Lilah's First Birthday DIY Cake Smash

A DIY Cake Smash is something we have done for each of our children's first birthday. They are such a lovely way to mark such a special occasion and perfect for if you're on a budget (or simply cannot afford a professional photographer). You can make them as extravagant or simple as you wish, as long as you have the basics of a cake and a clean background.

Lilah turned one back in January, but I realised that I never actually shared the photos from her DIY cake smash! It was so lovely to watch her explore and eat her special cake - especially as we never really let her have such sweet treats before. And of course extra special, as we let her big brother and sister get involved at the end too.

For the decorations, I hopped onto eBay and found this lovely pink bunting, to add a touch of colour. Lilah's 'ONE' birthday crown was also from eBay, and an absolute bargain! At first I had my heart set on a gorgeous handmade crown. But I knew she wouldn't get it on longer than a few seconds anyway, so this eBay one did the job perfectly. Her personalised vest was from Esty, and her tutu was from Next. And finally, the cake was a simple Victoria sponge from the supermarket - again I would have loved a beautiful handmade one, but why waste the money when it's designed to be smashed?

We then simply placed the cake in-front of Lilah, and let her explore. She was a little unsure at first, but after a little encouragement she got stuck in eventually. From experience I've found that breaking into the cake and showing them what to do helps - some babies just don't want to touch and get too messy!

You can see Indiana's cake smash here, and Parker's cake smash here. We've done each one slightly differently, so I hope they give you some inspiration!