When I started planning Lil’ Tea Cup’s birthday party, I knew that I wanted the party to be extra special, but also knew that I didn’t want to spend a ton of money. When I started looking on the internet for ideas, I realized that there are just so many ways that you can get totally out of control when it comes to spending for a party. First birthday parties in particular seem to have gotten quite extreme!

I tried to create my inspiration board keeping things under control. I wanted to make the majority of the decorations and reuse some special pieces from my bridal shower and our wedding. By saving in some areas, I was able to spend a little more on some special details. I know no one likes to talk about money, but I think it is good to keep things real!

Here is a breakdown of the final budget…

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I N V I T A T I O N S

I had my eye on some beautiful ones online, but then I discovered the clearance section at my local craft store. I found a box of do it yourself wedding invitations that would work perfectly for the theme. I printed them on my home computer and off they went out to guests.

Cost – $9.00 + the cost of stamps

F O O D  &  D R I N K S

We stuck with an in-between party time, skipped the lunch or dinner option and went with different kinds of ice cream and various toppings. I also made cake and cupcakes myself. Beverages were lemonade and different kinds of soda which I purchased on sale.

Cost – $65.00

D I Y  D E C O R A T I O N S

All crafts were made from scrapbook paper I already owned and tissue paper and streamers from the dollar store. I developed all the photos used at the party when Shutterfly was having its 50 free print offer.

Cost – $15.00 { seriously! }

R E U S I N G  D E C O R  I T E M S

I already had chalkboards, mason jars and lanterns.

Cost – Free!

B A L L O O N S

Lil’ Tea Cup loves balloons and I couldn’t resist getting some for the party. I bought a “party balloon package” which had 12 helium balloons in various colours and 1 special balloon. {We chose a silver number which sadly is in none of the photos.}

Cost – $20.00

F A V O U R S

I purchased all the water toys and bubbles at the grocery store in the clearance section. The berry boxes were recycled from when we bought blueberries this summer. The stuffing was reused paper stuffing from an online order I placed in the past and saved for reuse.

Cost – { 8 favours } $12.00

P H O TO G R A P H Y

All photos were taken by my sister and my friend who are very talented! Thanks ladies!

Cost – Free!

F R E S H  F L O W E R S

I am including these in the “spend” section even though they were in season and fairly inexpensive. It is certainly not necessary to have fresh flowers at a first birthday party, but I love them and am hoping to pass on my love of blooms to Lil’ Tea Cup. Not to mention I thought they looked so pretty!

Cost – $25.00 for 3 bunches of 6 sunflowers and one large bouquet of hot pink carnations

T A B L E  &  C H A I R  R E N T AL S

We had about 40 people {mostly little ones} at Lil’ Tea Cup’s party, and I wanted them to have a place to sit down and enjoy their ice cream and cake. I rented three large round tables, linens for them and 24 chairs

Cost- $75.00

H I G H  C H A I R

This was certainly was not a necessity, but I got a pretty good deal. I got lucky and found someone selling one for next to nothing online.

Cost $15.00 + $10 for the spray paint.

L I L ‘  T E A  C U P  ‘  S  O U T F I T

I wanted something special for my little one to wear, and after lots of searching I ended up purchasing a birthday hat, a special dress and a onesie. I love them all and although they were a splurge, I don’t regret them at all!

Cost – {with cost of shipping to Canada } Birthday hat – $34, Dress – $52, Onesie – $10

P A R T Y  S U P P L I E S

I love paper straws and special party dishes. I went a overboard ordering all the cuteness I could find in this department.

Cost – $70 { ouch, I really didn’t mean to spend that much here! }

and the final total is….

Lil’ Tea Cup is afraid to look…

Total cost – $412.00.

Not terrible, but WAY more then I wanted to spend in the end. I am thankful we will not be throwing another big bash at least until she turns 5! When all is said and done, I am glad that everyone had a great time and that I think Lil’ Tea Cup had a wonderful time at her party, which is the most important thing to me!

Did you have a budget for your little one’s birthday and did you stick to it?