Party on a Budget

I know a lot of people are on a budget these days (including me) and throwing a party is no exception. So here is some advice on how to have a cute party with out breaking the bank. Now, remember this is just my advice so take it as you will, or heck, just ignore it all together. :)

When I get a client or when I am going to host a party I will always ask these questions:

1.What is your budget?
2.What is your desired theme?
3.What do you want the guest to take away from this party? (decor)
4.Where and when are you planning on having the party?

1. This is simple enough right? Write down the wants and the musts and start your budget from there. This is where you may need to cut out your wants... (a bounce house)

2.  Starting in advanced as much as you can with a theme will help you maintain your budget. For example, I knew my son's color scheme for a long time so after any holiday 75% off table I grabbed what I knew I needed. For example, if you are doing anything with red after valentines day, 4th of July, and Christmas are all times to snag up decor, candy, or anything that doesn't need to be fresh. 

***When picking a theme and you have a small budget make sure you think about how cost effective it will be. For example, I don't suggest doing a candy theme if you are on a smaller budget because candy is expensive and it takes a lot to fill one jar. I would suggest sticking to a color scheme so you are not narrowed down to one type of food and you can splurge on just one or two items such as detailed sugar cookies and then add filler's like powdered donuts on skewers.  

Pictures from Monster Party

3. What do you want your guest to take away from this party? I like to have at least one element to the party that people will go "wow" over. This could be all the small details, the cake, the over all display, or the party favors. Personally for me, when I am doing a party on a budget I skip the large room decor and go for the small details on the food or dessert table because this is where your guest will be gathered around. Also keep in mind that the small details will take time but wont break the bank. You can find a lot of free printables on the Internet like this, this, and this.

More ideas include: 

*Make cheap, yet cute decor yourself like these cake stands.

*Always check your local dollar store :)

*Make your own cake. Store bought cakes are way expensive and if your little kid is just going to shove  their face in it anyways why pay for the fancy design.

*Find ways to reuse items in a different way like this...

From sewmanyways.blogspot.com

(to see the parties these cakes were for click here, here, and here)

4.  When are you having the party? If you are on a budget then plan the party after a meal. This way your guest are full and are not expecting lunch or dinner to be served. For example, I held my son's at a park at 2 o'clock so people knew to come full and I was just having cookies and milk.


 Where are you having the party? If you are on a budget then I recommend hosting the party at a park or somewhere free like your house. Kids don't care where it is at as long as they are having fun and adults don't care as long as there is good food. If you decide to host it at your house then here are some helpful tips to give your table a "wow" factor :

*** Location can be everything. I always like to have a blank wall to put the table against so you can decorate it how you want. This is also great for pictures because it brings the focus to the table and not the surroundings. If you can, try to avoid putting it up against a window because it will give you harsh lighting for pictures (see example below.) However, if there is no choice but to put it up against a window, ALWAYS close your blinds and it will help.

Example of a clean background:

picture from cookies and milk #2 party

Example in front of a window with the blinds closed:

 picture from my winter dessert table

Example of having a distracting background:

(picture from graduation party)

To see all my parties click HERE