Choo-Choo Train Party

Does the little one in your life love things that go chugga-chugga choo-choo?  If so, then this Choo-Choo Train Party display is sure to inspire your next party!!!

I fell in love with the adorable Cute Modern Train clip art images by Sanquetti Designs and knew it would be perfect for a train party.  I loved the bright colors and the lovable characters in the set and wanted to play on that for the party items I designed.

As always, I designed an invitation that I wanted to be bright and bold using my design software.  I created a the train by linking the different images together and included party details in a ticket style frame.  I also created the patterned background and wanted to again use colors that were bright, bold and definitely kid friend.y.  I also like to use envelope wraps to decorate an otherwise, ordinary plain white envelope.  For this set, I created a fun envelope wrap that works for passing out invites.  You can also use ones that include space for writing in your address.

As I mentioned earlier, I loved the character images in this set and wanted a way to showcase the different options available.  I printed out a few of the images and cut them out, then added them to a wooden stick to create a centerpiece pick.  You can dress up a centerpiece stick by adding coordinating ribbon and anchoring them in a glass vase or canister filled with candy or in this case, colorful yarn pom-poms.

If you’re having a train party – you gotta have a train track somewhere!  I used a wooden track (compliments of my little boy) and created a railroad to plate a variety of snacks.  I put different treats – healthy and sweet – in small bowls that I got from Ikea and using a 1″ round punch, cut out ‘wheels’ from black cardstock and glued them onto the bowls for an instant train!

In thinking of trains, I thought about bandannas and hobo bags and how I could incorporate that idea into this display.  So, I found a bandanna for about $2 and cut it into strips to wrap around these root beer bottles.  It adds a lot of color to a plain beverage bottle and looks perfect with the other items on the table.  You can also tie a ribbon or twine along with a straw to the bottle to make it easy for guests to enjoy their soft drink!

Nothing says party like a festive hat.  I love using fringe, curly ribbon or yarn pom-poms to dress up my hats.  To create the hats for this party I cut a cone shape from the background pattern I created and sealed it close with tape.  I topped each hat with a fluffy yarn pom-pom and added a party dot featuring some of the clip art images  to the front of the hat.  Another option would be to purchase engineer hats, you can find them on Amazon for $15 for a dozen.

A festive banner is also a fun decorative element for a celebration. I created a pennant banner and hung it against a burlap backdrop.  I really wanted the colors and patterns to pop.  I used the cute railroad crossing sign image from the set to work in the railroad/train theme. 

One of my favorite snacks is buttery popcorn and I try to have it at every party I host.  You don’t have to always serve popcorn in little boxes, they look really cute in paper cones too!

No party is complete until you send your guests home with a special treat.  I love these nostalgic wooden train whistles I got at the Target $ spot.  You can find so many good party items in that section of the store!  I created a favor tag that I was going to use for party bags, but that they would look cuter attached to the whistles.  Using some of the fabric from the bandanna material that I had left over, I made a ‘ribbon’ and used them as string to tie the tag to the favor.

Creating a train party is a really fun way to celebrate the little engine that could in your life!   You can use these same ideas for a first birthday or baby shower.  This party is not just for boys – add in a few girly elements and and you could throw a Princess Train Party!  All you need is a little creativity, a touch of whimsy – and a free wooden train set

All photos & styling by Keisha Sibert – Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams