How do I decorate a party on a small budget?

Choose the part of the room you will decorate

Look at the room with the tables and chairs already in place. Will everyone gather around the cake, take pictures in a corner or spend most of the party making something at a table? Decorate the place they will use, and leave room for coats, gifts, bags and the activity itself.

You do not need to decorate every wall. A birthday banner behind the cake, a paper backdrop or a table covered in the birthday person's favorite color can give the party somewhere to celebrate. Once the main piece is up, step back and decide whether anything else is needed.

Use what you own, borrow and repeat

Look through cupboards and storage boxes before you shop. Write down anything you can borrow and who it belongs to, so it gets back to them after the party.

For each decoration, note whether you already have it, are borrowing it and from whom, or still need to buy it. That shows what's left to get before you shop. Our guide to party supplies to buy, borrow or prepare suggests updating the list after RSVPs, after shopping, the day before setup and on party morning.

Repeating one color in a few places costs less than buying a matching version of every supply. For example, a blue banner and blue paper labels can go with plain plates you already own. A reusable cloth, a framed birthday message or a favorite toy on the table can be the starting point.

Five decoration ideas to try

These are suggested arrangements, not priced shopping packages. Start with the one that suits your space, then list the supplies you would need to add.

A birthday banner behind the cake: write the message on paper flags, or reuse a banner from an earlier celebration. Put it up using an attachment method the venue permits, use a plain cloth you own, and leave the tabletop free for the cake, plates and serving utensils. Gather the banner or paper and markers, a table covering and the permitted attachments. You can skip a separate centerpiece if the cake and banner already give you the display you want.

A paper backdrop for pictures: hang strips of paper streamers behind a birthday message, or use a plain sheet you already own if you have something suitable to hang it from. Choose one or two colors and keep the middle clear for the people in the photo. The backdrop can later become the spot where guests act out charades or show their drawings.

A small balloon cluster beside a sign: put a cluster beside the birthday sign instead of planning an arch around the whole table. For example, white balloons beside a blue paper sign can be enough to connect the display to the rest of the party. Check the inflation and support instructions for the exact products you buy, and do not assume a balloon will float or stand on its own.

A table for decorating cookies or cupcakes: let the activity provide most of the color. Set out the decorating places, add a small birthday sign behind them, and put take-home boxes to one side so guests have room for their plates and toppings. Leave out decorations that take up space children need to work. Confirm food requirements with families before buying ingredients; decorative labels do not replace ingredient information.

A poster guests add to: write a birthday message on a large sheet of paper, put markers at a table and let guests draw or write around it when they want to. Display the finished poster using the venue's permitted attachment method. Spare paper and pens can also be used for a drawing game if guests finish early.

Work out what you can spend on decorations

Set aside money for food and the main activity first, then see what is left for decorations. Count the guests before buying plates, cups or activity supplies, but buy wall decorations for the area you are decorating. A longer guest list does not automatically mean you need a bigger backdrop.

Before shopping, write each item down with its quantity, whether you own it, will borrow it or need to buy it, and the estimated cost. Add the paid cost afterwards. If the total is too high, remove or simplify an optional display before you shop.

To keep these figures in one place, the Printable Budget Worksheet has room for your decoration limit, each planned purchase and what you actually paid. After each shopping trip, record the full cost, the amount paid and anything still to buy, then check the planned total against your limit.

Example: decorating a teen party room with $30

This is an illustrative example, not a guaranteed package price. Treat $30 as a spending limit. One way to split it is $12 for lighting, $8 for a backdrop and attachments, and $10 for an accent, which adds up to $30.

Check the actual prices, tax and any extra supplies before you buy. If you can borrow one piece, such as string lights, you will have more to spend on the others or can keep the difference.

An example 45-minute setup

This illustrative timing is for a banner, a paper backdrop you have already made and a covered cake table. It allows 45 minutes in total once the pieces are made and you have checked which attachments are permitted. Allow more time for anything unfamiliar; it is not an assembly time for a balloon kit.

0:00 to 0:10: arrange the tables and chairs where guests will use them, and set aside space for coats, gifts and bags. 0:10 to 0:25: put up the banner or backdrop the way you planned it. 0:25 to 0:35: set out the cloth, plates, serving utensils and labels, leaving room for food or the activity. 0:35 to 0:45: check the photo area, read the signs from where guests will stand, and put spare supplies and cleanup items nearby.

Keep setup notes with the supplies so another adult can help without searching through shopping bags. If the party is outside, decide before you buy which pieces you would bring indoors. A tabletop sign can move to an indoor cake table, but a backdrop that only fits a large fence may not have anywhere to go. Do not buy extra decorations just as a backup.

Check the room before guests arrive

• Every item you bought has a place in the display or a practical use.
• There is space for plates, food labels, serving utensils and activity materials.
• The entrance and the spot for coats, gifts and bags are clear of decorations.
• Signs can be read from where guests stand; use names, words or shapes when color carries information.
• Spare materials are where the helper working on that display can find them.
• The first activity, drinks and any guest notes are ready.
• Trash bags, wipes, towels and take-home items are near where they will be used.
• A box is set aside for decorations to reuse, with borrowed items kept separate to return.

Sources and further reading

• Budget Party Decorations
• Teen Party Decor on a Real Budget
• Budget Party Decor That Looks Like More Than It Cost

Related questions

• How do I make a party feel themed without buying everything?
• Which simple decorations can I make for a party?
• How do I decorate a small party space without clutter or damage?
• How do I set up party signs and a photo backdrop?