Kate’s 2nd birthday party started out being Elmo themed (her favorite Sesame Street character) but as I began brainstorming ideas for party decorations I realized I couldn’t stop at just Elmo. The G&D household is all about equal opportunity, so the rest of the Sesame Street gang was soon invited to join in on the fun!
Welcome to Kate’s World!
This Sesame Street birthday party brought to you by the letter K and the number 2.
Come on in and play!
I really wanted the children to feel a sense of excitement as they walked in the door so I focused heavily on our entryway–starting with 50 billion balloons, each individually hung from the entry hallway ceiling. Sesame Street characters (wall decals) lined each side of the hallway, right at toddler eye-level.
A view of the entry hallway from the kitchen, looking back toward the front door. (See Abby Cadabby peeking out from the powder room?)
Potty Time with Abby in the bathroom!
The birthday girl was the star of the party, but a close second was this 7′ tall Sesame Street birthday party lamp post wall decal custom ordered from Modern Wall Graphics, complete with directional signs to those very important things you want to find when it comes to a toddler’s party!
More balloons in the kitchen!
Kate’s party invitation, made by my friend Allison, was too cute not to display on the big day!
Of course you can’t have a Sesame Street birthday party without an Oscar the Grouch trash can–complete with Oscar himself hiding inside!
I made this colorful cupcake stand out of cardboard, soup cans, ribbon, wrapping paper, and some hot glue. (Thanks to Annie’s Eats for the tutorial!)
Our console table made the perfect spot for party favor bags and gifts stashed away in the family room.
I purchased these favor bags at Target and made the “Thank You!” toppers to mimic the Sesame Street sign.
In honor of Kate’s favorite segment of Sesame Street–Elmo’s World–the favor bags were filled with Goldfish crackers, crayons, and a Sesame Street sticker book.
A frame, borrowed from our main guest room, gave this thank you sign over the favor table a little more oomph.
This activity table (from Land of Nod) was Kate’s Christmas/Birthday/We’re Never Buying Her Another Toy Again present, and it made a great spot for a coloring center on party day!
After:
Food and drinks!
I made name tags for the lemonade cups (each with a different Sesame Street character sticker) so kids were easily able to keep track of which one was theirs.
Goldfish crackers in a fishbowl–of course! (Little cups filled with dip and veggie sticks in the background.)
Cookie Monster’s cookie tower, featuring chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and Kate’s oatmeal banana drops.
Cupcakes for guests with a sweet tooth…
…and a little something for those of us who prefer to drink our dessert.
Elmo’s goldfish “Dorothy” surprised Kate by coming over for the party! Kate was thrilled to have her at the house for a little visit…and handled it surprisingly well when Aunt Amanda took her home to her fish tank afterwards.
At this point we can’t have a party without homemade cake pops–there’d be a riot!
The whole family was into the Sesame Street theme! I wore a t-shirt featuring the whole gang, Kate wore a personalized Elmo birthday shirt made by my friend Kent of Peachy Keen Designs, and G wore a (perfect for him) Cookie Monster t-shirt!
The birthday girl, doing one of her favorite things–JUMPING!
Taste-testing a cupcake…
…and deciding she prefers cake pops!
Love my birthday girl!
It turned out to be a great day with a house full of kids, friends, family and fun! Thank you to everyone who was a part of Kate’s World on this special day!
Check out The Making of Kate’s Sesame Street Birthday Party for some how-to tuturials, a shopping list, and our party menu! Check out my FREE Sesame Street Party Printables to recreate Kate’s party for the little one in your life!
Want to see more party fun? Check out Kate’s 1st birthday party celebration!
I’ve been waiting for this post all week and it was worth it! What an awesome party! Thanks for “inviting” us.
Best 2 year old party ever! You make me wanna have my own kids like right now so i can hold parties like yours!!
Holy crap! I have no words for this post. I knew it would be great but this is insane!! Great ideas, esp the sign post.
Oh my goodness this is SO SO cute! You did an amazing job! Kate looks like she LOVED every minute of it!
Everything is AMAZING! Awesome job and there is no doubt in my mind that Kate and all of the kids had a blast!
Sometimes I feel like people go way to overboard with kid parties. I think you struck a perfect balance between DIY elements while still keeping it fun and age appropriate. It’s super nice and it doesn’t look like you’ve sacrificed an entire year getting all the details perfect. By far one of the best kid parties I’ve seen! My favorite–the Sesame Street light post!!
Wow! That’s amazing. What a lucky little girl to have such a dedicated momma.
Can I die,be born again and have you be my mom? LOL. Seriously such a fun party and it looks like Kate(and you) had a blast!
What a great 2nd birthday party! You did an amazing job with the details, and looks like the party was a hit!
Best 2 year old birthday EVAH!!! You rock, my friend. I’m stealing some of your wonderful ideas for G’s party in a few weeks- like the crayon cup labels. I’m still in awe of those balloons strung from the ceiling! Be honest- are they still hanging up there? They would be at my house. LOL
I agree with Meaghan — you can tell this party is not about you, it’s about Kate! Like in home design, you somehow know how to make things LOOK amazing and FUNCTION equally as amazing. That is a true talent my friend!
