What little boy doesn’t love cars?…not very many, so when deciding on a theme for a boys’ party, it is really very simple. As you may now know, I’m not one for character parties, so I continue to give you ideas for themes instead. And this week it’s a car-themed party for a sweet little boy who’s turned 1, who just loves to drive everything he can get his hands on along the floor, not just his cars, so I made his love for cars the theme for his birthday party, starting with the invitation.

For the invitation, you will simply:

1. Print or draw the image of a car on paper. A chunky, childlike one is perfect for a toddler, a sleek sporty version is better for an older boy

2. Get heavyweight paper in the best colour suited to your car. In my case a shiny red, and fold the paper in 2

3. Trace the outline of the car onto your folded paper, making sure to leave at least an inch at the fold unmarked because this is where the invitation will fold up

4. Cut out the car shape

5. Cut out tyres and rims from black and silver paper, felt, fabric or leather, and attach to the car

6. Score/mark outlines for doors, windows etc

7. I took it a step further and cut out a little window and inserted a picture of the baby boy, to simulate him driving the car

8. Write/insert details for party, date, time etc

And voila! You’re done.

To follow the theme through to the decor, you can use checker flag fabric as tablecloths and napkins, accented with bright red, yellow or blue and make the cake/cupcakes/cookies car-shaped, just like the invitation.

The same can be done for a boy who loves planes or trains, or maybe even a combination of all 3…planes, trains and automobiles. Just have fun with it and get creative.