The economy is making it hard for a lot of people right now but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fun and style when it comes to giving birthday parties. If you’re tasked with throwing a birthday party for a loved one, here are some tips for keeping the expenses down, while still allowing you to create a party no one will forget:
Be Creative with the Party Theme
Why not try something different, like a theme that can be implemented without breaking the bank for your guests or you? If you’re giving a kids party, you can ask all the guests to bring affordable presents suitable to give to a local animal rescue organization or family homeless shelter. If you call the organization’s manager, you can get a list of low-cost items you can recommend 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.
If the event is for an adult, save money by throwing a re-gifting/recycling party. Most people can locate at least one gift they’ve received that they don’t want, so let them wrap them up and give them again! Make sure everyone knows who is on the guest list, though, so people don’t bring gifts they got from someone who’ll be at the party! If you don’t want to risk hurt feelings, people can just bring impulse purchases they made but have never used. Make sure to provide a specific dollar limit for the items, so people at all income levels can participate.
Make Your Own Birthday Party Decorations and Invitations
The Web has an unbelievable selection of free birthday invitations for kids and adults. So why waste your money on invitations from a stationary store when printing them at home is so easy and inexpensive? There are also a lot of birthday clip art options on the Internet, which make great party decorations. If you can find large enough art, you can make your own banners and signs for the party. If you can’t find the right kind of clip art, you have the option of decorating flower arrangements or plants with clip art cut-outs or making table place cards. If you like vintage, try printing and cutting out various vintage birthday cards and tie them with fancy ribbons to a string that forms a garland. This is an easy way to get a vintage feel and make the party more festive! To finish off the vintage theme, get intentionally mismatched plates, glasses and silverware at a thrift store to use in place of plastic and paper partyware.
The key to creating a memorable birthday party is to be creative. If you infuse style into your party plans, no one will ever know the party was actually a bargain!