Donte’s Minions 7th Birthday: Homemade Decorations, Cake & Games

Before I started Katie J Design & Events, I put together a Minions birthday party for my son Donte’s 7th birthday. The decorations were a mix of things I handmade and things I bought, with plenty of time spent making the day feel special for him.

I still love looking back at these photos! The cardboard photo prop, homemade cake and simple games were some of my favourite parts. This is our family party story, with practical ideas you can adapt to your own celebration.

Jump to: decorations | paper lanterns | cardboard photo prop | party food | birthday cake | party games.

Blue and yellow party decorations

For any party theme, I like to start with the colours. This helps me pull together the whole space. For Donte’s party, I used blue and yellow, then chose decorations that matched.

I set up two trestle tables, one for the cake and food and the other for party bags and presents. Blue tablecloths and themed bunting helped bring everything together.

The wall display included Donte’s name in blue and yellow letters and Despicable Me posters, which went into his bedroom after the party. I also hung blue and yellow balloons in pairs with gold curling ribbon. Coloured balloons are such an easy way to fill a party space.

The paper lanterns I made for the party

I love adding a little decoration overhead as well as on the tables. For this party, I decorated yellow paper lanterns with black satin ribbon and character features, then hung them around the space. They were one of my favourite homemade touches.

The useful idea to take away is how a few lightweight lanterns can add colour at different heights. For your own original design:

1. Choose paper lanterns in your party colours and assemble them according to the packet instructions.
2. Plan a simple decoration, such as paper spots, stripes or flowers you have drawn yourself.
3. Keep any additions lightweight and use an adhesive suitable for the materials.
4. Let everything dry before hanging the lanterns securely, away from heat and out of children’s reach.

Plain coloured lanterns can look lovely too. You don’t need lots of detail to make the space feel festive.

Our handmade cardboard photo prop

This cardboard cut-out was one of the coolest pieces I have made. It was big, colourful and doubled as entertainment, with the kids popping their faces through the opening for photos throughout the party.

I used a large cardboard box, reinforced the folds and made a base so it could stand up. I’ve kept the construction details in my cardboard photo-prop post, along with the original party photos.

Easy party food

The party food was easy and creative, and the kids loved the treats, which was a bonus! Here’s how I pulled the table together.

Chocolate spoons

Chocolate spoons are so easy to make. I used Nutella on spoons, added blue and yellow M&M’s, arranged them on a platter and chilled them before the party. You can change the colours to suit your own celebration.

Jelly cups

I chose blue jelly and prepared it according to the packet instructions, then poured it into small clear cups and left it to set. Our rainbow jelly ideas are another way to add colour to a party table.

Cupcakes

My cooking skills are quite limited, so I used a chocolate cupcake mix, blue and yellow cases, chocolate icing and themed toppers. Matching the cases to the table colours was a simple way to tie everything together.

Decorated biscuits

The biscuits were a hit on the day. I decorated finger-shaped biscuits with coloured icing, liquorice, mini marshmallows and icing gel. Starting with bought biscuits meant I could spend my time decorating rather than baking.

For more ways to use that shortcut, have a look at my easy no-bake iced biscuit ideas.

Donte’s homemade birthday cake

Donte loved the cake I made for his party. I have limited baking skills but a lot of creativity, so I was pretty impressed with the finished result!

I started with a half-slab vanilla cake from the supermarket. I marked out an oval with a wooden skewer and cut the shape with a bread knife, then lightly marked where the icing details would go.

I coloured ready-made vanilla frosting with blue, yellow and black icing gels and used the marked lines as a guide. Liquorice added some of the finishing detail. The arms and legs you can see in the photo were non-edible decorations, rather than pieces of cake.

The shortcut worth borrowing is starting with a bought cake and putting your effort into the decorating. A simple shape, a few icing colours and a little planning can go a long way. Use food-safe decorating tools and keep non-edible decorations separate from the portions you serve.

If you know me, you know I love simple but impressive birthday cakes!

The party games we played

Games never have to be fancy to be fun. For Donte’s party, I adapted a few familiar favourites so the children could move around, have a laugh and join in together.

A homemade piñata

I made a piñata from a cardboard box, crepe paper and ribbon, filled it with wrapped lollies and decorated it for the party. The kids lined up for a turn and loved seeing the treats come out! If you’re making your own original design, my cardboard-box piñata guide explains the basic construction. Have an adult supervise and keep everyone well clear while another child takes a turn.

Pass the parcel

I wrapped the parcel in yellow crepe paper and decorated the outside to match the party. The game itself was the familiar favourite: pass the parcel while the music plays, then unwrap a layer when it stops. Coloured paper and ribbon work just as well for a different theme.

Musical spots

My variation of musical chairs used themed pictures laid out in a circle instead of chairs. The children walked around while the music played and found a spot when it stopped. I removed spots between rounds until we had a winner.

You can use plain coloured floor markers for the same game. Choose markers that won’t slide around and leave plenty of space between players.

Pin the eyes on the character

We also played a themed version of pin the tail on the donkey. The children took turns trying to place the eyes in the right spot on the picture. I put their names on the back of the pieces so we could see whose was closest.

For an original version, draw your own robot or friendly monster and make a matching piece for each player. A little reusable adhesive makes it easy to attach the pieces, and an adult can guide each child safely to the board.

A birthday full of happy memories

Donte had a lovely day celebrating with family and friends, and we have memories that we will always cherish. Here’s my happy birthday boy blowing out his candles!

Looking back, what I love most is how much fun came from a few simple materials and some imagination. The cake shortcut, cardboard construction, coloured lanterns and familiar party games are ideas you can make your own.

You can find more family celebrations and practical ideas on Parties by Katie J.