My Daughter's Notebook: A Different Approach

For my youngest daughter's Birthday, we decided the best way to create a Birthday Wall for her this year would be to put it in a book--a binder notebook to be exact. This would be a wholly different approach to a wall spread, but it worked out very well.

I used colored construction paper to fit in the binder, punched holes in the pages and prepared layouts based on different preferences in various categories, from music to books to favorite foods.

She's a Spanish major in college, thus the Spanish language is prominent throughout the pages which she adores. 

She has a college-focused blog, By Hannah Joy, where she talks about her college experiences as well as beauty and fashion, which she has a lot of fun with. That inspired this page. 

It was fun compiling images suitable and then trimming them out and putting colored triangles on the corners for a scrap-booked look. I used two primary colors and used them to contrast each other which looked really cool.



I especially enjoyed creating a front page with birthday banner throwing some colored dots on for a confetti look.

I think what I loved most about this notebook approach is that I was able to use a similar approach that I use in my art journal, using matte medium for adhesive. The only disadvantage to this is once the items are glued down, you can't rearrange them!

But, interestingly enough, she prefers the notebook and wants me to continue that approach in the future.

I chose an image of keys to the car for an ending statement since she got her driver's license this summer!

So, there you have it! I hope these visuals have inspired you to work on one for your child's birthday.
You can also check out my e-book that gives you the full story and great ideas for wall or notebook collage.

Here are a few ideas you can use if you choose to present the Birthday Wall in notebook fashion:

Include at least 5 categories for different subject matter
Use at least two colors for contrast and visual effect
Use colored construction paper or card stock for the pages
Trim to size
You're better off preparing too many pages rather than too little (I had a few left over)
Matte medium makes a great adhesive, but you can use regular glue as well
Cut triangles for corners on your images which gives it a finished look
Don't be afraid to try your own ideas; your creativity is just waiting to be expressed!
HAVE FUN and your child will enjoy it.

Showing your child how much you love them by creating this collage style visual will be remembered and treasured for many years to come!

Birthday Party for All Children

I always love to share good news, especially Birthday news. How about a teenager who wants all children to have a birthday like she always has. Meet Sarah Wolford, 16 years, who has a passion to help kids get the treats and excitement a birthday party can provide through Birthday in a Box. Her story is inspiring and kind, just the sort I love to share here on The Birthday Wall blog.

The Birthday Wall can also be a  similar celebration, only on the wall (or in a notebook as one friend did) which can provide a special child a gift of validation to let them know how special they are. You can keep it as simple or fancy as you want to make it.

If you do provide such a delight, please let me know; I'd love to share your story right here to inspire others!

Food and Fun!

For those who like to create and have fun right alongside your kids to celebrate their birthday, Dana Holmes has come up with a few fun ideas and easy-to-do recipes to implement theme based parties your kids will love. From the adventure of a magic forest to camping or park time or going under the sea, there's some fun, fantastic ideas to run with to make your kid's day special.

You can incorporate the same food-related fun by including your child's favorite foods on their Birthday Wall, highlighting what their palette fancies! It can be a funny approach to show our kids how well we know them, even by the food they eat.

Imagination and the palette can be just the source to get your creativity going for a birthday they'll remember.

Let Your Kids Imagine!

Have you ever thought to ask your child what kind of party they want to have? Kids have a fun and colorful imagination, and with their ideas, you might just come up with something fabulous and memorable. Tori Spelling shares some tips on how she plans a birthday party with her kids, from decorations and color to theme and activities. Get creative together!

You might think that your child's birthday wall need to be a big secret, and you can, of course, keep it that way so they will be totally surprised. But sometimes it can help to get some ideas of what they would like on their wall so you don't end up doing something that simply doesn't hit the spot for them or even be embarrassing. I include a survey list of things you can ask about in The Birthday Wall e-book to get you started.

Have fun getting creative with your kids!

The Party: Keep It Simple and Stress Free

I love a relaxed approach to many things, including parties. Obviously, so does Rebekah Kuschmider, who shares in her article how she kept things simple and stress free as she prepared (minimally, mind you) for her daughter's first birthday, including invites, food, activity, and socializing. She shows that it doesn't have to be complicated to be fun and satisfying for all.

Creating a birthday wall for your child can also be fun and stress free. Just use your heart and appreciation for your child to guide the way and you'll know just what will make the visual pleasing and fun without making it complicated.

Enjoy the process and keep it simple.
It's the heart of it that matters.

Fun for Less!

