the littlies and jars of honey for the grown ups. So everyone big and small went home with a whole lot of sugar. Oops!