With Reagan's 1st birthday party planning behind me, I wanted to share some tips I found to be especially helpful for staying within budget::
Buy white when you can, that way you can personalize it and save the extras for a future party.
Personalizing can be fun and super easy! A little washi tape, stickers, paint or a stamp can take a boring white item and make them perfect for any party.
I was able to purchase a stamp on
Etsy and use it all over Reagan's party. I stamped the back of her invitations, the white paper cups, and white tablecloths.
The white cups were left over from a previous party, and I still have plenty for a upcoming get togethers! I can already see some blue washi tape and red striped straws in their future for a fantastic Fourth of July BBQ.
Brainstorm themes and color schemes well in advance.
Knowing what the plan is will help you start picking things up months before the big shindig, that way when you see the perfect matching paper napkins on clearance at Target you can snatch them up and store them away.
I started brainstorming 6 months in advance, and was able to score some major deals at yardsales, on craigslist and in clearance bins.
Do it yourself.
Hello,
Pinterest is your friend. With so many online resources these days it's easy to find ideas on doing everything yourself, invites, food, decor can all be done yourself. Even the least crafty person can pull off a great DIY party with step by step tutorials.
Don't forget your honey-do list, give your husband a reason to get in the garage and play with his power tools.
Use coupons to buy what you need.
Be patient, things will go on sale and you will either have or get a coupon for the item or store. If you've done your job at setting a theme early you can have months to be watching the stores to see when things are at their lowest price.
Use things you already have around the house. OR Borrow from friends and family.
You'll be surprised at what you already have that can be used as decor. Be creative, sometimes digging through Holiday totes or camping supplies can pay off.
If your friends or family members have something that would be perfect, just ask if you can borrow it. If they say 'No', just slip it in your purse and borrow it anyway. I kid. Kind of.
When you do have to buy things make sure they are things you can reuse or sell.
If you can't then you don't need to buy it.
If you can't make it, borrow it, or own it already than do your research before renting.
It can be cheaper than buying if you don't plan on using it again, or at least often enough to get your money's worth. Shop around, and find the best place to rent.
At the end of the day, remember what the purpose of the celebration is for.
If little Johnny doesn't get the right balloons you can always Photoshop them in later.
Happy party planning!!!