Birthday parties are often a place that sucks your wallet dry--if you let it. But that's not necessary! All you need are a few volunteers and some money-saving savvy that Stephanie Frazier suggests in her article, 5 Ways to Save Money on Your Child's Birthday Party. From entertainment to cake options, fun activities to theme parks, she offers some great thrifty ideas that keep the fun without the expense.

When  it comes to making a birthday wall, you can keep it simple with just a few items and ideas that you can make yourself. I offer various theme-based and textual-based ideas for saving money in each chapter under the Heading, Birthday Budget, so you can know some of the best approaches to creating a fabulous display on budget.

Themes: Get Creative!

Sometimes it can be hard to figure a great theme for a birthday party, but your child is probably the best one to ask since they know what they love. American Profile offers some great theme-based ideas for a birthday party, from a Mad Hatter Tea Party to a Zoo theme. It's just a matter of your child's interest and a little imagination. :)

I offer several ideas in The Birthday Wall e-book for a theme-based party with a list based on party supplies as well as ideas related to possible child interests. That's what is so cool about The Birthday Wall; it's a custom creation showcasing what your child really loves, focusing on what makes them special and on their preferences and personality.

Themes can be such a FUN element to your child's birthday!

Budget Friendly Advice for a Happy Birthday

When it comes to birthday party planning, you want to have a happy child without the overt expense. There are so many variables that can affect how much you spend. Jessica Fisher of Life As A Mom has some fabulous, practical and fun ideas to keep your planning within budget, giving examples from her own birthday party planning experience. She includes all aspects of a great birthday party, including theme and birthday cake.

Sometimes it can be a challenge not to overspend when you want your child's Birthday Wall to be super fab, but you don't have to go above and beyond to make it special and meaningful. Just work with one or two ideas from your child's favorite things and you'll have plenty to work with the make the best, most fun visual representing your child's personality with sparkle.

A Little Birthday Help

It can sometimes help to get a few good ideas for a great birthday party for your child, especially if they save time and money and include creative ideas to keep the kids occupied and happy. Linda Ann Nickerson provides these tips, focusing on simplicity and keeping track of stuff you don't want to forget. She also includes a tip on choice of theme to keep things unified and fun.

I provide plentiful ideas for a terrific themed birthday wall in Chapter one of my book: The BirthdayWall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child. Themes can be so much fun, especially when they reflect what your child is loving right now. Enhancing their day with their favorite things can make their time and celebration extra special.

Birthday Service Savvy

Sometimes it can help to get a little assistance with a task you find stressful. How about a Party in a Box planner? Shari Simpson of Cool Mom Picks shares her fab experience using a Party Planning duo and what contents where included for this super birthday party event. Not only did this service save her time, it also saved her money.

When you choose the contents of your child's birthday wall, sometimes it can be a great approach to simply buy the decor you want to include rather than making your own. This time-saving strategy can help make the process even more fun when you know what you're looking for. Ideas and resources from friends and family can help when you're deciding on theme or approach to your creative visual.

Just remember, your child will be completely surprised by what you do to help celebrate their special day. So, Enjoy the Process!

A Furry Friend for Fun!

How does a cuddly, furry experience sound for a great birthday party? Fun? Interesting? Vicky Welton tells about her daughter Grace's 6th birthday party with Build-A-Bear! She shares the heart-warming, furry activities, detailing the whole build-a-bear process (in case you didn't know!) and what a great time her daughter had with her friends picking out accessories and loving their animals.

A birthday wall can contain so many fun elements from your child's life, whether it's a favorite stuffed animal or learning to sew. When you share this aspect visually to celebrate your child, it will show them just how well you know what they love and will make them feel special.

A Birthday Science Synopsis!

Next time you're planning a birthday party for your child, consider the possibilities a little experimenting can do! Angie Lee at Seven Clown Circus blog shares with many color photos the fabulous science themed ideas she used recently at her 7-year-old twins' birthday party. From fun foods to food coloring, she really brought out the FUN in science. And it was a true hit in the neighborhood!

When you create a birthday wall for your child, you may find some awesome ideas percolating that have a experimental flair to them. What has your child discovered in their past year about themselves and the world around them? Feature photos, games, and friends who were alongside during these discoveries, showcasing what really matters to your child with fun and pizzazz!

It's time to experiment!

A Big Brother: The Best Birthday Surprise!

It can be fun to plan a surprise party for your child, especially with all the planning that goes into not letting on about the party as you plan. But it can take on an even more interesting vibe when there's a BIG Brother coming home from deployment to surprise his little brother for his birthday. This inspiring birthday story is sure to touch your heart, especially from a Mom's point of view.

