Painted Happy Birthday BannerHere is another inexpensive, cute, and colorful "Happy Birthday Banner" you can make with paper, paint, decorative scissors, a hole puncher, and yarn. This is perfect to hang for a child's birthday!
Happy Birthday Cut Letter BannerI like to purchase decorative paper pad sheets when I find them on sale or on clearance, because they are so versatile. I used different pieces of paper from the paper pad to create this colorful Happy Birthday letter banner.
Teacup Party Favor HolderThis recycle craft, is made from a patterned tissue box. It is a tea cup party favor, to be filled with candies or mints for an upcoming bridal shower with a tea party garden theme.
Gender Reveal Door SignHere is an inexpensive, simple, and quick gender reveal door sign I made for my friend's party.
Gentleman Themed Paper Goody BagI'm thinking of a Baby Boss themed party for my 2nd child's upcoming birthday. As much as possible I want it simple and at a very low cost, but of course we all want our parties presentable. Here's and idea for a gentleman themed goody bag.
Little Peanut Baby Shower FavorsThis is a cute shower favor or dessert at your baby shower since it is edible.
Baby Shower CenterpieceMy daughter's twin baby shower theme was diapers (see previous ThriftyFun entry for the cute homemade invitations!) so I carried the theme through with other diaper related decorations and games including these adorable centerpieces that doubled as "prizes" for a game we played. It's super simple and cost effective, and got raves!
Making Tissue Paper Puffy FlowersI love using tissue paper to make flowers. They make fabulous decorations, and are great for sprucing up gift bags and presents. For these flowers, we will use a small Styrofoam ball or ping pong ball to puff the flower petals to give them a beautiful round dimension. The flower pistils are made by simply twisting some tissue paper into thin strips.
Making Coffee Filter Animal Candy BagsMy mum and I make these animal candy bags for the kids for Easter, but they can be made for any type of celebration. The kids like to make these, too. It's a very simple, all-ages, craft. You could fill them up with whatever you like! These are examples with both cone-style and regular coffee filters.
Home BannerThis is a cute little banner I made for our house warming party. You can find sites on the internet that allow you to print banner letters for free. I printed the banners online with Snapfish for 9 cents each, but you can print these letters with a printer using card stock paper, or send to your local photo developing stores like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, or Target.
Bottle Cap Mini Flower BasketThis is one very good idea/suggestion for those who are looking for a low cost party souvenir. For illustration purposes I created a sample using scraps, including in the making of the flowers.
Drinking Straw StarburstsMy local dollar shop is trying to get rid of an excess stock of drinking straws so they're on sale for 25 cents per box. I decided to use them to make decorative starbursts for my birthday party. They give quite the visual punch for a few pennies!
Felt Clip-on Harry Potter TiesI made these clip-on felt ties for my son's Harry Potter themed birthday. Each gift bag also included a pair of Harry Potter glasses. The kids absolutely loved them!
Toddler Birthday SashMy little cousin's 4th birthday is this week. She has a crown her mom bought her, but she wanted a sash to go with her crown. Since it was last minute, I used some items I had at home to create her this quick and easy little sash she can wear to school with her crown.
Cauliflower Sheep CenterpieceThis is a fun edible craft that makes a fantastic centerpiece for many occasions: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthday parties, and more. You can make these with kids; just cut the segments apart for them. They will have so much fun putting it together, then having a healthy snack!
Grape and Edamame CaterpillarsThese little caterpillar decorations are easy to make. You can use wire or toothpicks to hold them together. If you use wire, you can make them slither around. So fun!
Gumdrop Machine Decoration or Party CenterpieceThis simple little project looks oh-so-cute and is super easy to make. A fishbowl, flower pot, markers, and candy is all it takes! You could even color coordinate the pot with your parties theme. It could even make a fun Halloween decoration with orange and black paint and a spiderweb draw on the lid with gummy worms inside!
Revamp Birthday CrownLast year, I made a birthday crown for my little one's 1st birthday. Now she's turning 2 soon. I saved the hat, and just revamped it to look new this year.
Monkey Theme Decoration BannerPlanning a party last minute and need some easy decoration tips? This is a simple do it yourself decoration project with items you probably already have at home!
