Plan an Epic ‘Peace on Earth’ December Birthday Party

Updated October 2020

Make anyone celebrating a birthday (especially a 2nd birthday!) around the holidays feel special by throwing a “Peace on Earth” December birthday party.

Today’s post is brimming with inspiration – including festive Christmas birthday decorations, birthday gift ideas, birthday gift wrap, menu, and more!

How Do You Handle December Birthdays?

The answer is pretty simple: Never ever stop looking for unique ways to celebrate a December birthday.

And what gives me any authority to make that statement, you ask?

Until two years ago, I would have ventured to say that nothing was better than Christmas. This holiday is literally the Super Bowl of gift giving for a self-proclaimed Gift Guru like myself.

Then – two years ago – at 4:15am on Christmas morning, I started having contractions. Six short hours passed and my husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world.

Now Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning.

Our little Christmas miracle (and by far, the best thing Santa ever brought me) makes the reason for the season that much more meaningful.

But unfortunately, most everyone who hears my daughter’s birthday falls on Christmas Day makes a comment about how terrible that must be for her.

But I have a different perspective on December birthdays, especially Christmas birthdays…because I’m a Christmas Eve baby myself.

Is There an Advantage to Having a December Birthday?

My daughter and I are nearly birthday twins.

As a Christmas Eve baby myself, I grew up celebrating my birthday early, receiving birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper (annoying) and going to Christmas Eve mass instead of out to eat at my favorite restaurant on my birthday (bah humbug).

So I knew exactly what could be in store for my daughter and her Christmas birthday.

Even with these minor “inconveniences,” I always loved having my birthday on Christmas Eve.

Holiday Birthday Silver Lining #1: I never had to go to school on my birthday. Enough said.

Holiday Birthday Silver Lining #2: I always had all of my extended family around to celebrate with me (which I loved).

Holiday Birthday Silver Lining #3: Most people remembered to wish me a happy birthday because it was associated with a major holiday and not some random date.

When my daughter decided to make her appearance over a week late on Christmas Day, I didn’t feel one ounce of disappointment for her. I knew I’d make her birthday as special as humanly possible every. single. year.

So take it from a Christmas Eve baby who gave birth to a Christmas baby – never ever stop looking for unique ways to celebrate a birthday – let alone a December birthday! Start with a good birthday theme:

What Are Good Party Themes for December Birthdays?

December Birthday Themes

This year my daughter turns TWO on Christmas day. We always plan to go a little over-the-top with a themed party simply to make her feel special since she shares her birthday with you know, Jesus.

There are some fantastic December birthday themes on Pinterest, and our shortlist included:

• Sugar Plum Fairies
• Pancakes & Pajamas
• Woodland Winter
• Winter Wonderland / Winter ONEderland
• Frozen
• Cocoa & Cupcakes
• Lumberjack/Happy Camper
• Cookie Decorating

Ultimately though, we settled on a “Peace on Earth” themed second birthday party for our December birthday girl. I thought the pun between the two-finger peace sign and the number 2 was too cute to pass up!

‘PEACE on Earth’ or ‘TWO on Earth’ – whichever way you decide to read it, it’s a darn cute theme for a December birthday party for a 2-year-old!

Natalie Menke

If you are looking for a unique way to celebrate a December baby turning TWO or are just looking to bring a little peace and love to your next holiday gathering, I’ll walk you through how I did it below. Keep scrolling!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I may receive a commission from a third party at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own, and I only share links to products I personally use, love and trust.

How Do You Make a December Birthday Special?

Never Use Christmas Wrapping Paper. Ever.

Never, under any circumstance should you use Christmas wrapping paper for a December birthday gift. It’s one of the worst things you can do, especially when all you need is a roll of brown kraft paper to make someone feel special.

I’m serious – grab a roll of brown kraft paper, and you’re good to go. I pretty much exclusively use kraft paper as wrapping paper because it’s so easy to personalize and it cuts down on the number of rolls of wrapping paper I have cluttering my closet.

For kraft paper inspiration, check out my entire post!

