Are you tired of the common, overused licensed Disney party themes that are available at your local party supply stores? They are generally over priced, lack creativity and let’s be honest, you’ve probably either hosted or attended parties that have exhausted all of the available themes. If you have browsed Internet sites like Pinterest.com recently, you have probably noticed the latest trend of designing your own party theme. It’s not the least bit complicated and the creativity allowed makes for lasting memories of your child’s themed party.
If you’re interested in creating a custom theme for your child’s party the first step is to choose your theme. The ideas are limitless so here are a few that I have seen so far: Clowns, Monsters, Mermaids, Candy, Circus, Pirates, Trains, Princess, Fairy, and Superheros. When picking you theme you not only want to consider your child’s interests but you should also consider the age range of the children who would be attending the party.
Once you have your theme selected you want to make a list of what you’ll need to create the party atmosphere. Remember you can make a custom themed party of any size. Of course the smaller the party the less it will cost, but size does not define the fun that the children will experience. A generic party list would look like this: Invitations, Food, Cake, Tables, Chairs, Decorations, Games/Entertainment, and Favors.
Invitations: You can create them yourself by buying clip art of your desired theme from websites like Etsy.com or 123rf.com. Once you have the clip art you can use it for other elements of your party such as decorations and the cake. You can also buy pre-made invitations for almost any theme on Etsy.com.
Food: If you have the time and recourses it’s always fun to incorporate foods that relate to your theme. For example at a superhero party the following foods were served: Wonder Dogs (hot dogs in a bun), Elasta cheese (string cheese), Fruit Kapows! (fruit kebobs), Hero H2O (water), and Lighting Lemonade (lemonade). If you chose not to incorporate your food with your theme it’s totally fine, it will not take away from your party.
Cake: Using the clip art that you purchased for the invitations you can create a design for your cake that can be printed out at bakeries or stores like Walmart, Stop & Shop or Costco
Decorations: If you’re not interested in wasting money, I would advise that you never ever purchase themed napkins, plates or cups. Solid colors that compliment your theme are great. If you are interested in making centerpieces or banners you can make them using the clip art you purchased and print them out yourself or check out your local Staples, Fed Ex or even Vistaprint.com. A lot of times you can get a high quality banner using your clip art for about $15. Many DIY decoration themes can be found easily on the Internet, specifically on a site like Pinterest.com. Items like popcorn, cotton candy and snow cone machines provided by Annabel’s Entertainment can add to the parties theme and also serve as favors and/or food.
Games/Entertainment: Bouncers and slides are great for kid’s parties, they do a great job at keeping the kids occupied and many times you can find a bouncer with a color scheme that compliments your party theme. Obstacle courses, magic shows, sand art, spin art and face painting add that something extra to your child’s party.
Favors: Again, you can use the clip art that you purchased for the invitations to create custom favors for your party or you make up goodie bags that compliment your theme.
As I mentioned before, the larger the party the higher the costs involved. Using a DIY theme allows you to make your child’s party extra special without breaking the bank. The main tip I can offer is to give yourself enough time in advance to plan out each aspect of the party. Search in stores and online for the best deals available and above all have fun! Party plan can be a truly fun and creative process.
Hugs and Kisses,
Annabel the Clown
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