 |
| Photo courtesy of Sarah Hardy Photography |
There are some very interesting birthday traditions in a number of countries, and having a lavish affair for a baby's first birthday is becoming more popular, which many liken to a mini wedding!
A baby ‟cake smash” is a more recent trend that began in the U.S. and is trending in the U.K. Families will give the birthday child a small cake of their own to literally smash their way through it! I think that this wonderful photograph by Sarah Hardy says it all!
 |
| 30" Tickled Tiger #16189 |
In China, it is believed that tigers protect children. On a child's first birthday, family members and relatives usually bring many tiger-themed gifts.The parents will also place their child in the centre of many symbolic objects, such as coins, a calculator, dolls, and other trinkets that encircle the baby. It is believed that the first gift the child chooses represents their future career path.
 |
| © 2016 Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd ® cbg.co.uk |
Singing is an integral part of the traditional Mexican first birthday celebration ritual in which the family sings songs wishing the baby great blessings in life. Parents will also hang a piñata over the baby that is filled with sweet treats such as candy, cookies, and cakes. When the piñata is cracked open, the baby is showered in sweets!
Japan is very well known for strongly preserving its unique cultural traditions.
Traditionally, Japanese culture did not celebrate birthdays. Japanese people thought everyone became older on New Year’s Day rather than the day of their birth, which is part of the reason why New Year’s is such a big holiday in Japan.
In fact, it wasn’t until around 1950 that Japan began to celebrate birthdays in the Western sense. While birthday cakes are present in most celebrations today, many Japanese parents prefer rice cakes commonly known ‟mochi.”
There are many wonderful opportunities for us to offer the perfect decor for this very precious occasion.
There are so many great Qualatex® balloons to choose from. I love the Number One Microfoil® balloons, including the Pink Hearts and Blue Stars. There are so many fantastic designs that we can create with them!Anne McGovern, CBA, of Elegant Balloon in New York, U.S.A. created this super design using the 38" ‟Sapphire Blue Number One” Microfoil balloon on a pedestal made from a Pale Blue 646Q balloon with the fabulous 11" ‟Big Stars” in Dark Blue and Pale Blue. And as a finishing touch, she added a few 4" Sapphire Blue Microfoil stars!
 |
| U.S. Patent No. 6,782,675 No. 6,758,71 |
What could be more perfect than this very pretty 1st Birthday column design made from a base of 11" ‟1st Baby Circles Hearts — Girl” and 5" White balloons topped with the 38" ‟Number One Pink Hearts” Microfoil balloon and 22" ‟Disney Minnie Mouse 1st Birthday” Bubble Balloon?
I love these personalised columns by Debbie O'Neil, CBA, of Wow Balloons in South Benfleet, U.K. They really show how we can add even more value to these wonderful designs.
 |
| U.S. Patent No. 7,121,915 |
Jacqui Young, CBA, of Classic Touch Balloons in Wishaw, Scotland, shows us her beautiful centrepiece design using the wonderful braid technique as demonstrated by Tina Giunta, CBA, of Shivoo Balloons in Victoria, Australia.
To find out how to create this wonderful braid just watch the video below!
Check out the great Design Inspiration article, ‟Catch Baby Fever,” by Tina Giunta in Images magazine April/May/June 2016.
I really like this 1st Birthday balloon bouquet with the 22" ‟Disney Mickey Mouse 1st Birthday” Bubble Balloons, and the 11" ‟Birthday Circle Stars—Boy.”
What I really love about this Bubble Balloon is that there are so many different Qualatex balloons that we can coordinate with it! Look at the detail on the balloon; you will see stars, polka dots, and much more. A great way to get our creativity flowing!
Here are a few more lovely 1st Birthday bouquet design ideas using coordinating Qualatex balloons.
In Part 2 of this blog, we will look at children's birthday party decor on a grand scale.
Happy Ballooning!
Sue
www.suebowler.com
Please note that not all of these balloons are available in all territories. Please check with your local Qualatex distributor.