Homemade Birthdays: Decorations

We have a lot of fun with birthday parties around here.

We spend time together planning them and try to be as creative as we can making and using what we have on hand to put them together. Decorations can be made with lots of recycled materials.

For some parties, I've made murals that go along with the party theme (So far, we've had a castle for a princess party, Veggie Tales-to go with a movie party, and a large barn for a farm party.). I save large boxes and cardboard scraps to create the backgrounds. The murals are great for photo opps. Many birthdays, we've taken some wonderful, unique pictures of the guests with the birthday kid.

Veggies for the Pirates that Don't do Anything
and Barn for a Farm party

 Large scraps of material are great for creating tents, tunnels, dividers, ceiling banners, and caves.

Curtains, materials, and lights for a slumber party

Large piece of material to create a snakey tunnel

strips of material made these streamers in the birthday girl's favorite color

Glass jars of all shapes and sizes make perfect drinking glasses, vases, containers to hold supplies, or (with a little bit of sand and wire) candle holders. 

I've found cleaning the adhesive off comes in a 3 step process *see below

sand and candles

holding crayons, markers, and other supplies

Construction paper is very versatile and an inexpensive alternative to buying costly decorations. We've made banners, props, wall decorations, and invitations out of construction paper.

Construction signs for a truck party, lily pads for a river,
trunk for a tree, sun for a beach party

 I like to use tables for decoration, too. And I usually try to find things we already have around the house.

A road from black table paper and yellow construction paper for a construction party,
A barn toy with the craft in the center piece of the table for a farm party,
and goggles, sunglasses, sun hats and floaties for a beach party.

 Toys really make great decorations.

Trucks for a construction party, sheep for a farm party,
barn for a farm party, and alligator game for an explorer party.

We use table paper to create lots of different decorations.

River for explorer party and leaves for explorer party

Aluminum cans make simple, but beautiful decorative pieces. We've used them as vases and punched them in various designs to hold candles with a lovely glow.

These turned out beautifully lined up on the counter and tables.

Covered with material to hold supplies for party.

See Homemade Birthdays:



Decorations 

Food and Cake

Games and Activities

Crafts

Keepsakes

Dress-up

Out and About

Wishing you homeschool blessings,


*Steps for cleaning the adhesive (glue and paper) off of glass jars
1) Take off paper that comes off easily and soak in soapy water.
2) Rub on shortening with a paper towel and buff off.

3) Use a wire scrubber to remove remaining sticky places.