Choose a location and time. This is a great party to host at home in your kitchen. Set up a table for guests to decorate cupcakes and assemble cookies in a jar to take home.

Send or deliver invitations. Get your guests excited for the party with this printable polka dot invitation design. For an extra-special touch, hand deliver the invitations, and attach a miniature whisk or a miniature wooden spoon to each one.

Plan and start making decorations. Use our printable templates to create coordinating decorations to carry the theme throughout the party. These can be prepared ahead of time (one less thing to worry about the week of the party!). Download, print and cut the happy birthday cupcake flags to dress up your cupcakes. Follow our step-by-step tutorial to make an adorable happy birthday cupcake liner garland to hang in the party space. Print and cut recipe labels for the cookies-in-a-jar party favors. Lastly, gather supplies to make embellished aprons for your guests.

Shop and prepare food/desserts. Make a shopping list for all the supplies you'll need, including ingredients for the Neapolitan Birthday Cake, Tri-Color Swirl Frosting, Homemade Strawberry or Chocolate Milk and cookies-in-a-jar party favors.

Setting up the party space. Begin Decide where you'll set up the table for the guests, and hang the happy birthday banner. If your guests will be helping in the kitchen, find a few stools to have on hand for little ones. Decide where you'll display the birthday cake and cupcakes,

and choose which cake stand and platters will display them. and have your guests set the gifts in that area as they arrive.

Prepare party favors. Follow our tutorial to make embellished aprons for your guests. Hang each guest's apron on their chair, or display them where guests can put them on when they arrive at the party.

Decorate for the party. Bake and frost the Neapolitan Birthday Cake the night before the party or the morning of. Cupcakes can be made before the party, or your guests can help bake them during it (in which case, prepare icing bags, tips and toppings). Follow our recipe to make Homemade Strawberry or Chocolate Milk to serve your busy little bakers.

Prepare food and desserts. Prepare the cookies-in-a-jar party favors. Or, if guests will be filling the jars themselves, create a station for them to work. Be sure to have an adult ready to help so the kids add the right amount of ingredients.