Most kids love going to birthday parties. But I’ve found what my kids love even more is throwing a birthday party. And while they love tasting the cake batter off of a spatula, and sending out invitations, what they get most excited about is decorating and preparing for the guests to arrive!
Today, we’re showing off some super easy, and super cheap DIY party decorations that kids can help make. My boys and nieces and nephews were thrilled to be able to throw a flower-themed, springtime birthday party for their Yaya (grandma).
All of the supplies for the party came from Dollar General – from craft supplies to party supplies, everything was easy to find and much more inexpensive than items you would find at the craft or party supply store.
Check out what we made and how the kids were able to get involved in the crafty fine motor fun!
This post brought to you by Dollar General. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Inspired Treehouse.
Tissue Paper Flower Arrangement
Supplies
4 packages of tissue paper to match your decor
4 packages of pipe cleaners (doesn’t matter what color)
Wire mesh basket (doesn’t matter what color)
Prep Time: About 30 minutes to prep the flowers, about 15 minutes for the kids to finish them and arrange them
What I did: The day before, I whipped up a bunch of paper flowers using the tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Older kids could definitely do this on their own, but I was working with some smaller munchkins, so I just worked ahead.
I left the flowers folded and flat until the day of the party so they wouldn’t get smushed. I bought tons of tissue paper and pipe cleaners because they were way cheaper at Dollar General than they would have been at a craft store, so we were able to make lots of pretty flowers to use as decorations!
What the kids did: They loved helping to “fluff” the flowers (see the tissue paper flower tutorial to see what I mean). But the real fun was threading the pipe cleaner stems through the mesh basket to create a beautiful centerpiece! A great little visual motor activity for the youngest members of our decorating team!
Duct Tape Flower Place Cards
Supplies
Duct tape to match your decor
Cardstock Marker
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
What I did: Mostly, I just sat back and supervised on this one. The kids needed a little bit of help here and there to cut the tape to the right width and length.
What the kids did: The kids cut and folded the cardstock to make place cards that would stand up on their own. Then, they peeled off pieces of duct tape, cut the duct tape into narrow pieces, and stuck them in a star shape to look like a flower. Last, they wrote the names of the party guests on each place card. Lots of great fine motor and visual motor work here – peeling off tape, practicing with scissors, and writing!
Paper Plate Flower Decorations
Supplies
Paper plates to match your decor
Scissors
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
What I did: Because the paper products were so much less expensive at Dollar General than they typically are at party stores, we were able to buy double – some to use for birthday cake and some to make another creative party decoration! I drew lines on the backs of the paper plates to show kids how to cut triangle shapes out of the circles to make them look like flowers.
What the kids did: The kids then got some more practice with those cutting skills! They cut on the lines and then placed the paper plate flowers on top of a different colored solid plate. Then they put one at each place setting.
Extras:
Supplies
Milkshake straws to match your decor
Rubber flower-shaped wine charms
Vinyl table cloths to match your decor
A roll of brown Kraft paper
Prep Time: About 5 minutes
We found some pink straws in the summer section at Dollar General and also some rubber flower-shaped wine charms. We popped the wine charms onto the straws for a colorful little decoration!
We also covered the table with vinyl table cloths and then rolled the Kraft paper out down the middle of the table to make a runner.
Needless to say, Yaya was totally surprised and thrilled with the handmade decorations by all of her grandchildren. What a great way to set the stage for a birthday party!
Throwing a flower-themed party of your own? Here are some fun ways to keep the kids entertained! Try a game of Ring Around the Posies in the driveway or set up some Stepping Stones in the backyard!
Save on summer essentials with Dollar General! And check out Dollar General on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more great ideas and inspiration!