We all want our child's birthday to be a special as we can make it. Sometimes another family member that your child loves can make their birthday even more special. Be sure to include important memorabilia on your child's birthday wall to commemorate a special occasion such as being reunited with a loved one who is off to war. Family can truly make a birthday the best ever!

Is Bigger Better?: A Birthday Party Analysis

Sometimes laying down ground rules for the party planning is the way to go, especially when you're looking at the birthday budget. Christine Berry MacKenzie shares her point of view about the necessity or lack thereof of a big party with all the amenities in her article, How to Control Growingly Elaborate Birthday Parties. She explains how keeping it simple may be the way to go and be just as successful and memorable in the long run.

Each chapter in The Birthday Wall contains a section called Birthday Budget which helps you see how you can save money while creating the best birthday wall ever simply by choosing what works best for you.

You can make your child's birthday memorable and still keep it simple.

Celebrate and Learn: A Mom's Point of View

I appreciate it when moms share their life experiences. Organized Mom at Mom to Mom website shares a fabulous rendition of her daughter's 6th birthday party which includes her supplies, her decor and the activities in detail. But what I really like is what she shares about what she learned in the process; in other words, what she would do next time to make it even better.

Sometimes when we want to create something fabulous for our kids, we run into an issue we didn't expect or we see later that doing something a certain way would have made the whole experience a lot easier. I share trouble shooting issues in The Birthday Wall concerning display options, how and where, as well as concerns your child's feelings.

Plan, learn and celebrate!

Create a Birthday in a Box!

Sometimes the best life experience comes from when you do something terrific for someone else. A birthday is often a great reason to celebrate another person, especially when they might need a pick-me-up. "Ziva" at Help Others dot org shares a wonderfully inspiring birthday story with details of a birthday box she put together for a friend. It's actions like these that make the world a better place.

The Birthday Wall is a terrific way to boost the esteem of your child as you look to make their day as special and authentic as it can be. I share many ideas, from themes to messages, with how you can share with your child from the heart and really make a lovely, lasting memory.

Raggedy Ann and Andy Adds Whimsy to a Celebration

When I was a child, I had my room decorated with Raggedy Ann and Andy. I just loved those dolls and everything that came with them. That's why when I saw this party theme, I just had to share it with you!

Abby Snyder has twins, boy and girl, who just celebrated their first birthday, and she shares her party prep story with how she came up with her theme idea, where she found many of her decorating ideas, and also displays several adorable photos to showcase the party and her twins' fun that day.

Abby actually hangs a picture banner by the fireplace that reminded me of The Birthday Wall family tradition I have used to celebrate my daughters' birthdays for nine years. Perhaps her display will inspire you with ideas for your child's next birthday wall.

I love the whimsy Raggedy Ann and Andy creates with such a fun, lovable theme. You can create one too, with a custom created Birthday Wall for your child.

For Your Sweet Tooth: A Sprinkled Special!

I love it when I discover a birthday theme that is clever, cute, and well designed. How about Sprinkles? Yes, these colorful collections can be found throughout this theme, from decor the activity ideas. Kirstin of Kojo Designs created a fabulous setting, favors, and fun with this adorable birthday theme.

How about throwing some of that sprinkly fun to a Birthday Wall, showcasing more of your child's loves? Yes, you can easily incorporate the funnest of themes to your creation celebrating your child's personality in all of their glorious dimensions.

Have some sprinkle-based fun and celebrate the best of your child for their special day!

A Pretty Princess: Pink Playfulness

This Mom, Abby Larson, who wrote the post, SMP (Style Me Pretty) at Home: Audrey's 4th Birthday, showcases how you can have a terrific birthday and use what you've got (with a bit of super frugal spending to fill in the gaps). With pink enhanced photos galore, Abby shows all the dimensions and elements of her daughter's 4th birthday, with activities, decorations, and costumes. A Perfect Party for a Pretty Princess, indeed!

When you have a birthday party with such adorable decor, you'd want to embellish your child's Birthday Wall with some of that glitter going on! There are so many wonderfully fun and fancy options with how you can visually please while enhancing the self-esteem of your wonderful child. Add some pizzazz and have some fun!

Fun at Home with Bounce!

I love the simplicity shared in today's featured post, In Praise of the Old-Fashioned, DIY Birthday Party by Katie Granju; it amazes me how something as simple as a bounce house can make a child's day on their birthday. You may be surprised when you ask your child what would make their birthday special; it is often met with something simple and doable.

One of the elements of The Birthday Wall is focusing on what makes your child happy. When we listen to what our children want and why, we can discover what is in the hearts of our kids. And that's what we really want to know anyway, isn't it?