Cheap DIY Party Decorations

My toddler’s second birthday party is coming up in a few days and I am totally unprepared.  Her first birthday was a much bigger deal–our families came into town, we had lots of decorations up, I made diy mason jar cozies (I blame the sleep deprivation for that one), etc.  This birthday sort of snuck up on us, though! And now, Ruby (the toddler) actually knows what a party is and keeps requesting things–a marshmallow cake! balloons! macaroni and cheese! A RAINBOW! So, there are expectations, is what I am saying.  Funny enough, this toddler with all the demands is also making it impossible to actually get anything done by constantly asking questions (what’s that noise? what suffocate mean? can I have string cheese? is that a bird or an owl? and on and on and ON), and having to use the bathroom every 5 minutes.

So, before this spirals into mommy-blog territory, let’s talk about party decorations! I’ve been looking for quick and simple party decorations that won’t look trashy or sloppy, and that will really impress two toddlers and a 5-year-old.  All of these would work for older kids too, and even adults, so read on for cheap and easy party decorations!

Oh Happy Day has tons and tons of beautiful and modern party decorations.  Some are sort of involved, but many are simple, like these Big Fringe Garlands.

These tissue paper buntings from Babble are just made from sheets of tissue paper, so you can use whatever color you’d like.

This streamer garland from Glorious Treats is such a nice way to use crepe paper.  Usually, crepe paper makes me a little crazy because it never twists evenly, and you end up with ripped and crumpled ends taped everywhere, which looks ugly.  This seems so clean and orderly.  I like it.

Even though I will probably pass out from blowing up all those balloons, I may attempt this balloon banner from Design Mom.  Did you know there is a helium shortage? Well, our local grocery store only gets one tank of helium every month, so by this time, it’s already gone! Isn’t that crazy? Anyway, this is a great way to use balloons without needing helium.

The Little Green Notebook featured these hanging ombre balloons last year, and I bookmarked it then because it was so pretty.  I’ve heard that if you’re going to do this, you should put a penny in each balloon before tying it off to weigh it down a bit, this way they don’t get all crazy.

If you have a sewing machine and can sew in a straight line, you can make these ruffled streamers (made from crepe paper) from Made.  They are so crazy festive, I might just give it a try.