Make your way to the front of the line and take a twirl with these adorable carousel party ideas. This party theme is the perfect combination of sweet, sparkly, and nostalgic.
Carousel party ideas can easily be adapted to work for baby showers or birthday parties – meaning this darling party theme is more versatile than you might think.
And with so many fun beautiful decor options, tasty carousel party food, and unique carousel party favors to choose from, your guests won’t be able to stop talking about how much they loved your party.
Carousel Party Color Palettes
I was recently out with my kids for the afternoon, and couldn’t help but notice this gorgeous carousel at the heart of the children’s museum we were visiting. So I quickly snapped a few photos as inspiration for this nostalgic party theme.
Bold Pink Color Palette
This sweet color palette is inspired by the combination of pinks and blues in this carousel horse’s bridle and saddle pad.
I love that there are a combination of bold and soft colors that come together to create a color palette that is hints at traditional femininity, but still feels up to date.
Key colors in this palette include:
- Classic Pink: F5C3CA
- Flickr Pink: EC307C
- Peach Crayola: F6CBA1 (Gold)
- Sky Blue: 61C6E4
Multicolored Pastel Color Palette
I just couldn’t help myself when I saw this boho deer on the carousel. That saddle pad is just gorgeous with so many colorful flowers and accents. It was the perfect inspiration for a multicolored color palette.
I chose to focus on the pastel tones here, but you could just as easily brighten things up by using the bolder side of each tone.
Key colors in this palette include:
- Lavender Floral: AF7FD7
- Gold Crayola: FFCC7D
- Electric Blue: 8BF4EA
- Carnation Pink: FEA9C9
- Persian Pink: EF7EC0
Now that we have some color palettes figured out, it’s time to move on to the rest of the party planning!
The Cutest Carousel Party Ideas
Invitations
Printable Birthday Invitation Carousel Digital Download
Simple, classic, and 100% beautiful, this printable invitation is perfect for your child's party with it's hand drawn style and blue and pink color palette.
Carousel Ticket Invitations Girl Carousel Party Invitation
If you want something a bit more youthful, this ticket-style invitation is a fun way to invite guests over for a fantastic party.
Carousel Baby Shower Invitation It's a Boy Baby Shower
Vintage Carousel parties aren't just for girls! As you can see here, this party theme can easily be adapted for anyone.
Gold Carousel Baby Shower Invitation Printable Vintage
You can even go gender neutral with a carousel party, simply by using a soft and sweet color palette of golds and creams with a touch of green.
Party Printables
Party printables are useful for a vintage carousel party because they help you decorate set the right tone for your guests. Plus, they're a fun keepsake to take home with them after the party. Here are some carousel themed printables you can use:
Hand Drawn Balloon Themed Party Printables
This simple party printables set has all your basic needs covered. It coordinates almost perfectly with the multicolored color palette shown above, and includes a cute design that is sure to bring out your inner child. Best of all, you can edit the text of the party printables, which means you can use these designs for years to come.
Carousel Sweets and Treats Sign Carousel Party Sign
A good sign is key to properly decorating a party, and this sign with its gold glitter and pink polka dot border is just adorable.
Carousel Birthday Water Bottle Labels Editable Carousel
Water bottle labels are a fast and simple way to carry your theme even to the smallest areas.
Don't forget to make sure your water bottle label is waterproof enough for your ice bucket.
Carousel Pink Mint Floral 1st Birthday Milestone Sign
It's so wonderful to have a written record of what your child is like at each age. I made a poster in this style for my middle child, and it's still one of the things I cherish most from when she was a baby.
Carousel Favors Sign Merry Go Round Theme Decorations
Make your favors table even more adorable with this printable sign.
Carousel party decorations
Believe it or not, there's plenty of carousel themed decor inspiration out there. So I found some of my favorite ideas to share with you today.
Round Carousel Party Backdrop
This 7 foot tall round backdrop, is perfect for a photo booth station, or behind your dessert table.
Light Up Marquee Letters
One of the things I noticed most about the carousel I saw with my kids was all the lights incorporated into the design. You can mimic that same feel with marquee lights across your table.
Carousel Themed Balloon Column
How adorable would this balloon column be as part of the photo booth station, too?
