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A few months back, my friend Amelia asked me to help plan her daughter Niya’s birthday party, and it was so much fun!
Niya had just turned six, and anyone who’s ever stepped foot in her home knows she’s completely obsessed with cowgirl toys.
She is totally crazy about cowgirls – horses, the Wild West, everything! So when Amelia reached out and asked me to organize a party that would bring Niya’s cowgirl dreams to life, I saddled up and got to work.
I’ve organized many sorts of parties with different themes before, but this cowgirl one felt really fun to plan.
Amelia has a big living room, so we decided to have the party inside. We moved all the furniture out and turned it into “Niya’s Ranch.”
For the main sign, I used some old wood and painted “Welcome to Niya’s Ranch!” on it by hand.
We hung it over the doorway using twine and small hooks, so when people walked in, it felt like they were walking into an old-timey saloon.
Cowgirl Birthday Party Decorations
For Niya’s cowgirl party, we mixed some themed decorations with some eco-friendly ideas.
One of the main things was a soft pink “Cowgirl Happy Birthday” banner made of polyester fabric. It made a perfect photo-worthy background behind the cake table.
We also used some shiny foil horse-shaped balloons around, along with regular balloons with cowgirl designs. So the room really felt like the Wild West.
For the tables, we used a whole set of cowgirl-themed tableware. This set included paper plates for dinner and dessert, napkins, cups, and forks and knives, all matching the cowgirl theme.
We put it all on a themed tablecloth that made the food and cake look even better. And the birthday cake had a cute little cowgirl topper made of bamboo, which felt special and kind of rustic.
We also used some eco-friendly balloons in neutral tones and some reusable decorations I had saved from past events, like burlap bunting and cloth runners.
I always try to use of eco-friendly party supplies whenever I plan an event. But, you know, when you have a specific theme like Niya’s cowgirl party, you can’t always go totally green.
Still, even using a few things that can be reused or biodegradable can make a difference.
Niya looked so cute! She had on a pink fringe vest, denim skirt, and slightly-too-snug cowgirl boots. She wore a homemade “Birthday Cowgirl” sash Amelia and I created with leftover felt and safety pins.
Cowgirl Theme Birthday Party Favors
Niya wanted to do something extra special to thank her friends. So she wrote a sweet thank-you card by hand for every single friend.
Amelia baked a whole bunch of yummy homemade cookies, which we put in the goodie bags. It felt really special and personal.
Then, to make it even more cowgirl-y, we put in a little set of themed stuff. Each kid got a cowgirl-themed party favor set.
It included a drawstring backpack with a cowgirl design, some fun bracelets, a notebook, a badge, a keychain, pencils, and really cute horse stickers.
We also tossed in a mini chalk set for kids, which came in bright, non-toxic colors added a playful, creative touch.
We packed all the party favors into cute cowgirl-themed goodie bags made of that nice, sturdy kraft paper – way better than those single-use plastic bags!
Cowgirl Party Games and Activities
To make sure Niya’s friends, the little cowgirls and cowboys, had a blast, we had some fun activities for them to do!
One thing they really loved was a game called “What’s Your Cowgirl Name?” We had a sign and some sticker name tags.
The kids thought it was hilarious finding out their silly cowgirl names, like “Daring Daisy” or “Whistlin’ Willow,” and they wore those stickers like badges the whole time!
Then, for a bit of a quieter activity where they could use their imagination, we had these Cowgirl Party Wooden Painting Kits.
Each kid got a little kit with wooden shapes like horses, boots, and hats. It also included watercolor paints and brushes.
This set even had bubble wands as a little extra surprise! This was fun for them to do, and they also got to take home a little something they made themselves.
Eco-Friendly Food We Tried
We created a fun, western-themed menu with an eco-friendly touch. We had little mini barbecue sliders, corn muffins, fruit kabobs, and veggie sticks.
They were all served in these cute little cups shaped like cowboy boots that you can compost afterward! We didn’t use any plastic at all. Everything we used, like the plates, cups, and napkins, was compostable.
For drinks, we used mason jars, and instead of writing names on them, we used reusable tags made from leftover cardboard from a previous party.
We also had apple juice and pink lemonade, and we did not use any sugary sodas.
We had a birthday cake that was shaped like a cowgirl hat. It was vanilla flavour and chocolate chip with pink frosting, and even had a fondant rope on top.
Besides that, we had cookies shaped like horseshoes, s’mores bites, and mini apple pies. We got all those yummy desserts from local bakeries that use eco-conscious packaging.
Related:
Best Cowboy-Themed Party Favors Ideas
Post-Party Cleanup
As always, I planned ahead for cleanup to ensure we minimized waste. We placed clearly labeled bins for compost, recycling, and trash.
We saved most of the decorations used in the party for future use. There were some leftover foods, Amelia packed them into reusable containers that she had gotten ready beforehand.
At the end of the party, we only had about half a small bag of stuff that couldn’t be recycled or composted.
Everything else was either composted, saved to use again, or went home with people in those eco-friendly containers.
Even though it was a themed party, it wasn’t wasteful at all! It shows you can totally have a really cool party theme without generating lots of waste.
If you’re thinking about throwing a party like this at your place, hopefully, Niya’s party gives you some ideas. You can be super creative with a theme and still make choices that are bit eco nature nature-friendly.
