Tag: Paper Plates

Tips on buying cheap party favors

With the rising costs of goods, it is impractical to even hold a party but would any parent sacrifice their kids; special birthdays? The answer to this is to not, NOT hold a party but to do it as cheaply as possible so as not to affect the household budget. And you dont really have to scrimp on the food or even on the party favors which is actually the most often item that is cut off from the list of must haves. Party favors can actually come cheap if you know where to buy and what to do. Here are some tips for you.

1. Recycle

Why buy if you can take items that you dont need from your house and turn them into party favors. You can use plastic bottles of mineral water to make toy telescopes or pencil holders. You can turn paper plates into masks for the party. You can get some old boxes from your garage and make photo frames where guests can put their photos during the party. The list is as endless as your imagination. It will take some work yes but you will not be spending money and if you spend, it will just be minimal.

2. Do a gimmick

No one will really care about the gift, its how you present it and how you use it during the party that matters. No one ever used party favors really unless people are made to use them. For instance, with the photo frame idea, why not set up a photo place as guests exit the party. They can have their pictures taken and then printed with a handy photo printer. Then, they can immediately place them onto their photo frames. With the telescope, you can hold a treasure hunt and have the kids use them. With the mask, you can hold a masquerade ball. Its the activities in your party that guests will care about and will eventually remember, not the party favors.

3. Buy in bulk and buy early

If you do not have the time not the talent to do some crafts and would rather buy the party favors that make them, you can save money by buying in bulk and buying them early. This means you should be planning your kids birthday parties months in advance and take advantage of sales and discounts that will be offered during holidays. If you can buy a year early and do some shopping after some seasons like Halloween or fourth of July. That way, you can enjoy larger discounts and better promos.

It is not really so hard to plan a birthday party and include some party favors in the process. You can scrimp yes but the sign of a master planner of events is to scrimp without making it so obvious. You can do that with a little imagination, some cunning and a lot of planning. After all, even in these times of hardship, your kids still deserve a birthday party they can remember.

Plan your party, food and favors with the least possible

Plan your party, food and favors with the least possible cost

With the economy down, most people are foregoing with organizing parties and just celebrate by treating their guests out for dinner or lunch. But some people are still dreaming of having their own party despite the rising costs of organizing one. You can actually organize one, complete with the drinks and the party favors at minimal costs just as long as you know how to budget.

Here are some tips that can help you.

1. Plan early

If you really want to save up for your party then better plan ahead and take advantage of upcoming sales and promos. Sale seasons to watch out for are the Thanksgiving Sale and the Fourth of July Sale which are great ways to buy materials for your party. Of course, you cannot buy the food in advance but all others can be bought early like the decoration, the party favors and even the drinks and some hors d oeuvres. If it is a childrens party that you are planning, try to take advantage of the after Halloween sale where they will be selling candies and chocolates as well as costumes and decors at half the price or sometimes even a quarter of the price.

2. Recycle and Reuse

When planning your party make sure that you know the things that you need to buy and the things that you can get from your home. As much as you can, try to make use of plates and glasses that you already have in your home. The plates and cups dont have to match. They just need to be clean. You can put the designs of the pieces one after the other. With a pattern, it will not be as evident that they are not matching china.

When planning for party favors for childrens parties, you can recycle plastic cups, paper plates and other items that you can transform into masks, telescopes and other great fun toys that children during the party can play with. There are many things that you can reuse and recycle. You just need to make an effort to look. Besides by doing this you will not only be saving money, you will also be saving the environment.

3. Call in invites and RSVP

Another great way to cut costs is to forego with the invitations and just call them in to inform them about the event. Make sure also that you emphasize the need for an RSVP so that you can have a final head count days before the event. This will help you a lot in planning and in deciding on the food and the drinks.

If you just want an intimate dinner and do not have the budget for people that you dont really know, tell your guests from the onset that they are the only ones invited and that they cannot bring anybody with them. By telling them about it when you invite them, you will minimize confusion and problems of excess people on the day of your party.

Choosing and buying a party favor

If there is anything that would make a Christmas party stand out from the other Christmas parties held all over the world, it would be the party favors being given away on that event. From plastic toys and puzzles in birthday parties, party favors have rapidly evolved. Now, party favors have become a loot bag full of nice and expensive stuff. This is especially true with parties and events for adults. This however brought an image of expensiveness to an otherwise simple gesture of giving souvenirs for a party. And with the high prices of organizing a party, creating a costly swag bag is just not the priority. In fact, many do not give any at all.

But you dont have to put expensive stuff in your swag bag if you dont want to. For simple parties, you can give simple gifts that will just help make your guests remember the occasion. For instance, a party favor that consists of freshly picked flowers from your own garden will definitely be a hit in a Sweet Sixteen party. A mask made from paper plates and cans can be part of a childrens party swag bag. A fish in a small bowl can be a nice take away present for guests and entourage in a wedding reception. There are many things that you can give without adding significantly to your costs.

The key is in the budgeting. First, you need to consider what the party is for and what it celebrates. That will give you an idea on what appropriate gifts to buy as your party favor. If you can, you can choose stuff that will either remind the guests of the person who is celebrating an occasion or remind them of the occasion itself. A gift that will symbolize the occasion is also another way to think when looking for ideas for party favors. For instance, with a wedding reception, newlyweds can either give a compilation of their favorite songs together in a cd or potpourri wrapped in white cloth and veil. They can also give a pair of lovebirds or doves as party favors as these animals symbolize togetherness and love.

Another important thing to consider is the function of the piece. Gone are the days when party favors consist of tiny glass sculptures and porcelain figures that will only rot in a box with the rest of the figurines that you got from other parties and reception. Because these are remembrances of occasions, few people will want to throw them however useless they are. Thus, they only serve to clutter houses. If you are going to give a party favor, make sure that it is something that the guest will be able to use in his or her daily life or in the immediate future. That way, your gift has a use besides serving as a souvenir.

Fortunately for those who have one too many figurines with names and dates on them, the trend towards giving these kinds of party favors is slowly fading. Now, people are more practical. Probably because they need to.