Happy Friday! Today is the final installment in the Cheap Birthday series, I hope you have all found some tips to inspire you next time one of the kiddos decides to get a year older.
Birthday invitations and favors fall into a single category in my mind, because neither is really necessary but both help set the mood for the party. You can always call and invite people, and favors are always optional. But I enjoy supplying both to our guests.
Invitations
Once again, you want to focus on the theme of the party when doing invites. Often dollar stores have packs of theme appropriate invitations available, but sometimes you may be out of luck or you may be trying to trim your party budget. A pair of scissors, some glue and some colored paper allows you to quickly throw together some invites. I usually cut the construction paper in half then fold each half in half to make a card. Decorate the front with stickers or glue on construction paper shapes. I once cut out a white and a red half circle and put them together to make a Pokeball (from the cartoon Pokemon). This was a simple invitation but it got the theme across well, so the guests knew what to expect at the party. Another option is to print invitations on your computer. There are many free templates available online plus some photo software comes with invitation options.
Gift Favors
Gift favors are the ones you hand out at the end of the party. Avoid expensive themed items. I purchase favors all year long when I see them on sale after the holidays. Gold and green kaleidoscopes from the Christmas section work well as telescopes for a pirate theme. Red-heart shaped candy is suitable for a princess party. Collect small items throughout the year. A handful of candy and one or two small toys are all that is required. You can also bypass the toys completely and instead make lollipop covers out of cardstock. Decorate a small piece of cardstock to match the theme, then fold it over the candy party of the lollipop. Staple the layers together on either side of the stick to secure it.
Activity Favors
These are the favors the kids make themselves. It could be a craft item or the leftovers from a craft activity. For example, the kids may paint with watercolors for one of the activities. Instead of one water color set and several brushes, give each child their own watercolor set that they get to take home after the party. Another option is to make a small costume item for the guests to wear at the party that they get to keep—princess hats, pirate eye patches, and magic wands are examples.
Favor Bags
Steer clear of the little plastic bags featuring licensed characters. Use plain brown or colored lunch sacks instead. I usually decorate the outside of the bag with stickers or I glue on cut-outs. For example, at the pirate party I cut squares out of old maps and glued them to the front of each bag then wrote each boy’s name in the square. Fold over the top of the bag then punch two holes through the front of the fold. Thread a ribbon through and tie in a bow to secure closed.
Also, remember to always set a budget for your party before hand. We have a budget of $25 for home/park parties and $50 for pizza place parties. Splurge on the parts your child enjoys most and cut back everywhere else.
I’d love to hear what you thought of this series. Would you like to see more series like this? Let me know in the comments!
For more frugal tips subscribe to my RSS feed or follow me on Twitter!