Happy Birthday Kate!
What a wonderful birthday gift to your daughter! I love all the details and am pinning it all
What a great party!!!!! Great job!
You are just the cutest! What a lucky birthday girl!
Love this! What a lucky girl! It is difficult to pick a favorite part, but if I had to, it would have to be all of those balloons!
omg amazing and perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a wonderful and creative mom you are!
oh and how do y’all know so many kids to invite?? we’re feeling bad that our daughter doesn’t really have any “friends” to invite to her 1st bday party.
I used a lot of your ideas from Kate’s first birthday party as inspiration for my son’s first birthday. I will do the same for this party. Great ideas, as always!
Thanks for sharing!
WOW! Looks like a fantastic party! I love how all the details tied into the theme. Love it all.
What a fun par-tay!! Love all the details and how everything turned out! Kate is such a sweet girl!
You’re “love language” should become your job…seriously, awe-mazing!! You need (yes, NEED) to do a breakdown of where you purchased all your decorations – love all of them. And now I really, really want to do a Sesame Street party for my daughter.
Beautiful!!
OMG…you’re = your.
Great job! This looks so fun for the kids. How do you begin your planning? Do you keep a massive list on paper or use excel? Just curious how to get started and not overwhelmed. My dd is turning 1 in 2 weeks.
Thanks, CC in VA!
great job on the party
HOLY SHIP! That was beautiful. Never ever let my kids see this blog post. I make cake. I buy a banner. Sometimes they get a balloon – but in no way shape or form can I pull off what you just did!
can’t get over how perfect the theme was! love the balloons on the ceiling and the bunting flags- amazing job- she’s lucky to have a mom that’s a kick ass decorator!!!
Awesome Party! Madison had an Elmo themed Party for her 2nd birthday as well. I loved every detail of Kate’s party. You did a Great Job! Happy Birthday Kate:-)
Thank you so much everyone! Kate’s party was so much fun and I’m so excited to be able to share it with all of you!
@CMB–So glad you found it worth the wait! It took me awhile to recover and get pictures pulled together. I think the hardest part was narrowing down which pictures to share, lol!
Thank you so much Natasha, Diane, Shannon, Lindsey, CNM, and Carla B!
@Anonymous–Your comment made me LOL! Thank you!
Thanks Meaghan! I definitely didn’t spend a year planning the party, but truth be told it did take the better part of two weeks to pull it all together. That’s alright though–it was worth it!
@Beth–Steal away, babe! I have no doubt that G’s birthday party will be equally amazing, if not more. You are the hostess with the mostest! I’ve removed the balloons from the living room windows and from above the kitchen island, but they’re all still up in the hallway. Kate loves them and they still look great, so I’m using that as my excuse to procrastinate taking them down, hahaha.
My goodness Allison, you sure know how to compliment a girl. Thank you!
Thank you Emily, Lindsay, and Janet!
Thanks Jenny! I go back and forth between the balloons and the lamp post being my favorite–they’re both so much fun!
@Ginger–There is certainly no shortage of kids within our circle of friends! We had at least 20 kids there, most of them in that 2-3 year old range. It was so much fun!
@Jenn–So happy to inspire!
Thanks Alisa and Carla!
@Desiree–I’d be happy to do a breakdown of where I purchased everything. Please let me know if there’s anything in particular you’ve got your eye on that you’d like me to include!
@CC in VA–I’m old school in that I use good old fashioned pen and paper to keep track of my ideas and my to-do list. Although truth be told, it’s all mostly just in my head. Happy birthday to your little girl!
Thanks wallacefamily!
@Carol–You sound like a couple of my girlfriends that were at the party. They started joking with their kids that this was their birthday party, lol! Cracked me up!
Thank you Laura!
@Martina–What is it with 2 year olds and Elmo?! That little red monster is addicting, lol! I hope your daughter had a wonderful 2nd birthday!
Hello,
Your party was amazing. My DS turns one in June and I had planned on throwing a Sesame Street party, and your creativeness has me BEYOND inspired to do so. Would it be too much to ask where you purchased the Sesame Street light post pointing out the snacks game and bathroom?
LOVED this! Thanks for sharing. My favorite elements were the front door and your outfit. I’m so glad you thought to have the birthday brought to us by the letter K and the number 2. Perfect. And your Sesame Street t-shirt with the stripey skirt were super fun. I also loved seeing Cookie Monster next to the cookie stand. The whole thing was such a delight to see and read about. You done good!
jbhat
What a sweet birthday party! I think my favorite touch was the balloon hallway. Looks like Kate had a blast!
WOW this is really spectacular! After each photo, I kept thinking “this part is my favorite… no, this part is my favorite”!
