Tips for Throwing Inexpensive but Stylish Birthday Parties
The economy is making it hard for a lot of people right now but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate birthdays in style. If you need to create a birthday party for someone you love, these tips will help keep costs down, while still allowing you to create an event no one will forget:
Be Creative with the Birthday Party Theme
Why not try an unusual theme that can be implemented without breaking the bank for your guests or you? For a kids party, the guests can bring low-cost items that would be appropriate for a homeless shelter that serves families or a regional animal rescue organization. If you call the organization’s manager, you can compile a list of low-cost items that can be included with the invitations you send to your guests. Instruct them to wrap the items as if they were regular birthday gifts and then everyone can go as a group to deliver them. Doing this would be a meaningful experience for everyone and would also teach the children the true concept of giving.
For adults, save money by throwing a re-gifting/recycling party. Most people have at least one gift in their closets that they’ve been given but don’t want, so let them wrap them up and give them again! Make sure to let them know who is coming to the party though, so people don’t re-gift items they received from other party guests! If you don’t want to risk hurt feelings, this idea also works well for items that people have bought new on impulse but never used. Make sure to provide a specific dollar limit for the presents, so people at all income levels can participate.
Make Your Own Birthday Party Decorations and Invitations
The Internet has an unbelievable selection of free printable invitations for kids and adults. So why waste your money on store-bought invitations when you can print them at home for just the cost of card stock and ink? There are also plenty of free birthday clip-art options on the Internet, which make ideal party decorations. If you can find large enough art, you can make banners or signs. If you can’t find the right kind of clip art, you can at least use smaller art to make table place holders or to cut out and sprinkle throughout flower arrangements or plants. If you like antiques, you can print an assortment of free birthday cards and attaching them to a string that you drape around the room or the cake table. This is an easy way to get a vintage feel and make the party more festive! To finish off the vintage theme, you can get mix-and-match used plates and silverware at a thrift store instead of buying paper plates and plastic knives, forks and spoons.
The most important thing to remember when trying to save money on a birthday party is that you need to be creative. If you implement even the most low-cost ideas with style, no one will ever know the party was actually a bargain!