• 

• 

• 

If you are curious about what I actually use, here are my favorite gift wrapping supplies:

1. Kraft Paperboard Popup Window Box – Pack of 10 | 2. Kraft 8×10.5″ Gift Bags | 3. Clear Cellophane Bags | 4. Natural Jute Twine | 5. Double-sided Tape | 6. The Elf Gift Wrap Cutter | 7. Scissors | 8. Kraft Paper

Make a Gift By Hand

There are some many ways to make someone with a December birthday feel special. My absolute favorite ways – regardless of the date – is to make a gift by hand.

There’s no denying you care when you take the time to make a handmade gift.

For my daughter’s 2nd birthday, I made her these jingle bell hand tambourines. If you’d like to make one for your little one, they’re so easy!

This Year’s Handmade Gift: How to Make A Jingle Bell & Ribbon Tambourine

The jingle bell and ribbon tambourine is my favorite addition to this party! My daughter LOVES to dance, and this will be a perfect accompaniment to our improptu dance parties.

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

• these wooden bell tambourines I found from from EssentialMontessori on Etsy Essential Montessori is not currently carrying the original rings I purchased. I am unable to find a replacement on Etsy as of Oct. 2020. If anyone comes across some, please let me know where you found them! However, you can buy plain wooden rings and tie your jingle bells to the ribbon you add.

• multiple colors of ribbon

• fray check liquid seam sealant (optional).

STEP 2: Assembly

To assemble, simply tie multiple colors of ribbon to the tambourines. Next, add a dab of fray check liquid to the cut ends of the ribbon.

It really is as simple as executing those two steps! My 2 and 4-year-olds loved these jiggle bell tambourines. And there is something about the sound of jingle bells that was such a welcome sound for a December birthday party!

Give a Gift They’ll Actually Use

Here are the gifts my 2-year-old daughter received for her Peace-on-Earth December birthday party:

1. Scooter & Helmet | 2. Tutu | 3. Puzzle Board | 4. Magnetic Fishing Puzzle | 5. Playdoh Letters & Numbers Set | 6. Poke-a-Dot Books | 7. Cash Register | 8. Toy Piggy Bank

PLEASE NOTE: Due to small parts and other hazards, always check with the toy manufacture for age requirements. My child’s favorite toys may not be appropriate or suitable for every 2-year-old.

How Do I Make ‘Peace on Earth’ Decorations for a December Birthday Party?

Another way to make someone with a December birthday or holiday birthday feel special is to go all-out on a themed party.

This year I decided on a “Peace on Earth” party for my 2-year-old, but I kept coming-up short when I looked for party inspiration.

There is nothing worse them endlessly browsing Pinterest to only come up empty-handed. Trying a million keyword variations for “peace on earth party” left something to be desired. So, here are the ‘Peace on Earth’ birthday party decorations I dreamt up that you can easily copy and make your own!

If you are in the market for more party themes, I only pin my favorites to my Party Theme Inspiration board on Pinterest if you’d like to follow along!

How to Make a “Peace on Earth” Banner

Okay, first thing is first – the banner. It’s the first thing you see against my world map backdrop.

(I already randomly had this map on-hand, since I purchased it from World Market a few years ago. They no longer have this style in stock, but they now have this black and white cork world map or this linen scroll version.)

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

• Cardstock (I used 8.5″ x 11″ kraft and forest green cardstock)
• Ribbon or twine in the color of your choosing
• Glue stick
• Standard hole punch
• Cricut Explore Air 2 and cutting mats
• Weeding tools
• additional fonts and images (see step 2)

(Head to my DIY gift supplies section for a complete list of the supplies I use regularly.)

STEP 2: DOWNLOAD FONTS & UPLOAD THEM TO CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

I purchased the “Peace Sign Svg” bundle on Etsy from BrotherSVG. It comes with 12 different peace sign variations, but I used this file for the banner. As of October 2020, BrotherSVG is no longer active on Etsy, but you can find comparable peace sign svgs like this one from PerfectDesignCutFile.

The text I used is from dafont.com and is named “Tall Dark and Handsome.“*

Follow the steps for uploading cut files and fonts to Cricut Design Space using any of my Cricut tutorials, such as my Double-sided DIY Holiday Chalkboard Sign post.

