We’re officially one month out from another first birthday, which means party planning has been very top of my mind.
One thing I really want to get better at this time around? Actually being ready before the party start time. The last two parties we’ve hosted (Wyatt’s baby sprinkle and Margot’s first birthday), I was still sweating and scrambling while guests were walking in — and I barely took any photos.
So as I look back at Margot’s first birthday, I’m sharing one of the few things I managed to document: the DIY Juice Shack.
Her theme was “The Big One”, leaning more Hawaiian than surf, and I had the idea to create our own party version of The Sunrise Shack. I wanted it to double as both entertainment for the kids and a large statement decor piece.
Since we don’t have a playhouse or an existing structure to transform into a juice stand, I needed something that wouldn’t require building from scratch. Target carries large “Color-Your-Own” cardboard kits from Mondo Llama — flower stands, market stands, even little storefronts — for around $25.
At the time, a market stand was available, so I grabbed that as my base.
The cardboard had pretty dark printed lines and markings, so I started with two coats of primer before adding any color. Once it was fully dry, I headed to Michael’s for acrylic paints in a mix of bright, tropical shades — using The Sunrise Shack as my color inspiration.
To create a thatched-roof look, I bought a raffia grass table skirt and cut it into strips, layering two rows along the top for more fullness.
For the finishing touches, I used leftover cardboard to make a hand-painted menu and named it “Margot’s Juice Box” — which felt fitting both because of her age and because the whole thing was, quite literally, a cardboard box.
The juice shack was a hit. Sadly, only the signs survived the party (lol), but it was absolutely worth it.
What You’ll Need:
Cardboard structure (check Target for Mondo Llama “Color-Your-Own” kits)
Primer paint
Acrylic paint in various colors
Raffia grass table skirt
Paint brushes + scissors
Extra cardboard for signage
I saved all of my inspiration for this theme in one place — you can see the full “The Big One” party board here.