I look at you blog often but never posted. Great party!! I hope you don’t mind if i totally steal this idea for my son’s 2nd birthday party this summer. You have a beautiful family.
Looks amazing, great job Mama! Happy Birthday Kate!
WOW–everything looked awesome!! I bet Kate had so much fun and the guests too! Now I am wanting to have a Sesame Street party for my little guy when he turns three! (It is not til June) So cute!!!
Loved every little detail… what a lucky girl Kate is to have you as her Mommy!
Hi,
I love Kate’s birthday party! I am getting ready for a 2nd birthday party and was thinking of a Elmo theme since my little guy loves him! Where did you find the decal stickers for the wall? That is a cute idea!
Thanks,
Carol
What an amazing party! We are doing a Sesame Street themed 2nd birthday for my daughter at the beginning of February and am going to steal a few ideas
I was wondering how you made the water bottle labels? Thanks!
Thank you everyone!
Check out my more recent post on The Making of Kate’s Sesame Street Party for more information on where I purchased things and my DIY projects!
love your outfit! where did you find your shirt?? cute party!
Thanks No.35style. My shirt is from 80stees.com.
Thank you for some great ideas for my daughters 2nd Birthday Party!!!
LOVE your party, you did such a great job with all the details! Would you mind sharing where you found your shirt? Also, if you still have the bunting from the first photo, would you be interested in selling it? Please feel free to e-mail me.
Thank you so much Linda! My list of where I purchased everything can be found in this post: The Making of Kate’s Sesame Street Birthday Party
I love this and am actually trying to plan my daughter’s 2nd birthday. Would you mind telling me where you purchased things from? thanks!
Thanks Jennifer! My list of where I purchased everything can be found in this post: The Making of Kate’s Sesame Street Birthday Party
The party looks awesome … My son is gonna turn two on August and I loved your favor box idea with the note ,gold fish crackers,stickers & crayons in it …. Can I please know where did you get them from please! Thanks…
Thank you, Nana! Here’s a link to my “making of” post – it contains all my how-to’s, and supplies list at the end. Hope that helps!
How did you attach the balloons to the ceiling?
Do you have templates for the OSCAR can?
I’m so sorry, Suzanne, but I don’t. I found that Oscar face graphic online, blew it up and then cut it in that pattern by hand. Sorry I’m not more help in this area – I don’t even have the original graphic saved!
What an amazing party! Love it! I have 19 month old twin girls who love Elmo, and I am planning on an Elmo theme for their 2nd bday. I will have to borrow some of your ideas, although I have no illusions about being able to do it as well, because you are CRAZY creative!
Thank you so much, Cynthia! I hope your girls’ Elmo-themed party turned out great!
Hey there, great job!!! this is amazing, We are getting ready to have a small Sesame Street birthday party for my daughter turning 2 in February. We had the same idea to wear themed shirts. Where did you get that great shirt with the whole gang on it?
Thank you so much, Sara! I got my shirt from 80stees.com. You can see a whole list of where I got everything at this post: http://www.allthingsgd.com/2012/01/making-of-kates-sesame-street-birthday/
Good luck to you with your daughter’s party!
Awesome job on your little Kate’s party! Loved the theme & attention to detail!!
Thank you so much, Tavia!
Hi Dusty,
I’m new to this blog but found you by googling Sesame Street theme birthdays!!
Thank for your ideas they are so amazing and even the cupcake tower from Annie Eats too!!
I know it’s over 2 yrs but our Aiden will be 1 in April so your ideas have been a huge help!!
Blessings
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Denise! Happy birthday to your little Aiden – I hope your party is tons of fun!
Hi, love this! Could you please let me know where you got your table cover from or was it made? Thank you
Thank you so much, Jo! That was a paper/disposable table cloth and I think I got it at either Target or Party City.
Everything looks amazing! Can you tell me the fonts you used, specifically for the signs?
Thank you so much, Tara! I can’t remember the font I used, and sadly my old computer crashed and that file was corrupted so I can’t go back and check. I think it might’ve been Broadway or Britannica? It was a basic font in Publisher, and I remember that, and I’m pretty sure it started with a B.
LOVE it!
Thank you so much!
Awesome post! These ideas are great! I especially love the colorful effect of the balloons on the ceiling. Super cool!
My nephew just recently turned one and we also did a Sesame Street themed party. If I may also share to you guys the DIY stuff that I made for my nephews party. You may check it out here:
http://thedeksbook.blogspot.com/2015/04/sesame-street-diy-party-ideas.html
Thank you!
Hello. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this page while researching ideas for my daughter Kate’s 2nd birthday party. She adores Elmo and I thought this was such a strange coincidence. Do you perhaps have any of the items left that you would be willing to sell? It’s so great that they names are are the same so I thought I’d at least ask!
Hi A, I’m so sorry to say that I do not have anything left over from this party to sell. I wish I could’ve helped you out there! If you decide to do a Cars themed birthday party or a bunny themed party be sure to reach out again – I have a ton of that stuff leftover. Good luck with your daughter’s party!