Cute Little Paper Bird CraftHere is a cute craft for the summer months! This little bird will look great as party décor when hosting a garden party. This fella' is quick to make, so you can have a whole flock of birds to help you to celebrate in style. You can make the birds in different colors to add a fun element.
Confetti Birthday Number Cake TopperThis is a cute handmade touch to add to a cake, cupcake, donut, or even a bagel or burger as a topper.
Fresh Herb and Veggie BouquetYou won't find my family eating a meal at home without a side of fresh herbs and veggies. They're tasty, great pallet cleansers, and fantastic for things like healthy blood glucose levels and aiding in digestion. With a few cuts of a knife and a water bath, you can create this eye-appealing edible centerpiece!
Felt Fortune CookiesThe best part of opening a fortune cookie is receiving your paper fortune, so these felt versions can save you from ingesting too many cookies! They can be reused, too, so this is a great craft for Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, and many other celebrations.
Glass Jar Party FavorsI found these very neat size jars after a holiday sale for .50 cents for a 3 pack. They come in handy for many things, storage, cooking, and even party favors! This project can also be made out of baby food jars. Here is how!
Make Boo-Boo Bunnies For a Baby ShowerI have been making boo-boo bunnies for half my life. Every time there is a baby shower in my huge family, I am the nominated favor maker. I just love making those darling little bunnies! To go with them, I always make a huge one for the baby's nursery. I fill it with baby wash cloths and a bar of baby soap.
Birthday CrownThis is a trendy and cute birthday crown made with scrap supplies from home. This style birthday crown is going for $10-15 handmade online, but you can totally make it yourself in less than 20 minutes.
'Sharky' Goldfish Paper Lantern DecorationMy son's party theme was pretty unique so I couldn't just buy decorations for it. I decided to make my own. This paper lantern goldfish (complete with shark fin) was the perfect decoration to hang over the table!
Goldfish Party Treat BagsI made these cute goldfish themed party treat bags for my son's birthday. They were easy to make and big enough to hold all kinds of fun goodies!
Simple Pennant Cake TopperSo pretty and easy to make and you can use recycled fabric from pre-loved garments to make these delightful cake toppers. Older children can join in making these for a tea party. You can cut out the fabric and they can get busy glueing them onto the sticks.
Party Hat Cupcake TopperHere is a cheap easy way to add a bit of pizazz to a party buffet table. These cute little cupcake toppers are made out of paper cupcake cases and are fun to make.
VHS Tape ContainerI made this tabletop container for my husband's birthday, using VHS tapes. I used it to hold plates and utensils at the party. It will find a new purpose at home, but I am not sure what that will be yet. :)
Record Table CenterpieceI threw an 80s themed birthday for my husband's 40th birthday party. I was looking for a simple table centerpiece idea and wanted it to incorporate vinyl records.
1st Birthday Photo PropThis is a page about 1st birthday photo prop. Creating a photo prop for your little one's 1st birthday photo makes for a very special shot.
Snowman Place SettingI made this fun snowman place setting for my son's 2nd birthday. You can use it for serving appetizers or you could give each person a place setting like this at a party!
Paper Fortune CookiesThese paper fortune cookies are quick and easy to make and a fun feature of any party or gathering.
Birthday Balloon and Streamer CurtainI decided to surprise my son on his birthday by hanging this curtain of balloons and streamers from his doorframe. I just used to tape to hang the balloons from curling ribbon and strips of paper streamers. When he opened his door in the morning he got a face full of "birthday cheer"!
Birthday Pennant BannerI love these reusable banners. They are great for almost any party and make great everyday decorations too. This is the one I made for my son's first birthday.
1st Birthday Highchair BannerI made this winter themed highchair banner to use at my son's 1st birthday party. I absolutely love it and plan to use it as a decoration in his room now.
1st Birthday Hat and Diaper CoverI made this cute matching diaper cover and party hat for my son's 1st birthday photo shoot. I decided to make my own after I could't find one that I liked online.
1st Birthday Photo PropThe brightly colored letters spell out "one" and are the perfect prop for a 1st birthday photo shoot. They also make a great party decoration.
Snowball Label HoldersThese easy to make holders are perfect for using at a winter party. They can be used for place cards or to label food.
Baby Faces Birthday BannerThis birthday banner is a great way to show how much your baby has grown over their first year!
1st Birthday Hat and BadgeHere is the birthday hat and badge I made for my son's first birthday.
