Fun & Frugal 1st Birthday Party
Sent from reader, Rebekah:
My son Owen just turned one, and we had a very fun and frugal party for him! Our theme was hot air balloons, which turned out to be a great choice. The Dollar Tree had lots of supplies that made it affordable AND adorable! There were also cheap decorations on Amazon and in thrift stores that we used as well.
Here are some ideas for anyone interested in throwing a Hot Air Balloon themed party on a budget!
Decor: We used Dollar Tree paper lanterns, twine, and brown plastic potting cups to create hot air balloons, and hung them in the room with photos of Owen in them!
Timeline: One of my favorite aspects of the party was a timeline we had on the wall with photos of Owen from newborn up to 12 months! I found these cute hot air balloon cutouts on Amazon and they worked perfectly!
Party favors: Dollar Tree has some great suncatcher paint kits for only $1 each, including ones with a hot air balloon design! They also have cheap favor bags, bubbles, and fruit snacks!
Crafts: A super simple craft for kids to do requires only paper plates, paper cups, tape, straws, and crayons! Have the kids decorate their plates. Then, tape two straws inside the cup, and tape the straws to the plate to look like a hot air balloon!
Games: We made up a quiz about Owen for our guests. We also had bubble-blowing and sidewalk chalk for outdoor fun!
Food: At thrift stores like Goodwill, we found nice woven baskets for serving snacks like Chex Mix.
Treats: For the cupcakes I made, I topped them with these hot air balloon cupcake picks from Amazon!
Photos: A friend of ours offered to take photos for us after the party! She got some amazing shots of Owen—posed in a basket I discovered at a thrift store for only $4, and with Dollar Tree balloons in the background!
In the end, being able to host a fun party without breaking the bank was a huge blessing—and the memories are priceless!
HAPPY FRIDAY!
Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at [email protected]. Every Friday, we post one photo, submitted by a Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into their frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!
