It’s that time of year again ... a special birthday or event, to celebrate at your house.  You’ve got the guest list ready but how do you make it into a memorable party?  What is the best party for what age group and how do you theme it without spending huge dollars?

Some themed ideas for kids under 6 would be things like:

Circus, jungle animals, treasure hunt, Teddy Bear’s picnic, pirate and princess, fairies, story book characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Mermaid etc...

For children over 7 consider an Alice in Wonderland – Madhatter’s Teaparty, Hightea for that special little girl in your life, or for the boys Ben10, or their other favourite characters of the week.

For the older age group, 10 and above, you can look at themes like:

Red Carpet – come as your favourite movie star, Hannah Montanna, Highschool Musical, etc.  Fancy Dress – come as something starting with the letter of your child’s name.

One year we did a Red Carpet event and it was a complete success!

So, how do you create an atmosphere without blowing your budget? The secret is to plan months in advance if you can!  First of all, decide on your theme, and work out whether you will be baking the cake or ordering one.  If you are ordering, make sure you give the store at least 4 working days notice of your requirements.  If you are looking for something specialised, sometimes it’s a good idea to call the shop a couple of months in advance to make sure they will have that special picture you saw as the cake topper.  Often stock comes and goes and you may never see it again. Buy it in advance if you have to, you won’t be sorry!  If you see something you like better later on, you can always save it for another event. Think about ordering an ice-cream cake for something different too!

You can create stunning invitations either by hand-making cards, or using lots of wonderful different computer programs these.  There are also many Graphic Designers (such as The House of Vintner who are also happy to create gorgeous designs for your next big event.  If you’re making them yourself, be sure to source the paper, card and motifs in time.  Try to have them well-prepared at least a month before your big event and then give your guests at least 3 weeks notice, slightly more if school holidays are involved.

To turn your home into a Fairyland Paradise or Pirate’s cave, Google some funky pictures, print them off and colour in!  Cut out the shapes you require and hang from streamers around the room you will be spending most of the party in!  Add a few bunches of balloons for effect, remember to theme the colour.  For your pirate you may want black and white (pearl or plain?) and for your fairy princess you may decide to go with pink and lilac.  If you’re having a red carpet event, consider going with red, black and white balloons, or red, gold and white, as this can really jazz up a boring room immensely!  Lots of party shops sell very inexpensive streamers to match as well!

You can find templates on line to create your own party boxes or again, contact your Graphic Designer for assistance.  Use the same pictures (in a smaller version) as you used for hanging around the room on the party boxes, and these can also be used on place cards as well. 

Don’t forget to write the names of guests on plastic cups so they don’t get mixed up and you can create a variation to them by purchasing glittery pictures used for scrapbooking onto them using double-sided tape!  I also employ these methods for Christmas lunch when we are expecting lots of guests!  For the adults, I use Wine Glass Charms so we don’t mix up our drinks.

If you’re inspired to create there are so many beautiful things you can make.  However, if you just feel this is beyond you and the weather is conducive to getting outdoors, why not pick your favourite park for the event.  If this is for a small child, announce that it is a Teddy Bear’s picnic.  Family and friends can pack their own picnic lunch and blankets, and you can supply the cake and lollies so that you don’t have to transport an entire catering pack to the park.  Try to utilise somewhere close to home in case you have to run back for something important like a sharp knife to cut the cake, the camera or sunscreen.  Plan the day with a list so that forgetting things is kept to a bare minimum if at all! 

Don’t forget to pack the Teddy Bear biscuits (plain or chocolate or both!) And remember, you can make a Teddy Bear shaped cake or gingerbread in the same mould! 

Email your invitations to save money, or if posting them, include a map to the park for those who may be familiar with the area.  Also include a card for RSVPs so that it jogs your guest’s memories to respond in a timely manner.  There is nothing worse than catering too much or too little!

If you’re theming a Baby Shower this might be the time you want to announce whether you’re expecting a boy or a girl by the balloons and streamer colours you choose! You can also purchase cake toppers in pink or blue, I have some that are rocking horses, that can certainly make your announcement really special – keep them and use them for Baby’s First Birthday cake!  Or keep it neutral and keep them all guessing! ...

Happy partying!