*Always double-check the licensing for the fonts you download. I am using “Tall Dark and Handsome” for personal use and will not be selling this banner. However, there are plenty of completely free fonts on dafont.com.

STEP 3: FINISHING THE BANNER

Each flag of the banner is roughly 3″ x 7″ with the exception of the peace sign hand. That flag is roughly 5″ x 7″ since I wanted it to stand out.

To finish the banner, the flags are strung together using simple red ribbon.

How to Make ‘Peace on Earth’ Cake Toppers:

How to Make Peace-Sign Cupcake Toppers with Your Cricut

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

• Cardstock (I used dark green matte, red glitter and gold glitter)
• Cricut Explore Air2 and cutting mats
• Basic Cricut tool set
• Double-sided tape
• toothpicks
• additional peace symbol svgs*

*I used the Peace Sign SVG bundle listed above. As of October 2020, BrotherSVG is no longer active on Etsy, but you can find comparable peace sign svgs like this one from PerfectDesignCutFile.

In addition to the peace/two fingers, I also used a traditional peace symbol for my cupcake toppers.

STEP 2: UPLOAD IMAGES TO DESIGN SPACE, ADJUST & CUT

Using my Cricut Explore Air2, I cut each topper out of a variety of cardstock. I used matte green, red glitter and gold glitter cardstock. Each topper is roughly 1.5″ wide.

STEP 3: ATTACH PEACE SYMBOLS TO TOOTHPICKS

Once each peace sign was cut, use double sided tape and attach a toothpick to the back of each symbol.

How to Make a “Two” Cake Topper with Your Cricut

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

• Cardstock (I used red glitter)
• Cricut Explore Air2 and cutting mats
• Basic Cricut tool set
• Double-sided tape
• 8″ Bamboo skewers
• additional font*

STEP 2: UPLOAD ADDITIONAL FONT (IF USING) AND WELD LETTERS IN CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

For the large cake topper, I used the “Brusher” font from dafont.com.*

I made sure to weld the letters together before cutting it on my Cricut Explore Air2 at a size of 7″ wide.

STEP 3: ATTACH ‘TWO’ TO BAMBOO SKEWERS

Once the word “two” was cut, I used double-sided tape to attach it to bamboo skewers like I did above with the cupcake toppers.

*Always double-check the licensing for the fonts you download. I am using “Brusher” for personal use and will not be selling this cake topper. However, there are plenty of completely free fonts on dafont.com.

How to Make A “Peace on Earth” Christmas Tree Topper

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

• Brown craft paper cardstock
• Cricut Explore Air2 and cutting mats
• Basic Cricut tools
• Decorative clothes pin
• additional font*

STEP 2: CREATE & ASSEMBLE

As with the banner above, I used “Tall Dark and Handsome” font from dafont.com. Using this font, I cut the words “Peace on Earth” out of a strip of kraft paper cardstock. I had small chalkboard stars with clothes pins attached to the back from who knows when. (Sorry, but I don’t remember where I got them!)

I just clipped the cardstock on to the top of a mini Christmas tree and called it a (birth)day!

*Always double-check the licensing for the fonts you download. I am using “Tall Dark and Handsome” for personal use and will not be selling this tree topper. However, there are plenty of completely free fonts on dafont.com.

What Food Should I Serve for a ‘Peace on Earth’ December Birthday Party?

So now that you’ve got plenty of gift ideas for a two-year-old girl (if you are throwing this party for a second birthday) and all of your Peace on Earth decorations prepped and ready, it’s time to think about food!

I kept it really simple for my daughter’s party. She’s not a big eater, but like most kids, she likes pizza. So I’m going to serve what she will actually eat!

I didn’t go crazy with the food for this party and opted to make a few signs with a play on words:

What Do You Think About This ‘Peace on Earth’ December Birthday Party?

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this December birthday party! Is this a party theme you could work into your holiday season?

Reach out to me with your gift-giving questions!

AS ALWAYS – IF YOU NEED HELP BRAINSTORMING OR CREATING A CUSTOM GIFT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME! I’D LOVE TO HELP!

More later! The craft room is calling, and I must go…

MORE CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION YOU’LL LOVE

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

OTHER PARTY PROJECTS YOU’LL LOVE

• 

• 

•