simple party planning on a tiny budget {horse party}

I absolutely LOVE a party. I like to plan them, attend them, cook for them.  You name it. I just LOVE parties. But parties can be a challenge for many people. They become overwhelming and extremely costly. So, I thought I would share some of my best party tips with you.

Pick a theme

This might seem too daunting, but it actually makes the party much easier. It gives your planning a direction. Guide your child to choose something he/she loves. Think outside of the box. Personally I steer clear of characters.  They cost too much and usually aren’t very cute. Some of the themes I’ve personally done…

Pink party

Art party

Peter Rabbit party

Horse Party

Cars party (this was based on the Disney movie)

Teddy Bear Tea Party

A simple theme can create much excitement for games. For example, when we did the Peter Rabbit party, Mr. McGregor showed up and chased the kids all around the garden. It was hysterical how much fun the kids had doing that and it was completely FREE.

Use the Internet

Pinterest really is your friend. She doesn’t taunt you if you can’t make a perfect meringue or the most beautiful piece of artwork out of old coffee cans. That’s your insecurity talking. Don’t listen. Use Pinterest as a resource and give yourself grace. So what if you can’t sew, there are lots of things you can do.  And lots of pins in that department.

Once you have picked a theme, set aside an hour or two and google your theme. Use teacher sites, party sites, blogs, etc. Anything with ideas. Be sure you read them because the best ideas are free and simple!

Buy things on sale

Plan ahead. Plain and simple. You could put a party together in a few days, but it will cost more. Sometimes I plan 3 or 4 months in advance. Usually my kids have picked a theme that early, anyway.

I buy things on clearance after holidays. After Valentine’s Day and Easter you will find tons of pink, purple, teal paper products and other useful party decor. After Halloween and Christmas you can often find boy colors…orange, red, green. Sprinkles, streamers, balloons, and candy are also great buys on after holiday sales.

Save your supplies

I have a birthday party box and I simply save stuff. I have been using some pink gerber daisies for the girl’s parties for 4 years now. They simply seem to fit with just about every theme. I also save cupcakes wrappers, paper products, ribbon, etc.

Stay simple and focus on the memory

What I want out of a birthday party is a memory. I want my child to grow up remembering how fun his/her birthday parties were and how I made them special. Ask your child what he/she wants to do at the party. We may think it is boring or too over done, but if they love it- do it! Believe it or not, they have great ideas, too. My girls are really getting good at coming up with things to go with their theme.

Involve your child

Why spend $300 for a Chuck E Cheese party?  It’s simple. Parties at home are a LOT of work. But you can fix that by involving your child in that process. Have him/her make stuff or help bake. Have them set the table and most importantly, clean up. Yes, it may be their birthday, but it won’t hurt them to help clean up. In fact, if you make it fun, they will enjoy it.

So how much did I spend on the horse party that we had this week? $24.31

Yes! For a little under $25, I hosted a party for 12 children. And I served dinner, popcorn, and breakfast.

I used some leftover cups and plates. I made centerpieces out of tissue paper.  I recycled those gerber daisies from 4 years ago. I blew up some old pink balloons that she has used in the past. There is an advantage to your child liking the same color year after year…use it.

I made cupcakes and we played games. My daughter wanted to play pin the tail on the horse. Horseshoes and musical chairs. So we did. We also decorated our own horseshoes out of foam and made cupcake wrappers into horses. She planned most of the activities and was thrilled at how the party went.

Perhaps my favorite part was the ribbons that we made. This was one of the things that we splurged on. We bought cupcake wrappers and made them into ribbons for each guest to wear.

The project was about $5 for all 12. That’s because we had to buy a few packs of cupcake wrappers (but had leftovers for another party) and we bought pins to stick on the back of the ribbon so the girls could wear them.

I hope I have inspired you. It really isn’t as hard as it looks. The memories will be worth it!

Join the conversation… what are your favorite party tips? Do you a have a theme that you really enjoyed?

Kim Sorgius

Kim is just a girl, crazy in love with Jesus. She's a single mother of 4, a passionate homeschooler and life-long student. After teaching 8 years in public school, she traded her M.A. in Early Childhood for sippy cups and homeschool co-ops. Kim is the owner and editor of The Homeschool Village and Not Consumed where she encourages others to rest victoriously in the hands of God, rather than allowing life's difficult circumstances to consume.

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Last updated by Kim Sorgius at April 19, 2012.

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