A kiddie party! Great for goofy-fun loving high school or college kids, or people turning "age milestones" like 30, 40, or 50. Fairly inexpensive and fun.
It's a costume part of sorts. People have to come dressed as little kids. Maybe even make it more fun and suggest an era, the time when the person WAS a little kid, like the 70's or 80's.
You can do to the Dollar store and buy little trinkets and kiddie games, and play things like Musical Chairs, Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey,Tag, Hide and Seek or other kid games.
The person throwing the party can decorate with colorful streamers; rainbows or pink and purple for girls/women, khaki green, black, red, blue, that kind of thing for boys/men. They can hand out little goodie bags with cheap toys and little games.
And of course cake and ice cream! And maybe lollipops.
Old toys and the like cleaned up and in good repair (Or cheap dollar store toys like squirt guns and other fun things) can be used for prizes for the games!
Any toys the people don't want to keep for nostalgia (or heck, to play with) can be given to neighbor kids, nephews, and the like. Or to Goodwill or other organizations, like Toys for Tots and Project Santa.
Source: I actually got the basic idea from an Archie digest comic where the characters have just such a party. XD
By Saber Alexander from Omaha, NE
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I need suggestions for plan a surprise party for my mother. She is turning 53 this year. What theme should I do?
Ishael from Roselle, IL
One of the best ways to get her to the party is to send her a fake invitation to a surprise party for a friend of hers. First let the friend in on it! When she gets the invitation in the mail, she will want to go, and she won't wonder why there are cars parked all around.
As far as themes go, how about the good old fashioned balloons and streamers? It always works for me! Good Luck!
think back on any time she went somewhere or with someone to a special place or event that she really enjoyed and talked about that was very memrable for her then see if you can recreate that theme. maybe she went on a cruise once so a tropical theme would bring back those memories etc. if you know her favorite color and type flower or music draw from that for your theme.
If she didn't have to work, money was no object and she had no responsibilities for children, parents, spouse, where would she live? That should be your decor and music. Then base the rest of the party on her interests or hobbies.
How about "her" kind of music from school and dating times? Encourage everyone to wear clothing from the time frame. There are vinatage stores with just about every era covered. When you send her invitation to the friend's party it can say dress for whatever year and bring along an LP or whatever she played as a high schooler.
* LP = long play record.. the large vinyl thingies with 5 or 6 songs on each side.
Throw a tea party/mad hatter party! Or a pink party! (Think *almost* Red Hat Society.)
My mom is around that age, and I think if I were throwing her a surprise party, I'd make sure all my siblings were there, we weren't fighting, and we did something crazy or silly. Like a mad hatter tea party. With all the costume jewelry we could find from her mother's old jewelry box.
:-) Have fun!
Borrow a record player and records from the 60s! I have a record player and records lol - im from Streamwood but i live in Indiana now - if you know someone whos still got a record player, that would be really cool! also, the best surprise parties ive ever thrown or went to were held a day or 2 later when theyre least expecting it! just make sure shes got a good heart - cuz it scares the hell out of the person! :)
You could have a party for her "and" a celebrity (in absentia of course) who was born the same year. Some include Reba McIntyre, Whoopie Goldberg, Bill Gates, Kevin Costner, and Bruce Willis.
Don't forget she will want to remember this party for the rest of her life. Take photos or her and each guest or family, with a digital camera and have a printer handy. Print the photos and put them in a scrapbook allowing the person who is in the photo with her to add in their own hand writing a story about a time they spent with Mom - or a happening they enjoyed together.
You can also go to a web site and get facts and happenings from the year she was born for games or posters or even invitations.
I'm turning 21 in January '08. It's the huge birthday to celebrate in England. Anyway I've always said I wanted a 'Princess Ball' for my party and all my friends love it. I'm thinking pinkness, formal wear, tiaras, red carpets, champagne etc.
I think your "Princess Party" is a great idea. You could buy large bolts of cheap red fabric and tape it to the floor/steps with double side tape. Also a resale shop/ Craig's List/Ebay are good places for cheap formal dresses. Also maybe a music school could provide music for dancing at a cheaper price. Go for it....You only turn 21 once.
It would be super-cool if you could find (or make) some "magic" wands that light up with either LEDs or those glow sticks.... (like star shaped magic-fairy-princess wands)
HERE'S SOME WEBSITES THAT SELL LED PARTY SUPPLIES:
www.flashingblinkylights.com/
www.global-b2b-network.com/
*These web sites are TOTALLY AWESOME & you'll get a BIG kick out of them! ...I like the way you can buy things in bulk.
Silver goes well with pink. I don't know how christmas is celebrated in England, but if there are sparklie decorations on sale for the holidays, they could work...also, if you are near a city with bulk or wholesale fabric, you might find lame' or silver net or pink fancy fabric for not as much as in a regular retail store...same for flowers--a floral distributor would have better prices than your neighborhood shop. Ask friends and relatives if they have any fancies set back in the attic.
Oh this sounds wonderful.
