Party Invitations

• Denim fabric, bandannas and toy sheriff's stars, belt buckles or spurs make nice raw materials for crafting party invitations with a western theme. The website Make Your Own Invitations suggests cutting card paper into the shape of a boot or star and gluing plastic toy items onto them for extra embellishment. Print the wording of the invitation in a word-processing program using a block font and brown lettering. The site suggests phrases like "Howdy Pardner" and "Mosey on over to the Ponderosa."
  
  

Party Food

• Birthday Party Ideas 4 Kids suggests making two cakes for a first birthday party -- a regular-sized cake for the adults and other children, and a second, smaller "smash cake" for your 1-year-old to destroy. Making them identical is a cute idea. You can make the cakes in the shape of a cowboy hat, a boot, or a cactus, or you might top the "smash cake" with a small toy, such as a horse or a cowboy action figure. Refreshments for the adult guests might include a taco bar with nachos, or barbecue sandwiches, potato salad and sweet tea.
  
  

Party Decorations

• There are plenty of western and cowboy-themed decorations suitable for a party; some of them you may already have at home, such as a cowboy hat, wagon wheel, pinata, western boots or a red bandanna. These can be used as a table centerpiece, or scattered across the party room as decorations. If the party is indoors, find wall decorations party stores that depict a desert backdrop, corral or western town. If your party will be held outdoors, bales of hay, cardboard boxes painted to look like a jail, sheriff's office or hotel are other possibilities.
  
  

Party Games

• Party games must be simple for a 1-year-old's birthday, but there are some that children of this age can play. Line the children up and have them throw bean bags into large boots or cowboy hats, tin pails, or boxes or pieces of cardboard with holes cut in them. Paint the boxes or cardboard to look like a stagecoach, bank strong box or lariat. Alternatively, playing movement games such as freeze dance. Play songs with a western or cowboy theme and tell the children to dance. When you stop the music and say "Freeze!" they must stop dancing. When you say "Unfreeze!" and restart the music, they can dance again.