Evan’s First Birthday: Decorations
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010Although my plan was to save money by making all the decorations for Evan’s circus birthday party, it didn’t take long for things to get out of hand with my budget. (Or at least that’s what WOULD have happened if I’d had a budget to begin with. I’ve never been good with numbers.) I would have been better off ordering a couple banners off Etsy, picking up paper plates and cups at the dollar store, plopping a hat on everyone’s head and calling it good. So don’t come around here looking for cheap party tips because I don’t have any. If you want inspiration, cute ideas or hints on where to find circus themed stuff, then by all means keep reading.
I decided I needed a wreath for the door at 9 pm Friday night. It’s tissue paper on cardboard.
Banner on the front porch. Craft paper from JoAnn Fabric.
Playbill font on craft store paper.
I pushed our buffet in front of the fireplace to keep the kids out and used it as a cake table. The photos on the mantle were done by Nina Benjamin, a local photographer. Tablecloth is just a couple yards of fabric from Joann’s. Circus tray is vintage from my grandmother, crown is from Michael’s crafts with a little felt badge I made glued on.
I used “Coffee Tin”, a free font I downloaded, and printed on paper rectangles I bought at the craft store. No cutting involved!
Popcorn boxes from the $1 section of Target, wind up clowns, gumball machines and pin wheels from the dollar store.
Prizes for the older kids, although the games were so disorganized I just handed them out to whoever I could find.
Origami circus animals from Michael’s.
I bought a 50-balloon helium tank from BJ’s for $22 and used ALL of it. Balloons outside, balloons inside, balloons on the ceiling, balloons on the staircase.
BALLOOOOOOOONS!
My proudest and most frustrating decoration – I cut every single one of these tiny triangles out by hand and sewed them together one at a time in a looooooooog streamer.
Clown noses ordered from Oriental Trading Co, free circus font downloaded from internet, tablecloth is fabric from Joann’s
Napkins from Celebrate Express (seriously, they had some good stuff)
Games: clothespin drop, pin the nose on the clown, coloring pages of (non-scary) clow faces
ALL those little circus graphics are actually from favor boxes I bought at Christmas Tree Shops. I cut them up and used them as my theme and color scheme. The silverware holders are actually pencil holders from the $1 section at Target. Tickets from iParty.
I ordered a photo book from Snapfish with a 30% off coupon code and left a few pages blank in the back to use as a guest book. The photos are a recap of Baby Evan’s first year.
Bean bag toss – the cloth was purchased at Target on clearance, E built the backing. Extra bean bags bought at Christmas Tree Shop.
More fabric from Joann’s, top hat and mustache from local party store, baby suspenders from Belt Outlet online.
