Homemade birthday party decorations not only save you money, but they give a celebration singular style. You can enliven any indoor or outdoor space with simple decorative elements, or invest more time in creating homemade centerpieces, thematic decorations, party bags, activities, prizes and gifts. Before purchasing materials at party supply stores and craft shops, look around your house for bright elements, such as fabric swatches or art supplies, you can upcycle into festive homemade decorations.
Types
Homemade party decorations often center around a theme, especially when the guest of honor is a child. The easiest way to make your own thematic decorations begins with clipping images out of magazines or catalogs. Decoupage these images onto gift boxes, party bags, plain paper cups and posters using white craft glue mixed with water. Some birthday parties have themes centered around activities or places, such as surfing, the beach, building with Legos or Hollywood. For these types of parties, paint banners or wall hangings, or create papier mache sculptures relevant to the theme. Color themes, such as pink and lavender or silver and gold, also inspire party decor.
Function
Homemade birthday party decorations make for a festive atmosphere. Attach streamers to small prizes and have children pull them from a basket overhead. Create cascarones, a Mexican holiday treat, by hollowing out eggs and stuffing them with confetti. Seal the holes with tissue paper and tell children they can crush the eggs over each others’ heads. Enlist a friend to create balloon creatures to decorate the party table or to make for guests during the party. Paint a sheet or large piece of cardboard with a scene and cut out holes for people to put their faces into for a photo opportunity.
Features
Most indoor parties feature table, ceiling and chair decorations. You can make your own versions of these adornments by tying chairs with bright fabric ribbons, scattering sequins and beads on a plain tablecloth, and traipsing gauze or chiffon around the ceiling and walls. For outdoor parties, add lighting and natural items. Place tea lights in large shells filled with sand and sea glass for table decorations, or place tiki torches or party lights around the perimeter of the event.
Benefits
Homemade birthday party decorations give your event a custom look. Have guests add artwork to posters, cards and party bags with art materials you supply. Print out images of the guest of honor and glue them to invitations. Make a large banner with the guest of honor’s name printed on card stock.
Considerations
One way to make the birthday party more festive is to customize the cake. Rather than invest in an expensive bakery cake, make your own and frost it with butter cream frosting. Provide toppings for guests to add to their slices. Possibilities include whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, toasted coconut, sliced almonds, miniature marshmallows, crushed cookies, small chocolate chips, gumdrops and gummy worms.
Photo Credit
- Birthday cake image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com
