I had a fantastic weekend and indulged in some fried-food goodness at the OC Fair! How was your weekend? I’m especially excited to finally share my niece Kellyn’s rainbow birthday party. Kellyn and I have plenty in common — our similar names, a love of pasta, cheese and strawberries, and freckles — but when it comes to parties she’s very different from me. While I wanted to plan every last detail as a child, Kellyn wanted surprises. As her aunt, I stepped in to deliver. Since she adores color, a rainbow theme felt perfect. With just two weeks to prepare, we pulled together a cheerful DIY celebration that the birthday girl truly loved. I’ll post tutorials for the DIY projects throughout the week, but first here’s the full party in all its colorful glory.
Instead of marking the house with balloons, I made a personalized Kellyn sign so everyone would know where the party was. The balloons became a moving, colorful photo backdrop instead — bright, playful, and perfect for pictures.
I’ll share details on the streamer and fringe projects on Thursday, along with a few quick party tips I learned along the way.
For favors we created a candy bar with DIY treat bags (I’ll post that tutorial tomorrow). Who doesn’t love rainbow-colored sweets? We sourced candy from a few places — Target and Party City for specific colors, and Rocket Fizz for colorful sodas — which made the display pop. My favorite feature was the fringe backdrop; that tutorial is coming as well.
My other niece Quinn, Kellyn’s older sister, ran the games. She created a mix of rainbow-themed activities and classic party games inspired by Caine’s Arcade. The birthday girl wore several vibrant outfits that day — I’m in love with the tiny party hat we found at a local shop.
And the cake — I’ve been eager to make this rainbow layer cake for a long time, and I’m pleased with how it turned out. The cream cheese frosting was delicious but a bit thin; if any experienced bakers have tips to thicken cream cheese icing, I’d love to hear them.
We wrapped up the evening with an outdoor screening of The Wizard of Oz — a fitting end to a day full of color and joy.
All photos by Studio DIY
Seeing these photos makes me want to do it all again. Special thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for letting me run with this vibrant theme.
Looking for more DIY birthday party inspiration? Check out additional rainbow party posts and tutorials to spark your next celebration.