Our first-born daughter, Sawyer, is the sweetest 16-year-old you could ask for. Don’t get me wrong, she has her moments and has a little sass in her too, but she blesses our family beyond measure. She never asks for much and didn’t want anything special this year, so her 16th birthday was a little tricky. It made me think about why the 16th birthday is such a special year, and to be honest I couldn’t think of much except for getting a driver’s license. According to Google, it’s a coming-of-age celebration. For me, it’s an excuse to throw a party and make it special, but Sawyer said no decorations. What? I cannot comprehend this statement; it does not compute. After some intense questioning, it came down to her being modest and not wanting a lot of attention. Naturally, we compromised! I explained to her my ideas for simple birthday decorations on a budget, and she agreed to a corner being decorated. She didn’t even want a birthday cake (doesn’t like cake) so I considered this corner a huge win.

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Simple Birthday Decorations on a Budget – Idea #1

The first decoration was using streamers and some yarn. I already had the yarn and white crepe paper, so I spend $4 on the other four colors. I even purchased them at the party store she works at, and she approved of the colors (there wasn’t a ton to choose from). I prefer about five colors, but you can use any number of colors you want. The quickest way to put together the crepe paper fringe is to make it on the floor. I used a stapler which was a fast method to securing each strand. I left the front half of each fringe a little shorter to add more texture. I measured the length I’d need and cut that amount of yarn for each length of fringe. I like overlapping the fringe and letting them swoop down some. There are many things you can do with this method, so have fun and you’ll love how quick and easy it is to make.

Simple Birthday Decorations on a Budget – Idea #2

The next decoration is too easy to not do. I bought some packages of yellow and white balloons from the dollar store and used instructions I read at Hobby Lobby. I noticed a colorful endcap at Hobby Lobby full of balloon arch kits and stuff. One of the kits was to make these balloon towers and I was intrigued. After reading the back of the package, I realized that the kit didn’t come with special supplies to make the tower, but you got the balloons in the colors from the front of the package. There was no way I was going to pay $12 just for those certain colors. You can see in the video how to make this tower, but I’ll try to explain it here as well. I used my automatic balloon pump, balloons, and that yarn from before. Blow up two balloons and tie them together. I thought this would be tricky, but if you don’t overinflate, it’s easy and doesn’t hurt your fingers. Set the tied balloons aside. Take two more balloons, blow them up, and tie together. Take your two sets of tied balloons and twist them together – this makes the four balloons stay together. I used yarn to tie them together and this starts the base of the tower. Repeat these steps, add each set of four balloons to the tower and use the yarn to connect them. The yarn will go up through the center of the tower, holding them all together.

I stopped my tower when I did because it was tipping over, I didn’t want it too tall below the crepe paper fringe, and I was running out of balloons. Anyway, I love this tower idea and can’t wait to try some more looks with it. I also snuck in the vintage marquee letter S. The string of lights inside no longer works, and I didn’t replace it because I knew she wouldn’t want it turned on. I still count it as a win that the S was allowed to stay. I love this vintage letter, it used to be in her bedroom and while she’s outgrown it, I haven’t. I’m going to hold onto it, you just never know.

Simple Birthday Decorations on a Budget – Idea #3

The final simple birthday decoration on a budget was a kraft Paper Mache candy tray. I found the numbers one and six at Joann’s, $5.99 each, and I used some of the crepe paper and baking cups I already had on hand. Once you cut the front side off, carefully using a kraft knife, you can decorate it however you want, then fill with baking cups to hold the candy or treats that you want. I love a good crepe paper ruffle, and they are so easy to make. In the video you can see just how easy and quickly it comes together even though it seems like a tedious project. Just sew down the middle of crepe paper, scrunching it up to the machine’s presser foot as you go. I love sewing paper, so this project was really fun and relaxing for me. If you like a vintage look at Dollar Store prices, you’ll love this little touch. I just used a glue gun to attach the ruffle around the outside of each number.

In case you’re wondering what’s inside those baking cups, it’s freeze-dried candy! My friend Jessica freeze dries candy and then donates to animal shelters as well as other organizations that help the community. They have donated product and money to organizations – and they welcome you to contact them with requests! I couldn’t help but try all the various kinds and they are so good, it’s an interesting texture, light and crunchy. The saltwater taffy was the prettiest to me and I loved the Sprees the most. There wasn’t a candy that I didn’t like. You can check out their site to see some of the popular candy that they offer, but you can also send special requests for your favorites. They are a small business, but they’re doing great work and make tasty treats. I loved the aesthetics of the freeze-dried candies, but the flavor was off the hook. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it. Be sure to visit StubbornBass.com and you can email Jess if you have any questions or would like to place an order.

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Simple Birthday Decorations on a Budget

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Simple Birthday Decorations on a Budget – How to Video:

@804_sycamore

#diypartydecor #balloonstylist #partyinspiration #balloontower #freezedriedcandy #candycharcuterieboard

♬ original sound – Amy

Simple Birthday Decorations on a Budget

Altogether, I spent $14 on decorating supplies. That’s my kind of budget, and it didn’t take much time at all to put it together. Sawyer had a great time with her friends, and they enjoyed all the candy during the movie portion of the evening. I hope this post has given you a few ideas for your next party. We love birthdays over here, so I hope to come up with some more simple birthday decorations on a budget in the future. Be sure to subscribe and receive one DIY/Decorating email a week, as well as my free shelf styling eBook to download. Take care!