The Poodle Skirts
My sister-in-law shares the same birthday, and I knew a sock hop birthday party would have to begin with sensational poodle skirts for both of us.
My Telephone Poodle Skirt
My poodle skirt is a circle skirt made out of felt. I used the telephone applique template from Tuppence Ha'Penny.
My Sister-in-Law's Elephant Poodle Skirt
My sister-in-law, Suki, loves elephants, so I did an elephant applique for her. I used wool gabardine for the circle skirt. I wanted to use a nicer fabric in case she wanted to make this skirt part of her normal wardrobe! It was my first time using horsehair braid, which is a great detail on hems for a bit of extra flair.
Photo Booth
At the entry to the house, we set up a photobooth, complete with fun signs and props. The old juke box is an antique we've had in the family for ages. I made the signs with poster board and paint sticks.
My papa's business was making miniature dollhouses when I was growing up, and we have all sorts of wonderful miniatures to this day. He had an entire sock hop vignette, complete with a burger joint, so we decorated the table with it. Our menu consisted of
- Main meal: Grilled burgers and veggies
- Dessert: Homemade strawberry cupcakes and rootbeer bourbon floats
- Movie: Stovetop popcorn and vintage-style candy
- Record player birthday sign inspiration
- Similar paper plates
- Cupcake recipe
- Cupcake toppers
- Soda fountain glasses
- Bourbon Rootbeer float inspiration from Hillside Farmacy in Austin, TX
The Drive-In
The pièce de résistance of the whole party was the backyard drive-in. My brother found a screen on eBay for fairly cheap, and we borrowed a projector from friends. We played American Graffiti for the main event and put Pillow Talk on late in the evening. It's a favorite of both of ours.
As I'm sure you can tell from photos, the party was a smashing success. It was a perfect evening of twisting and shouting, soda shop delights, and classic drive-in charm. Happy birthday to me!
That is so cool!! Gave me an idea for my birthday (which is in August, so plenty of time...) You both looked adorable ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Thanks, Siri! Have fun prepping and crafting! It was a blast preparing for it all.
DeleteWhat a great party! I think I need an elephant skirt, too.
ReplyDeleteDon't we all?!
DeleteYou both look sensational, ladies! What are the odds that we'd both post pictures involving telephone poodle skirts on the same day? Great vintage loving minds, I tell you! :)
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
Thank you! Yes, great minds! :0)
DeleteThis is basically my dream party!! It looks like you had so much fun, and all your crafts look amazing! Particularly the telephone skirt, so cute!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Taygan! It was my dream party, too. It was a magical evening of festivities!
DeleteA dear crafty friend taught me that preparing for the party AND even cleaning up was part of the fun of the whole thing ~~ hanging out with friends and living life. SO much crafty stuff you guys did! Bravo! DetroitBertha
ReplyDeleteThank you! I can definitely agree with the preparing part being part of the fun, but I'm not so sure I can get into the cleaning! That's a great attitude.
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