What Party Supplies Are Worth the Money?

What party supplies are worth the money? That’s a question I hear a lot from party planning moms. “What should I spend my party dollars on?” and “Where should I save my money?” I’m going to help you figure it out, but I’ll warn you upfront: you may not like the first step.

1 – Decide how much you can spend on your party.

Feeling like you “can’t really spend a lot” is not the same as picking a dollar amount that you won’t exceed. (Yes, this is my tough love side!)

So, pick a number. There’s no magic number that gives you an Instagram-worthy party. But there is a number that fits your family’s budget, and only you know what that number is.

I’ll put on my Dave Ramsey hat and say that I really don’t want you to spend any more on a party than you can cash-flow. Don’t take on debt for a party. Don’t hide bills from your husband for your party. You just don’t need to do those things because — I promise — we can make it special and pretty without running up your credit card.

2 – Your next step is to make your party budget.

Making a party budget may feel like a tall order, especially if you don’t know what different party elements generally cost. But that’s okay because as you research your options, just jot down the cost. Then, tally everything up and decide what’s inside or outside of your party budget.

As you consider each item you might spend money on, stop and think about what you might already own and could repurpose for your party. Could you DIY something (or, if it might cost just as much — or more — to buy the supplies required). Think about if you have the skills to bake or create any of these items or do you need to call in an expert. What can you borrow? What can you repurpose from the thrift store?

** Now, here’s what I’d spend my money on. **

Party Printables

I’m a big believer that printables help set your party style, so I usually invest in them. I also love to mail a printed invitation because who gets personal mail any more? It’s exciting!

Budget tip: search my Freebie page or try Pinterest for free printables. You also can send a digital invitation through Evite or another service. You’ll save on printing and postage.

Printing your printables at an office supply will save your expensive printer ink and give you better quality prints on thicker paper than you probably can run through your home printer.

You’ll need to mail your printed invitations, so you’ll probably need A7 size envelopes (for 5″ x 7″ invitations) and postage.

Here are printables hard at work at our Nancy Drew Mystery Party.

Party Printables DIY Supplies 

If you’re using printables at your party, you’ll probably also need these supplies:

• 3/8” and 7/8″ grosgrain ribbon
• Paper trimmer
• 2” circle punch
• Single-hole punch
• Lollipop sticks
• Safety pins
• Aleene’s Thick Tacky glue
• Pop-up glue dots
• 3M command strips and hooks
• Place card holders for dessert table food labels and possibly for your dining table

Party Place Settings

Place settings are one of my favorite party aspects to design — even if I’m only serving a dessert table. Your place settings budget may need to include:

• Fabric tablecloth
• Napkins
• Chargers or dinner plates
• Lunch and/or dessert plates
• Premium plastic forks and spoons
• Cups or lidded milk bottles
• Paper straws
• Place mats
• Party hats (but I usually skipped these, except for a first birthday child)

This tablescape from a 4th of July Ice Cream Social my daughters and I put together before they left for college, is pretty representative of the elements I include in my place settings. What you see all came from discount stores like the late, great Tuesday Morning, WalMart, or was thrifted.

DINING TABLE Centerpiece

There are any number of ways to create a dining table centerpiece, but you might include:

• Table runner
• Vase(s) and flowers
• Props (for instance, books or toys)

For this Ray of Sunshine Baby Shower — one of my favorite parties! — I just ran a simple gauze runner down the table, then added three flower arrangements. Even those were simple grocery store flowers.

Serving Pieces

Building a serving pieces collection takes time, but these are the items you may want to start collecting:

• Cake stand(s) of various heights
• Rectangular trays
• Candy dishes and scoops

As you build your collection, add these items:

• Cake knife and server set
• Glass apothecary jars
• Cake pop stand or open box that you can DIY into a cake pop stand
• Tiered trays

You can see just three cake stands and two candy dishes on this Football Dessert Table. The rest is just styling with props. It doesn’t take much to start building the basics of your party serving pieces collection.

