We threw this little Derby Day soirée a little while ago, and had so much fun we thought we’d share it here again. This one has recipes, free printables, fun ideas for kids and more! And since this year’s race is right around the corner, we thought you might want to check it out. Happy reading, everyone!
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We turned a regular gathering that we usually do with a little group of friends, into a special event of sorts over the weekend. And we had so much fun doing it that, I’m sharing it here for posterity’s sake. Because the photos were too fun, and in case you might want to throw a party of your own. This one includes some free printables that could also work for any horse-themed gathering. The possibilities are kinda endless. Sometimes, we get fancy.
So without further ado, a derby day party and free printables!
My hat was so big, I couldn’t see beyond the brim. So there’s that.
Go big or go home, y’all.
We’d like to attend the actual Kentucky Derby with friends next year, so we considered this little party a warm-up round of sorts.
So we made it official with a little spread, including a tiny bar, hobby horses for the kids to have their own race {more on that will be linked here when I have a chance to share the tutorial} and a space to celebrate!
I couldn’t help myself and just had to do a fun fireplace to boot.
I love the easy watercolor bunting I’ve done in the past, and it just felt right for this fun, colorful event.
pssst… because you asked… our bar cart is from here! We use it for a little bit of everything from school supplies to refreshments!
We even made sweet little bowties from seersucker napkins, because why not?
{I found some paper plates and brass accents for all things easy peasy server ware here}
We basically went for anything brass, and colorful to say all things spring!
And of course some paper straws, here. Gold stripes for the win!
We loved pairing these little horses with pieces of felt that I already had, and adding their numbers with gold paint.
For our little bar cart, we added copper mugs, and glass too. I also couldn’t not do the little brass horse stirrers we’ve been spying everywhere. We simply painted little horses with brass paint, and once dry, added wooden dowels by drilling into their bellies. I loved this option because you can definitely remove the wooden dowels {it was a environmentally friendly option} and reuse later.
For the mantel it was some simple art, along with our free printables below + diy candle holders for more color.
I’m all about those grocery store flowers {fresh market is some of my faves} for little pops of color.
On the menu:
{Read the full menu + recipes here!} These made for a great round up of relatively easy foods.
The key was prepping ahead of time so we didn’t have to babysit anything or prep while guests were present. These are sure to be crowd pleasers no matter what time of year!
• smoked pork sliders
• BBQ chicken sliders
• antipasto kabobs {so easy and awesome layered with a salad later for leftovers!}
• fresh fruit
• hot bites
I just placed all the food on various holders to make it feel “official” and used our free printables layered in for fun accents!
If you’re hosting something outside, these horseshoes {again painted with the brass paint} make for great little paper weights and tie in nicely with everything else. These would make adorable placeholders, as well.
Hobby Horses: {Read the full how to here!}
This was a simple creation with Greenworks Tools + we’ll have an easy template to follow!
We provided paint markers for the kids to decorate, because they were easy to personalize, and dry quickly.
Tip: Prep the markers ahead of time by unwrapping and getting the tips ready. Keep them in various containers easy to grab for little hands.
We also mowed our lawn, redneck style, and prepped the yard for a track so they could race. Each kiddo got the chance to win in a category, and we included ribbons for them all. {Linked below!}
This one made me laugh.
It was so cute to see what they came up with.
Of course the party progressed naturally into a swim session a-la the cabana since we kept most of it outside, so there was much fun in a good old fashioned redneck race, outside.
Free Printables:
Wanna throw your own party?
We have quite the collection of fun finds right here!
• Invitations – these work well with these fun gold envelopes!
• Menu markers
• Bar menu
• Tickets – these made for great extra decor
• Place your bets – we used these just for fun with the kids race above.
• Race notes – just for an extra layer.
All of these fun printables made for a great nostalgic feel!
Awards: Perfect for a mantel, table setting, or more! Just print and put together. You can also mix and match for your own versions, too!
• most graceful
• best etiquette
• best in show
• best name
• dark horse – see what we did there?
• fastest
• most creative
• most entertaining
We hope you have fun with these freebies – as always let us know if you use them, and be sure to share with the hashtag #thehandmadehomefreebies on instagram!
Kiddos were our photographers, but we thought they did a great job with the group pic!
We took another selfie with our phone and caught that mirrorball.
The ، the hat, the closer to God.
::laughs in southern::
Have an inspired day – and stay tuned for more details as we can share – all linked here.
Happy week, everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by!
منبع: https://www.thehandmadehome.net/derby-day-party-and-free-printables/