Welcome to Sarah’s Street
“My Journey to the Most Adorable Sesame Street Birthday Party”
You know how they say, “The days are long, but the years are short”? I felt that in my soul the moment my baby girl, Sarah, turned one. One whole year of diaper blowouts, first giggles, messy purees, and my heart growing bigger than I ever imagined possible. So, when it came time to plan her very first birthday, I knew I didn’t want just any party—I wanted it to feel like pure joy. Like Big Bird-level sunshine joy. That’s how the Sesame Street theme waltzed into our lives and took over our living room in the most adorable way.
It all started with a late-night Pinterest spiral—don’t we all fall victim to those? I was sitting in my comfiest socks, nursing a lukewarm coffee (because mom life), and I stumbled upon the idea of a chalkboard Sesame Street party. I gasped. Literally gasped. Chalkboard backgrounds, rainbow pencils, Elmo on a skateboard—it was like childhood exploded into art. I couldn’t stop picturing how amazing the photos would be and how Sarah’s face would light up when she saw her favorite characters all around her.
Credit: Luca’s Sesame Street 1st Birthday Party via Catch My Party
And honestly? I didn’t want to spend a small fortune. I was looking for something magical but manageable. We’re talking real-mom magic here, not “hired-an-event-planner-from-Hollywood” magic. That’s when the DIY ideas started flowing, and I realized: other moms needed to see this too. If I could help just one mama bring Big Bird and Elmo to their backyard bash without breaking the bank, I’d be happier than Cookie Monster with a fresh batch.
Credit: 7 Easy Sesame Street Party Ideas by Daylee Olson via Fun365
Now that we’re on the same page, let me walk you through everything I did—from planning to decoration, from cake ideas to free invitation templates that’ll make your guests RSVP “yes!” faster than Elmo can count to ten. So, let’s move on to the biggest hurdle for most of us moms…
Making Magic with a Mom Wallet
“Choosing the Perfect Venue”
When you’re planning a birthday party for a tiny human who can’t yet pronounce the word “venue,” don’t overthink it. I had the same debate you probably are right now—do we throw the party indoors, or should we take it to the backyard? For us, the weather was kind, so we decided to go with both. We decorated the living room for games and cozy activities (think coloring tables with Elmo printouts), while the backyard was transformed into “123 Sarah’s Street”—complete with sidewalk chalk murals and hanging rainbow streamers. We even made a little DIY sign that said “Don’t Miss It!” and stuck it on the back gate. It felt so personal, so fun, and so very “us.”
Credit: Balloonsforeverythingonline
Credit: Elmo’s Splash Party via Catch My Party & Jennie Frey (on Pinterest)
The truth is, you can make any space work. A small apartment? Turn your hallway into a photo booth area with printed Sesame Street cutouts. A park picnic? Lay down colorful blankets and label each station with character-themed signs. It’s all about creativity, not square footage. Now, let’s talk about the first thing your guests will see—your invitation.
Don’t Forget the Sesame Street Birthday Invitations
“The First Peek Into Your Party Magic”
Okay, mom-to-mom here: can we take a moment to talk about how ridiculously expensive custom birthday invitations can be? I once got quoted $145 for a set of 20 printed cards with “Elmo” in gold foil. Gold foil for a one-year-old’s birthday. I nearly fainted. That’s why I decided to make my own—and now, I’m sharing it with you. The invitation you saw earlier in this post? It’s part of a free editable Canva bundle I designed myself during nap time and snack breaks.
I wanted it to feel colorful, bold, and joyful—like the theme song of Sesame Street in card form. Bright rainbow pencils, playful fonts, and chalkboard backgrounds that make every detail pop. Here’s the best part: you can customize everything. From the date, time, and address to your child’s name and age. There’s even space to add your own message like, “Join us on Sarah’s Street for giggles, cake, and a dash of Cookie Monster chaos!”
The bundle also includes matching backdrops, a welcome sign, and thank-you cards—so the entire party feels coordinated and polished, even if you’re juggling it all with a toddler on your hip. I’ve had moms message me saying the invites alone made their party feel “Pinterest-worthy,” and honestly, that makes me happier than Oscar the Grouch discovering composting. But that’s just the beginning. Once you’ve sent out your invites, it’s time to sprinkle a little magic into the party space…
CUSTOMIZE AND DOWNLOAD NOW ON CANVA!
Beginner’s Guides
Before you get too wrapped up in planning the rest of your party magic, let’s talk about invitations! Our free invitation templates are not only adorable, but they’re super easy to customize too. Whether you’re adding in party details like the date, time, and location or even a special note, you can personalize everything to fit your theme perfectly.
A. Download Instruction
Want to know how? Read this step-by-step guide to help you download and customize our free editable invitation templates:
- Scroll up the page until you see the “Download Free Editable … Here” button.
- A new page will be shown in seconds, and you will be able to see the preview of our template designs.
- Choose/click the “Edit Template” button (blue button).
- Now you can personalize our templates, like putting your son or daughter’s name, changing the font-size and color.
- Once you finished with the editing, you can download the final draft (Go to File > Download > Select the File Type (PNG is the best option) > Download.
