One of the family traditions that I would like to start is celebrating half-birthdays for Ellerie and any future kiddos. No real reason other than I think it's a very simple way to make an extra day of the year special. We won't do presents, but when they are old enough to "get it" I will let the little one pick what they want for dinner and I plan on cutting a birthday card in half (just down the center) and giving it to them with breakfast.
And we're going to do half-birthday cakes because I love just about any excuse to make a cake.
I have searched Pinterest for half-birthday ideas (other random things I frequently search Pinterest for – DIY garden beds, chunky yarn & "wall of plants.") and "half-cakes" kept popping up. I loved that idea and it seemed simple enough – bake a circle cake, cut it in half, stack the halves and frost the whole thing.
I bought funfetti cake (because obviously) and a jar of chocolate frosting and on Thursday set to work. Turns out one box equals two 9 inch round pans so I wound up with four halves to stack (even better). I layered frosting in between each cake layer and then used a butter knife to frost the whole thing. I was shocked that it took the whole jar of frosting.
We ate it Friday night (sadly after E was already asleep) with our family in town and toasted to six months of my baby girl & six months of Parenthood. This is a tradition we'll be keeping for sure.
ps and super random giveaway: the garland was just freehand cut from the tons of solid color fabric I have. It's a mix of quilter's cotton, flannel, felt & duck cloth. I just ran circle after circle through my sewing machine. After it served as a makeshift table runner, I hung it in Ellerie's room. Do you want one? In honor of Ellerie's half birthday, I'll give one away. Leave a comment below and I'll post the winner here in this post on 12/26. Giveaway is open to anyone worldwide. as always, thanks for reading.
WINNER IS SARAH! Commentor #47 Thank you!!
enJOY it 
248 responses to “half cake for half a year.”
I would love to win one! It would be a perfect addition to the traditions we have started with the new little people of my life.
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Oh I’ve been dying to make one if these ever since you first posted a picture ! Would love to win one!!
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A half cake! Such a cute idea. Love the garland, simple and festive.
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WHHOOOOOO! Such an adorable celebration! Happy 1/2 Birthday, Ms. E. xx
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We do a half cake for 6 months, but I didn’t do it for any other half birthdays. Which reminds me, I need to make a half a cake on Saturday! Love the garland. Super cute and sounds easy if you know how to use a sewing machine!
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Love the circle garland! Would love to win 🙂
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This is such a cute idea. My mom always tried to make half birthdays special too. I love how the garland/table runner is so very “funfetti” 🙂
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Happy Half Birthday Ellerie! We always celebrated by 1/2 birthday every summer along with my father’s actual birthday. The garland is awesome! Would love it 🙂
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Such a cute tradition and cute garland!
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I love this idea. Even with my oldest being 10 I think I’m going to start this tradition this year. As she’s getting older I’m seeing how fast it is going and this will help slow it down and savor it.
(And the garland is adorable … I need to add learning to sew to my bucket list).
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I’d love to win one! I made a felted Christmas garland with felt from Amazon… but I can only justify buying so many colors of felt. 🙂
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Love the half birthday cake! So sweet.
I would love to win the garland. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at one myself.
Thanks for all that you do to inspire!!
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What a great idea! Will have to start with my little one’s 1 1/2 birthday!
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You are such a good (and fun!) mamma.
I’d love to have an “Elise original” in my home 🙂
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We celebrate half birthdays too. It started because my sons birthday is in July so he never gets to celebrate at school and why not bake a cake in the idle middle of January. My daughters half birthday falls on st Patricks day
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What a sweet tradition!
One of my kids is having a birthday soon, and she would love the garland as a decoration! Thanks for the chance to win!
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Love this! We had thought to do this with my two year old daughter, then remembered her half birthday fell right in between my husband’s and my birthdays! Three cakes in a three week period would just be too much! And we would be adding another one soon in that same three week period when our newest addition is born!
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This garland would be wonderful! I’m about to be an aunt for the first time, and would love to give it to my brother and his wife for their nursery! :]
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Half birthdays sounds like tons of fun! Thanks for thinking of your readers with the giveaway. : )
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Such a cute idea! I wish we had done this for my son’s half birthday! I guess it’s not too late to celebrate his 18 month birthday :). And I’d love to win one… It’s so cute!
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Super festive and very creative! Would love to find a special place for it in my home or classroom.
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I currently am a little obsessed with garland. This would be awesome 🙂
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I love this idea – it would be a super fun tradition to start! And, yes! I would love to win that super cute garland 🙂
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The garland goes well with the cake! Fun!
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I also celebrate half-birthdays! Nothing much more than half a cake but they still enjoy it because at that age, half years are so important!
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Love it, and love the tradition!!
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Love this idea! And the garland is fabulous, too 🙂
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aww I love this! Happy holidays, Elise!
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Oh please put me in the running for one – what an awesome idea!
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I like this half birthday idea a lot. My daughter is a November birthday and there are so many outside party things we miss because of the time of year. A half birthday party in the summer would be AWESOME, and then her real birthday would be just family and cake. And of course I would LOVE an original EC anything… especially that cute garland/runner.
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Drooling over that garland!! Love it so much
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Such a cute idea…half a cake! love the garland!!
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Would love the runner! And happy half birthday to your little girl!
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Awesome tradition to make an extra day special for those we love. Those dots are way rad too!
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That is such a great idea! Both my girls and I celebrate December birthdays. Having a chance to celebrate a birthday without competing with a major holiday would be nice.
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Yay, another person who loves to celebrate ANYTHING as much as I do. And birthdays at that. I love remembering people’s birthdays and doing something really special on mine. Your confetti garland would be a great touch.
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I would really, really, really love to win the garland!
Also, what a cute idea to celebrate half birthdays! 🙂 It’s the first time I heard about it. It sounds like fun.
What child wouldn’t want to celebrate his/her birthday twice a year?
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Happy half Birthday! Love the garland.
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I love celebrating half birthdays… so much fun! I would love to win a garland, it’s super cute.
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Happy half birthday little e!
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Happy half-birthday Ellerie!!! Soon you’ll learn they are one of the best days of the year 🙂
Thanks! Happy Christmas!
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Sweet idea! My sister’s birthday is January 2, so close to Christmas that we always celebrated her half birthday in July. I’d totally love some garland!
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Oh how fun, I would love to win this in honor of your little one’s half birthday. My little one’s half birthday is tomorrow and I hope to make a 1/2 cake too…thank you for the wonderfully inspiration as always! 🙂 Such little sweeties!
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Love the idea if 1/2 birthday – amazing how time flies. Love your gorgeous, festive garland!
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I love this idea of 1/2 birthdays! Happy 6 month birthday to Ellerie. Only another 1/2 year till she is 1!
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Love this, my brother and his wife are expecting their first in April, this would be so cute for her shower and the new nursery!
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That’s a fun new tradition, Congrats on making it happen. And that garland is super cute.
As always thanks for sharing. I really enjoy your blog.
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me me me! I have crafted so many presents for others this xmas season and it would be awesome to get one!!!
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I love that you are doing this for her…she is a very blessed girl.
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Love this new tradition and that sweet garland! We have a three-and-a-half month old over here and I’d love to celebrate her half-year birthday. I need to put a reminder in my phone before mommy-brain makes me forget. 🙂
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