Tissue Paper FlowersTissue paper flowers are easy to make and are perfect for any occasion.
Easy LED Shamrock Balloon DecorationHere's a quick and easy decoration that will help light up your St. Patrick's Day festivities.
Quick Glass Gem DecorationWe recently had a work function and I needed to make some quick table decorations, without breaking the bank in the process, and within a limited amount of time. Here's how I managed to do this!
Mini Bunting Banner for a CakeLearn how to make a mini bunting banner for a cake.
Paper Flower BowlThis paper flower bowl makes a lovely container for sweets and nuts.
Balloon Bottle CenterpieceThis is an easy, cheap, recycled decorating tip for kids' birthday parties. I do it for every party my kids have. Cuts the cost of helium for party balloons.
Birthday Party HatMany birthdays have a theme. When my grandson's birthday came around we couldn't find a party hat with the characters he wanted on it. Using one of the plates I cut it out and made his hat.
Mini Graduation CapSince it is graduation time, these are great to make for graduation parties! They are easy enough for kids to do.
Little Swimmers Diaper CakeA unique and colorful spin on the popular baby shower gift, because babies just want to have fun in the water and sun!
Caterpillar BalloonA cute addition to any buggy birthday party or just a fun spring/summer decoration for the house, this craft is sure to excite the youngest of crafters! It uses very simple, and very few supplies, so go for it!
Cinco de Mayo CenterpieceThese cute, inexpensive sombreros may great centerpieces for Cinco de Mayo (May 5) or any Mexican themed party. They are very quick and easy to make.
Floral Ball Table DecorationThese small and elegant decorations are perfect for throwing a formal, black-tie affair, such as wedding, prom, anniversary, graduation and the like.
Butterfly PinataThis pinata was the hit of our 5th Birthday Butterfly Bash. To make it, we taped an oval balloon to a broomstick handle wedged between two chairs, and covered it with a mixture of 1 inch wide newspaper strips and paper mache paste (1 part flour to 2 parts water, with a few tablespoons of salt).
How to Make a Diaper CakeDiaper Cakes are all the rage as a baby shower gift. Here are instruction on how to make one for half the cost of buying one.
Patriotic Summer CenterpieceI needed a cute centerpiece for my dining room table to last me through the summer. I was looking for something with the red, white, and blue theme so I could leave it out from May to September!
Tin Pail of Apples DecorationHere's a nice decoration using faux apples, floral moss, silk ivy, and a tin pail.
Birthday Candy CakeGlue together each set of foam circles to make one thick circle in each size. Glue or pick pin each circle on top of each other. Make sure you get as close to middle as possible. Use low temp glue gun and start glueing the miniature candy bars all around.
Onesie CakeOne of my best friends is expecting a little girl next month. We are throwing a surprise shower lunch for her at work and I thought that a "onesie cake" would be adorable for the table.
Making Your Own Graduation AnnouncementsThe cost of graduation announcements can be very steep, but I wanted to send out something nice to all our friends and extended family to let them know that my youngest child was graduating from college.
Pumpkin Jar CenterpiecePumpkin face centerpiece made from a mayo jar.
Noah's Ark and Animals from Clay PotsHere is a cute Noah's Ark and animals made from 5 inch and 1 inch clay pots.
July Birthday DecorationsI enjoy decorating for the month of July because my son and husband's birthdays are in July (5th and 27th).
"Gerber" Baby Favors for 1st Birthday PartyFor my daughter's first birthday party, I made her into the "Gerber" baby by creating new "labels" for the jars. I started with a Word document and inserted a picture of her from my Kodak files.
Seashore Candle CenterpieceI wanted to make a centerpiece for the island in my kitchen since I rarely use it for anything else other than placing my keys, wallet and other little things on it when I come home in the evenings. I love candles and the beach so I decided to do a seashore candle center piece.
Crazy Hat Tea PartyHave you moved to a new neighborhood and looking for a way to get to know your new neighbors? Would you like to host a small charity event? Are you a group of friends who just want something fun and different to do?
Sponge Mobile or CenterpieceIt's amazing what a little creativity and imagination can do with some very simple items. The sponge mobile is a fun project for a rainy afternoon with kids. Depending on how it's hung or stood, the dancing butterflies, hearts, and stars can play above a cradle or stand in the middle of a kid's birthday party table.
