A DIY Winnie-the-Pooh-inspired tea party for guests of all ages.

In college (so… approximately one million years ago), my husband somehow ended up with the nickname “Pooh,” as in “Winnie the,” and it has stuck with him for more than two decades. We went to a reunion event at his college last month and I was literally the only person who called him by his real name.

When our first baby was born, she inherited her father’s affinity for Pooh Bear (along with the assortment of Pooh toys people had given him as gifts over the years). So when it came time to plan her second birthday party, I took inspiration from the silly old bear as well.

Since the guest list consisted largely of adults, I wanted to avoid a Disneyfied Pooh party, and instead went for a mood more along the lines of a tea party that felt as if it could have taken place in the Hundred Acre Wood.

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I went for simple kraft paper, burlap and greens to decorate, along with some touches of gold. The party hats came from Target (no longer available, but here’s a template to make your own!), decorated with a “Winnie the Two” graphic I put together in GIMP.

My cousin Sheri, who was visiting for a few days, kindly hand-painted all the “hunny” pots. (She does custom furniture, too.) The plain terra cotta pots came from Michael’s. She also put together the dreamy banner, using tissue paper, balloons and gold baker’s twine from Target and plain brown cardstock pennant die-cuts (similar here).

We served charcuterie and crudité (Tip: Look for everyday vegetables in unusual colors, like purple green beans, orange cauliflower, and yellow carrots), along with these amazing goat cheese and honey (of course) toasts, King’s Hawaiian baked ham sandwiches, and other treats. The ice cream cone cupcakes were a big hit with the kids, thanks in part to the cherry frosting I made by running a jar of maraschino cherries through the food processor before mixing with buttercream.

Looking for more birthday party inspiration? Check out our foam-finger “I’m #1!” first birthday party!

R wore her absolute favorite shiny red leggings, which were a Zulily find — occasionally they come back around, and you can also find similar pairs on Amazon, although I’ve found that the ones from Amazon tend to have a boxier, cropped shape.

Her T-shirt is a basic Hanes tee with our custom graphic — I just printed it out on iron-on transfer paper and made the shirt the night before her party. The bow is a DIY as well. I sewed it by hand onto an alligator clip and added a rhinestone in the middle.

Of course, all she really cared about was cupcakes and the bounce house. (My parents actually own that Little Tikes bounce house. They’ve really leaned into the grandparent role.)

You can follow my inspiration for this birthday party and more (including R’s foam finger first birthday and Baby Brother’s upcoming one-year celebration) on Pinterest.