Rental shops here in Canada rent Arbours with tulle (fancy netting) all through them for weddings. That would be pretty.
Myself and a couple of other ladies were in charge of a Women's group at our church, and once we had a Cinderella theme evening. It was so fun. Some came as Cinderella, some the ugly step sisters, one came as a pumpkin, one dressed as the Princes shoe helper with a velvet pillow and a pretty shoe. And of course we all had to try on the slipper. It was a hoot.
There is also a fun Rindercella story - some of the words are said backwards. I would love to hear how it turns out :)
Have manicure stations! Do each other's nails (hands or feet). Unless you invite men as well. Not sure how that would go over.
If you're having couples, get a male friend with a loud, great voice to announce the guests at the door as they arrive. Put him in a red velvet jacket. Powdered wig optional. :-)
I just have to wish you a happy birthday because January 8th is also MY birthday. One famous person who was born on January 8th was a king -- Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll! His favorite colors were pink and grey, so maybe you could incorporate those into your Princess Ball theme.
Beverly in California, USA
I am turning 58 on June 27 and would like to plan something that would cost under $100.
By Phyllis
Whatever you do, get someone to get 58 "Different" lottery tickets off different rolls, or from different stores, on the scratch offs. My son did this for me one year and I had a ball.
I won a teeny little bit on scratch offs. It was fun and I got to keep going back to get new ones that said I won a ticket.
A birthday present to remember; of course its better when someone else pays for it too. Happy Birthday.
I need a cheap event space for an adult birthday party that allows outside food and beverages, preferably under $200. Any suggestions?
By mmg from Atlanta, GA
Our city park has large spaces for rent for under $50, you provide a tent, in case of rain, and chairs, food, etc., check out your parks and rec dept.
I will be having my first dinner for my 47th birthday next month. I want any ideas that are frugal and from a dollar store.
I want to spend as little money as possible since it's only one day. Thanks.so this fun article describes how you can throw a great party decorating only from the dollar store - www.buzzfeed.com/
as far as food, if you're clever you can make very attractive and tasty enough food just from what's available there. Just buy whatever and make sure to put it in attractive plates.
If you have any ability to cook, then avoid the $ store, go to a real grocery store and buy real produce/meat etc. It actually costs less though takes much more time to prepare.
The dollar store has tortillas and cans of beans and cheese. You could make a fix-your-own burrito party. They also have drinks and snacks, like popcorn, pretzels and chips.
I'm turning 45 and I want to know what I can do. I would like to have a party, but I want a theme, something fun to do.
By anshauntae
I think karaoke would be a lot of fun. This would be a fun night and you could invite your friends over for a nice dinner.
Looking for ideas for a 10-10-10 birthday party. Any ideas for activities? It is an adult birthday, family event with fun for all ages. All suggestions considered.
By Denese from Woodbine, GA
If I were in charge I would be throwing the birthday boy or girl a tenth birthday party all over again. Why not recapture his/her youth? You can find all kinds of decorations at party supply stores that celebrate tenth birthdays and if it is a family party you could go all out and maybe track down some games from childhood and get everyone playing in a tournament of some kind.
My volleyball coach, who is an awesome person, is single, and is turning 30. A friend of mine is really serious about hosting some type of party for our coach because she's just that special. We have no idea what to do. She loves volleyball, country music, laughing and all sorts of things.
One of my friends was a soccer fanatic, and his family made him a soccer ball cake using a pyrex bowl rather than a regular cake pan. You could simulate a volleyball with white frosting and then color the lines and words with foodcoloring mixed into some frosting you reserved--or use licorice string? For cheap way to decorate: Put into a small ziplock sandwich baggie and then cut a fairly small tip. You can use this or a frosting kit--(some at grocery stores are disposables but can be washed and used again and again and are very cheap)--to pipe the lines of the ball as well as a birthday message or whatever over the cake. I myself am using the pyrex bowl method to make a volcano cake for my little girl's upcoming luau birthday party. I found this recipe tonight, coincidentally, and it recommends the bowl cake and trimming the cake around its base to give it the appearance of a ball. Check it out; it can easily be used for a soccer ball.
Soccer Ball Cake
from Womans Day Magazine
Neat way way to make a ball shaped cake.
Perfect for birthday parties.
4 cups any flavor cake batter
3 cups white colored frosting
1 (8 ounce) package black licorice whips
3/4 cup black colored white sugar
Directions:
1 Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour one 2 1/2 to 3 quart
ovenproof bowl.
2 Pour prepared cake batter into the prepared
bowl and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let
cake cool for 15 minutes in the bowl then
invert and let cake cool completely.
3 Once cake is completely cool trim flat side
of cake and place on a cake board. Trim edges
into a ball shape. Frost with the white
frosting. Next using a toothpick draw a
pentagon in the center top of the cake.
Surround the pentagon with five hexagons.
Repeating to cover entire cake. Cover lines
with black licorice cut into 1 1/2 inch
pieces. Fill the pentagon shapes with
black colored white sugar.
Makes 1 - 2 1/2 to 3 quart bowl