B. How to Print the file?
“Steps for printing our templates”
- Save the image you want to print to the computer or to a flash drive if it is not saved already. (Step 5 of Download Instruction).
- Go to the file explorer and find the file. Double click the image.
- The file will open in Windows Photo Viewer
- Go to print at the top and then go to the print option
- Select the color printer if you want the photo to print in color
- Select the print size you want
- You may want to play around with the “Fit picture to frame” option. Sometimes that option will allow the photo to print closer to the border, but sometimes it will cut off the edges of the photo.
- Hit print and Voila!!!
Speaking of party invitation, we avoid to see anything basic, especially when it comes to birthday celebration. By unusual, I mean something that isn’t typical Floral or Disney theme, but rather something like what’s in this page or maybe you want to see other themes like Cute Numbers Sesame Street and Sesame Street Chalkboard themed birthday invitation templates.
Balloons, Banners, and Big Bird
“Easy Decor That Pops!”
Imagine walking into your party and hearing a chorus of “Aww!” from your guests. That’s the power of thoughtful, colorful decorations. And no, you don’t have to raid the party aisle at Target to make it happen. My trick? Focus on three main elements: color, characters, and cuteness. For Sarah’s party, I created a chalkboard-style welcome sign using the same design from the invitation. I printed it on matte photo paper, framed it, and placed it by the entrance. Instant charm.
You can use this template as welcome sign board to welcome your kid’s friends
Next, I used colorful paper to cut out crayon-shaped décor (like in the invitation) and taped them to the bottom of our walls and furniture. It made our space feel playful and bright. We even added a Big Bird plush in the center of the food table and let Elmo ride a mini skateboard across the gift area.
Credit: Crayon Template (Free Printable) by The Best Ideas for Kids
And guess what? I made a DIY balloon arch using dollar-store balloons in red, yellow, and blue. It took a few hours and some puffy cheeks, but the result was magical. Plus, Sarah couldn’t stop pointing at the balloons and squealing. I’ve had moms message me saying the invites alone made their party feel “Pinterest-worthy,” and honestly, that makes me happier than Oscar the Grouch discovering composting. But that’s just the beginning. Once you’ve sent out your invites, it’s time to sprinkle a little magic into the party space…
C is for Cake (And Cute!)
“How Our Birthday Cake Became a Showstopper”
Now, if there’s one thing that gets remembered long after the balloons have deflated and the last streamer’s been swept up—it’s the cake. The birthday cake is like the crown jewel of the party table. And for Sarah’s Sesame Street-themed birthday, I knew I had to go big (but like… mama-budget big, not Kardashian-birthday-big). I spent way too long scrolling through bakery options, and my wallet was practically crying. Some of the quotes I got? $180 for a two-tier Elmo and friends birthday cake. Girl, no. For that price, Elmo better be singing Happy Birthday himself.
Credit: Sesame Street Elmo 2 Tier Cake by Celebrate with Cake!
So instead, I did what most determined moms do—I got creative. I found a sweet local baker (a fellow mom!) who made the most precious single-tier Cookie Monster cake with blue frosting, cookie “crumbs” on top, and adorable fondant eyes. It was budget-friendly, personalized, and SO. DARN. CUTE. Plus, the kids screamed when they saw it—and not the scary kind of screaming.
Games, Giggles, and All the Birthday Magic Moments
For the chill zone (because let’s be real—every party needs a little break from the sugar rush and balloon chaos), I set up a cozy coloring station that ended up being a total crowd-pleaser. I printed out the cutest Elmo and Big Bird coloring pages from the Canva kit—seriously, those big googly eyes and friendly faces are irresistible—and laid them out on a little table with a rainbow of crayons, some markers, and a whole bunch of stickers (because stickers are basically currency in the toddler world). It was meant to be a calm corner just for the kids, but honestly? Some of the parents plopped down and joined in too. One dad even said it was the most relaxed he’d felt all week.
Credit: 26 Sesame Street Coloring Pages by Monday Mandala
And yes, we did a dance party. We played the Sesame Street theme song, followed by “C is for Cookie,” and watched the chaos unfold. Toddlers dancing are a special kind of joy. One of my friend’s kids did the worm. He’s two. It was legendary. Now that everyone was partied out, it was time to thank our lovely guests in the cutest way…
Thank You Cards & Goodbye Hugs
“Wrapping Up With Love”
After the cake crumbs settled and the decorations came down, I felt so much gratitude in my heart. So many friends and family came to celebrate Sarah’s first big milestone. I knew I wanted to send them something sweet, something that matched the vibe of our party.
That’s where the thank-you card template from our Sesame Street Canva kit came in. It matched the invitation perfectly—chalkboard style, rainbow pencils, and a cheerful Elmo wave at the corner. I added a personalized message: “Thanks for making Sarah’s first birthday full of sunshine and snuggles. You made our day even more special!”
I printed a few to hand out with leftover cookies (yes, I baked extra because of course I did), and emailed digital copies to our out-of-town guests. Some even printed theirs out and stuck them on the fridge. That’s how you know you nailed it. Saying thank you doesn’t have to be formal or stiff. It just has to be heartfelt—and a little adorable never hurts.