Dessert table backdrop

If you’re going to have a decor moment that sums up your party theme, your dessert table is the place to spend your money. BUT, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. To create a dessert table backdrop, you need two things: a support system and decorative focal point. The first chapter of my Dessert Tables 101 ebook is all about creating a DIY dessert table backdrop and it’s way more than I can cover here.

Also, if you’d rather learn through video, my Dessert Course covers the same topics, but inside the course, we plan your next dessert table together, step by step, in just minutes a day. At the end of the course, you’ll have a fully planned dessert table — and, you’ll have the skills for planning all your future dessert tables!

Once you choose the dessert table location, you’ll know what kind of support system you can use and then choose how to decorate it. If that means a DIY balloon garland (try Bashify.co), invest in an electric balloon pump. Add some sort of banner and/or bunting. (I’m partial to my ribbon buntings.)

Don’t want to mess with balloons but want a similar look? Try a honeycomb garland like we did at our Disco Party. Much easier!

Your dessert table backdrop doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Focus on the colors of your party, maybe create “blank canvas” with an inexpensive solid-color curtain or printed design. Then layer on your balloons and/or banner or paper fans around the border of your backdrop to frame it.

Party crafts & activities

It’s not just about how your party looks: it’s about how FUN it is. So, plan for crafts and party activities — indoors or outside. I’d spend on supplies for active games and individual crafts before spending hundreds on a bounce house or ball pit or other jumpy party rental. You can get kids up and moving with a little creativity.

Our Flower Fairy Party had a scavenger hunt and time for the girls to design their own fairy houses with inexpensive supplies from the craft store. (Want to host your own fairy party? Grab my full party plan here.)

PARTY FAVORS

It is easy to overspend on party favors. This is an area where you just have to set a per guest dollar limit and THEN shop for favors within your budget.

I love to give a party favor, and again, this is an area where it’s the thought — and cute packaging — that counts more so than what you spend. Give yourself $5 per party favor and hit up the Target dollar section. Add a party printable thank you tag plus a ribbon bow and you’re done. Check out this post for 37 party favor ideas and this one for 29 party favor packaging ideas.

At my daughters’ 13th birthday bowling party, we gave hand lotions and chocolates in our party colors.

** THESE ARE THE PARTY SUPPLIES I skip when budget is an issue **

Party Table and Chair rental

Will you need to rent tables and/or chairs for a large party or an outdoor party? Or, if your party is for young children, do you need child-sized tables and chairs? Sometimes, I just need extra chairs and I want something prettier or more stylish than folding chairs, so I rent chairs.

Depending on the style, expect to pay around $8 per chair plus delivery and tip.

Will you add a chair decoration? A simple bow or cape or a mini bunting can add a little flair. At my daughters’ Country Music Karaoke Party, I rented gold chiavari chairs and added record albums with a custom label from the party printables collection. (That was SUCH a fun party and you can find the party plan here.)

party decor rental

Party rentals also can include decor props. Renting these items can be less expensive than purchasing them. For instance, for my Nancy Drew Mystery Party, I rented a vintage typewriter, typewriter case and telephone.

You also can rent furniture, like a love seat for a photo booth or sitting area.

And if you love the look of party arches or dessert table columns or welcome sign easels, but not the DIY, you can rent these. But sizeable rental elements can get expensive, so again, avoid rentals if you’re looking to save money.

For my daughters’ 16th birthday (a boho-style picnic), we rented a location that came with amazing set pieces and they created this seating area for us.

professional balloon garland

If you don’t have time to DIY, then expect to pay around $400 for a balloon arch, simple backdrop and installation. I’ve only been willing to spend that once, for my twin daughters’ high school graduation party. Worth it? Probably not, but it was their big party request and I knew I wouldn’t have time to handle it on the day of the party.

What have I forgotten? We can add to this list with your suggestions of must-have party supplies and the supplies you can skip.