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Creatively Frugal Event Planning
What tips and tricks do you use when putting together any sort of
social event on a small budget? How do you create a big splash for a little
cash?
"In our house we do
the $20 birthday. It includes cake, soda, ice cream,
pinata, decorations and games. We develop the parts
around a theme. The decorations are standard balloons
(from Dollar Tree), streamers (purchased at our thrift
store and sufficient for many years of parties) and
small toys or items that can be hung from our ceiling
fixture and given as gifts (Dollar Tree) or items around
the house or pictures mounted on cardboard from the
internet. The pinata is made in advance and can be paper
mache and painted with yard sale purchased craft paint,
(newspaper strips and flour and water paste over an
object like a balloon) or cut and assembled poster board
(Dollar Tree again, love that place). The candies for
the pinata come from a local bump and dent type discount
grocery, as does the ice cream and soda. The cake is
homemade and the frosting is colored or decorated to fit
the theme. We have heavy duty reusable plastic plates in
bright yellow purchased when our local McCrory's went
out of business and washable cloth tablecloths in bright
colors, colored paper napkins and disposible cups
(Dollar Tree). We've done knights and princesses, mad
scientists, pirates, Hawaii, retro, books, Coca Cola,
etc. themes, often with costumes for the kids. We use
fabric gotten from our local thrift store bins, scrap
wood from where ever, cardboard boxes, and stuff around
the house... Game ideas are found on line and adapted to
fit the theme or situation or found in the local
library. (For the mad scientists we did at home science
projects.) Scavenger hunts are fun as well (Used for the
adult parties and the pirate one). Obstacle courses,
skill challenges, a story to be acted out by the party
goers (in costume), have been some of the more
successful games. The possibilities are practically
endless." ~ Olivia
"For a festive
look for the table, I will pick up yards of seasonal
fabric (usually on sale for the next year) and use
these as table linens (pumpkins, bunny rabbits,
snowmen, etc). You can fold them so that the
rough edges do not show and use them as a runner, or
if you are more industrious you can sew a seam on
the edges. They can easily be washed and used
later for other purposes. Another idea for a
table runner is to use wrapping paper. This
works so great over a plain table linen and you can
either throw it away or recycle it after use!"
~ Gabrielle, Knoxville, TN
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"Our Sunday school class
of about 30 people will decide to have a party and have
every couple signs up to bring something. I hosted a bar-b-cue
for Memorial day and only had to buy lettuce and tomatoes.
With everyone chipping in no one is stuck with a big
bill." ~ Karen in TN
"After planning, my first
tip for creating a nice event on a budget is ASK, ASK, ASK!
The Bible says ask and you shall receive. So ask your friends,
family and fellow church-goers if they have items you could
borrow for the event, such as tea-themed decorations, teapots,
teacups, etc. Ask for donations if this event is for a church
group. Many businesses will donate items or at least give you
a discount if it means they'll continue to get your business
or they can count it toward their tax-free donations. Check
out the Dollar Stores, thrift stores, garage sales for
wonderful props.
Let your creativity flow and the remainder of your budget can
be spent on food. Cull budget-minded cookbooks for inexpensive
food ideas." ~ Grace
"These ideas are my niece's, from her wedding, though I
like to think I had some influence....She could afford $2 per
table to decorate the tables for a February wedding. The hall
provided pale blue table cloths & napkins. She
bought inexpensive clear glass vases, put a little fake
snow in the base (after Christmas sale) and put in dry
branches that she had sprayed with high gloss clear lacquer.
Branches were trash picked from someone's garden trimmings in
the fall and stored on her balcony until time came to use
them. Then the tables were sprinkled with glass drops from the
Dollar store in blues and pearl, and star confetti that
she and her family and friends had made with a couple of
large and small punches from a craft store. The tables looked
wonderful....and the whole thing cost very little." ~
Ellen
Editor's Note: Thanks to these readers for taking time to share
their ideas!
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