hellothanks.com

Easy Kids Party Decorating

Kid party decorations can be cheap and easy, yet impressive, if you follow these simple guidelines and use a little imagination and advance planning. Get rave reviews with our fun decorating ideas!

GREETING SIGN

A greeting sign in your front yard or on your door is a nice way to welcome party guests. Match it to the party theme and colors. For a construction party write "Caution: Work Zone" in black on a yellow background. For a luau party, draw orange, yellow and pink leis around the word "Aloha". A western party sign could say "Welcome to the O.K. Corral".

With just a little imagination, a homemade sign can be better than a store-bought one and you'll be complimented on your ingenuity to boot!

BALLOONS

Balloons are a must for every kids party. They are cheap, colorful, and every kid loves them! Choose the balloon color to complement your party theme. For example, two shades of green for a jungle party, orange and black for a Halloween party, yellow and orange for a construction party, and so on.

Assorted helium-filled balloons can be bunched and anchored in the middle of the party table as a centerpiece, or attached from the light fixture in the center of the room. I always get a special birthday mylar which relates to the party theme and tie it to the birthday child's chair.

A balloon arch is an impressive way to direct guests to the party area. Simply attach helium-filled balloons to a ribbon about every 12 inches and secure it to the ground on either side of your doorway. Remember to attach a few balloons to your mailbox to show guests where the party is. Be sure you have enough balloons to give one to each party guest as they leave.

CREPE PAPER

Another cheap and easy party decoration is crepe paper. Tie four to six pieces from the center light fixture in the room extending to the corners and walls. Twist as you go and secure with masking tape or rubber cement, both of which are easily removed after the party is over. For an extra fancy effect, twist two different colors of crepe together. Attach a couple of balloons over the crepe paper ends to cover any tape or glue.

Hang crepe paper strips in doorways similar to the 60's beaded look. Alternate colors for more visual interest. Balloons and crepe paper alone are enough to give your party area a fun and festive atmosphere.

TABLE DECORATIONS

Personalize your party table with some homemade embellishments. Start with a tablecloth designed by the party child. Cut a length of butcher paper and let him or her decorate it with colorful markers, crayons, pictures cut from magazines, construction paper shapes - let the imagination run wild! Then, sandwich your child's creation between a colored plastic tablecloth and a clear one, so it can be appreciated by all, yet protected from spills.

Use one or more of your child's toys relating to the party theme as a centerpiece. For example, a large teddy bear for a teddy bear picnic party, a grouping of Barbies for a dolly party, a cowboy hat for a western party - you get the idea. You can even anchor a balloon bouquet to your unique centerpiece.

Curl several lengths of curling ribbon and lay on the table surrounding your centerpiece. Add a few sprinkles of party confetti - it even comes in different themes - to complete the effect.

COSTUMES

You may not think of costumes as decorations, but they are! They just happen to be adorning people, not walls or tables! It's fun for the party hosts and party child to dress with the party theme, even if it's just a hat, funny glasses, or themed T-Shirt. This conveys a playful mood to get your party going in a festive spirit.

If you plan your theme several months ahead, you can anticipate your needs and take advantage of sales and discounts to keep the cost of decorations down. Keep a storage container of party decorations you see on close-out throughout the year. If you throw an annual party on Halloween, Valentine's Day or other holiday, shop the day after the holiday for deeply discounted items and save them in your party container for the following year's party.

Follow these simple kids party decorating tips, and you'll reap the benefits with rave reviews from party guests and parents alike!

Copyright 2004 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved

Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.

Silverstone

MORE ARTICLES:

Send Gift Cards With Ecards: Gifts.Com Announces Exclusive Gift Card Partnership with AmericanGreetings.com
AmericanGreetings.com Ecard senders can now send gift cards with their e-greetings, thanks to the new partnership between Gifts.com and AmericanGreetings.com.

Make a Memory: Mother's Day Photo Gifts and Cards Now 20 Percent Off at American Greetings PhotoWorks
Mother's Day photo gifts and cards are now all 20 percent off at PhotoWorks. Stop in to get a unique and customized gift for Mom this year.

New Language Course App for the iPad Will Open the Next Frontier for Language Learning.
Hello-Hello Launches Revolutionary Language Course App for the iPad. Available Immediately in the iTunes Store.

Archive Generations of Family Recipes and Holiday Memories With New Cookbooks by American Greetings Photoworks
Just in time for the holiday season, American Greetings PhotoWorks introduces the "Fabulous Recipes" cookbook template. Honor the traditions of food, family and timeless recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation by creating a tasty archive of family dishes.

Writing a Thank You Letter for Meeting
I have a habit of sending a thank you letter for meeting after any meeting I attend. People often tell me it is not serious and out of contest but I believe a thank you letter for meeting is necessary for any decent business man.

Scentcology 101 Greeting Card Line by Scentsational Greetings, Inc. Takes Card Industry by Storm
A new and exciting trend within the greeting card industry is upon us. Greeting card innovator Scentsational Greetings, announced the debut of its one-of-a-kind greetings that combine the art and science of scent with the personal connection of a greeting card. This new line of cards will utilize various scents to improve moods and make special occasions even more pleasant.

Gifts For Wedding Guests
There is a new trend of giving wedding gifts for guests and for guest gifts for other celebrations that started in the USA around the turn of the millennium, and is now becoming highly popular in the UK When you invite individuals or couples to your celebration, you are invariably committing them to expense and silly as it sounds, some inconvenience

The Polite Angler
An oxymoron is when two opposing words are combined together to create an idea. Phrases like "jumbo shrimp" or "genuine imitation", illustrate the idea. To some people, who still think of fishing as a hillbilly, redneck pastime, "fishing etiquette" may be an oxymoron. Yet more and more men, women and children are finding their involvement with the world of fishing to be more enjoyable when they use polite behavior on their angling adventure. How does one going about being a polite fisherman?

Hello from Sicily - Goodbye Taormina - Hello Milazzo!
My last day in Taormina had started: I woke up at daybreak to pack my suitcase since later today I would be relocating from Taormina to the city of Milazzo. I enjoyed my final breakfast on the gorgeous terrace of Hotel Villa Nettuno, the place that had been my home for the last seven nights. Pictures of yesterday's hike up Mount Etna flashed to my mind. The view over the Ionian Sea continued to fascinate me and I hope that one day I will make it back to beautiful Taormina.

Hello From Sicily - Goodbye Vulcano, Dolphins, Tunas, And Hello Milazzo
The days on this sailing trip are so compressed and amazingly full of diverse experiences: waking yesterday in beautiful Lipari, followed by a driving tour of this, the largest Eolian island. Then our journey continued to Vulcano, where we had an intense Italian lesson, followed by a nourishing on-board dinner and candlelit evening of soulful music, provided by two of our shipmates. There are hardly words to describe the intense sensations that one experiences on a trip so outside of the norm.

Christmas Greetings
Christmas Greetings

Party Thank You Cards for All Party Occasions
First birthdays, in fact, all children birthdays, are some of the more memorable events in a person's lifetime. That's why we make them memorable and precious by having fun and colorful birthday parties. Inviting relatives and friends to your child's birthday party is one of the more important parts of any birthday celebration.

Proven Manners Program for Children Now Available in the United States
MannersMatterUSA.com is pleased to offer parents, educators and caregivers a toolkit for providing a social foundation built on manners, respect and social confidence for children ages 3 to 12. These kits are specifically designed to engage young children and hold their attention as they learn proper life skills.

Sanrio Digital and Zoo Games Announce 'Hello Kitty Seasons' for Nintendo Wii
First Wii Hello Kitty® title planned to release Pre-Holiday 2010