Parties are occasions when you want to make a big fuss and have all the fun you could think of. Especially when you have restrained yourself from arranging or going to get-togethers for more than a year of lockdown now. This yearlong lockdown and restrictions have exhausted young and old alike. Most of us are frustrated and just want to mingle with our friends and family without restrictions.

While the situation has improved in terms of the number of cases of Covid-19 having gone down, we still need to be very careful as the coronavirus hasn’t left us yet, so maintaining distance, wearing masks and washing hands should always be our priority.

Arranging a party or any celebration has always been very expensive, whether it is the snacks or the decoration, and the prices for everything have skyrocketed in recent months, making it hard on the pockets of most parents to arrange a decent party for their kids.

For those of you planning to throw a birthday party, or celebrating your success or any such party, here are a few ideas for you to plan the party and cut back on pricey extras. You can get creative with food and decor, and throw a party that is economical in terms of expense, yet be as fun and well-decorated as a costly one.

Any event needs management and planning to make it successful. Of course, you will not be arranging it on your own since you will have your parents, and even other family members, involved in the planning and execution of it. Discussing things and taking their guidelines will work great for both of you. And this will also be a very nice learning experience for you since you will get to know how to manage things smartly and efficiently. So, let’s see how you can do it.

One month before the celebration day

Yes, you need to plan one month before the actual party day. For instance, if something does not happen according to your initial plans, you still have ample time to change it and go for plan B.

Planning date and time

The planning part starts with deciding the date and the time, and then the place. When you have decided the date, be careful in choosing the time if you want to be budget-friendly. Choose a time that is more suitable to serving snacks rather than a meal, like early evening. This will be less costly.

A perfect venue

When it comes to a venue, think wisely. If you choose a restaurant, it will be costlier than doing it at home. The restaurant management will be responsible to serve you and your guests, they will also decorate a corner and activities for you. There you don’t have to do anything, all you need is to tell the management the number of your guests, the time and the menu, and they will charge accordingly.

On the other hand, if you choose a park, you get ample space to play and have fun with your friends; however, you have to arrange the food and all the necessary stuff in celebrating your day.

There are now event managers taking care of everything these days, but they are very expensive. Let us stick to economical ways, so I suggest avoiding such services and be your own party manager. Google a bit and get the best ideas for your special day. I find the idea of celebrating at home rather interesting and fun, and things are under our control then.

Choose snack over meal!

Food is the most important part in any celebration. So, when you have decided the venue, date and time, it is time to decide the food. For food items, consider what time of the day you are arranging your party and how long the party will go on.

Snacks, if thoughtfully selected, can be tastier and more interesting than boring meal items that remind you of weddings. Just give it a thought with your elders, see what can be made at home and what can be ordered.

Downsize the guest list

Who doesn’t want to throw a big bash with dozens of friends? Of course everyone, but you have to think wisely and invite only the closest friends and relatives, those who will blend well with each other and whose company you will enjoy. Believe me, with a smaller crew of kids, you can enjoy more. With more guests there can be more mayhem than fun. Also, it would get heavy on your parents’ pocket.

Thematic or unthematic?

Most of us love to have a theme, sometimes a cosplay or a colour code to follow. For instance, if you choose any superhero or a Disney character, catering everything according to that character’s theme would get costly, so it is better to just pick the main colours from the costume of that character and incorporate it in your dress, decorations and balloons.

For example, if you want to have a Superman theme, you can go for blue and red colours in balloons, buntings, confetti, banners, paper plates and your dress. Sandwiches and snacks can also be made to highlight these colours. This will jazz up your party in an affordable way.

And remember to tell your friends and family about the theme you are planning for so they can also choose to wear dresses of the same colours.

Make your own invites

We live in a digital world, so invitations are sent through various sites or apps, but if you want the traditional way of giving the invitation as paper cards, I would advise you to make your own instead of buying fancy ones from the market.

The idea is for you and your friends to feel more connected with the invite you give them personally, and you will feel proud of your creativity as well. There are hundreds of tutorials available on the internet of making such cards. Choose sensibly, something that goes with your chosen theme.

Decoration

Decorating is the best part of any party. We all want a perfect look that everybody appreciates. However, you should look around your house and use your imagination; make use of things already there and then choose the DIY route to easily make things yourself.

For instance, if you have a printer, you can print the free printable and decorate the place with them. Alternatively, buy crape paper, which is very cheap, cut long fringes from it and hang them on the wall, and paste bunches of balloons around the place.

Don’t forget the music!

Lastly, if you have not thought of it before, just connect a phone to the speakers, or if you have a sound system, play some nice music in the background to keep the mood up and your party going.

Party favours or goody bags

The last decade has seen a surge in the custom of giving away party favours at the end of birthday parties, and other such occasions. While giving a favour to guests is a sweet custom, it’s certainly not always required. They’re merely intended to serve as a thoughtful way to express thanks to your guests for attending your party and a memory to take home of the special event.

So, considering the cost, I think this is also the best option to make your own goody bags at home. I have seen a lot of store-bought goody bags with chocolates, candies and small fragile toys or a stationary item that usually breaks afterwards. To avoid the mishap, I would suggest you make some creative goody bags yourself that will delight your guests.

You can make a bag from newspaper or chart paper, and put a storybook with a small chocolate, or buy small packs of slime, play dough and put them in with a handmade card and a chocolate. There are many DIY ideas about this that you can find on the internet. Check them out with your parents and see what suits you best.

Always remember that it is not necessary to have a huge party to make any birthday or occasion memorable or special. It is all about the quality of time you spend with your friends and family, no matter what your age is.

I have covered quite a lot of aspects to cut back on a big budget in throwing a party, I am sure many of you can come up with other economical ways to have a decent party, with more fun than you ever had.

Things that will add fun to your party!

Display your talent

This segment will give you and your friends a wonderful chance to showcase their talent, which could be on the canvas or paper; on the mic by singing, reading poetry, dancing, making any craft, etc.

Show and tell

Most of you will be familiar with this activity as it is widely done at the school level. Ask your friends to bring his/her favourite item to the party and explain it to everyone.

Story telling

In this segment, you can tell your favourite story to your friends, or you can ask an adult or your parents to tell stories to all of you.

Movie watching

For those who do not want a loud party, they can watch any adventurous movie together. Watching a movie is not a good option to choose on a special occasion like birthday, since there should be activities, but if sitting together for a movie is what you and your friends want more, go ahead!

Games, games and games!

We all love to play games. You can make your party memorable by adding fun to it. Just arrange some fun games such as musical chairs, string fights, balloon burst, treasure hunt, tug of war, etc. You can give a prize for the winner and enjoy the moments.

These games are never out of fashion so spend your time wisely and have lots of fun on your birthday!

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 4th, 2021