Pink Circus Tent Vinyl Background
If you're looking for something that's easy peasy, this is the perfect vinyl backdrop to hang on a wall behind your buffet table, ore on a DIY Backdrop stand.
Gold Glitter Horse Cupcake Toppers
Take homemade (or store bought!) cupcakes to the next level with these sparkly toppers.
Pink and Gold Ballon Garland Kit
The varying shades of pink and gold in this balloon garland kit are sure to be a showstopper.
Ferris Wheel Cupcake Stand
Your guests will be raving at how cute your cupcake display is if you use this adorable stand.
Carnival Themed Tablecloth
Hosting a birthday party with little kids? This tablecloth would be an adorable addition to a kid-sized dining table.
Games for a Carousel Party
I won't lie, looking for carousel themed party games to keep your guests entertained can be a challenge. But have no fear, I've got your back with these creative solutions.
Baby Mad Libs
Do you remember having fun playing mad lives as a kid? With this printable baby mad Libs game you can relive all the hilarious memories with a story that is perfect for for gender reveals and baby showers.
Best of all, you'll get three different colored versions in one download, so it's easy to match the event.
Printable Charades Cards
Even though these charades cards were designed with Valentine's Day in mind, the design is simple enough that you could easily use the same cards for a carousel birthday party or baby shower.
Carousel Party Food
When it comes to food for a carousel themed party, the sky's the limit! But in case you need some inspiration, here are some ideas to get you started.
Striped Jelly Bean Cake
The pink and white stripes on this jelly bean cake are simply perfect. Simply swap out the topper for a printable carousel horse cake topper, and you've got the perfect carousel party cake.
4-Layer Cinnamon Roll Cake with Sprinkles
Don't have time to cover a cake with jelly beans? This easy cinnamon roll cake is super festive and takes zero skill.
Homemade Graham Crackers
If you'll have little kids at your party, break out the horse shaped cookie cutters and make some tasty homemade graham crackers.
Carousel Treat Recipe Idea
What a cute idea! Transform marshmallow treats into mini carousels with just a few easy touches.
Carousel Party Favors
The nice thing about party favors is that the favors themselves don't have to be themed specifically for the party. Grab some circus animal crackers, pink cake pops, or even make and decorate your own cut out sugar cookies. All you need to do is pull it all together with the right packaging. And these ideas are almost as sweet as anything you could put inside them:
Carousel Favor Box Cake
This carousel centerpiece isn't just a decoration...it's made up of individual favor boxes that your guests can use to take home a small treat. I love the idea of using them as adorable centerpieces on the dining tables.
Carousel Party Thank You Stickers
Looking for something a bit simpler? Add these cute carousel stickers to glassine bags or gable boxes filled with treats, and you're all set.
Carousel horse Cakepop/Cupcake topper with Satin Bow
All you have to do is look at the photos in the reviews to see how beautiful these carousel themed toppers are for your special day.
Carousel Favor Bag Decor Printable Carousel Birthday Favor
What a cute and simple way to make your party favors stand out!
Inspiring Carousel Parties
Now that we've looked at all the different elements of carousel parties, let's see some real parties that pull it all together.
Pastel Carousel Birthday Party
This joint birthday is the perfect example of using easy-to-find party products to create custom DIY party decor for a carousel party theme.
Unicorn Carousel Party
I just love this giant 3D unicorn carousel with the balloon garland around the top. There's no doubt it will be a special day with that around.
Whether it’s a baby shower or birthday bash, these carousel party ideas ideas should help get your creative juices flowing. So grab the nearest glittery pen (or your computer mouse) and start planning today.
And if planning your party still feels overwhelming or too much work, we’ve got you covered. You can download our free printable party planner snapshot page that will help you manage all the major details in one spot.
Download your copy now and don’t forget to tag us in photos when your party is done!
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Mimi says
So many cute ideas and such a pretty vintage vibe, I love the look of the first invitation
Serena says
So many great ideas! The ticket for the party notification is super cute!
Kim S says
What a great theme idea! The colors are so vibrant yet romantic and nostalgic all at once!
Sharon says
The carousel theme is so unique for parties! I love it can be implemented in so many different ways.
Adriane says
This is amazing! I didn’t even know this theme was a thing. We did a circus party for one of my son’s first birthday parties that had kind of a similar feel.