Welcome to Party Tip Tuesday! Today we’re featuring Kate from Events by Kate. Kate is an expert in creative and unique parties. She can take a popular party theme but put a fun twist on it to make it unique and special for the birthday boy or girl. She also has some amazing party theme ideas that I’ve never seen done before. You’re in for a treat today! I absolutely love her work and I’m proud to say that she’s Canadian! Today she shares some really valuable party planning tips on creating a unique theme, planning a party on a budget, non-food favor ideas that kids will use and more! So now I’ll pass it over to Kate because she has a lot to share. I have a feeling that you’ll want to bookmark this page! 
What is Events by Kate?
Events by Kate is a styling business created out of love for unique and stylish celebrations. We love seeing “Out of the Box” original and creative themes! Our styling efforts are made up of our extraordinary vendors and our main styling team of two. Myself (Kate-The stylist) & Rachel (The art and stationary team leader), work to achieve new and inspiring ideas and visions for our clients!
What are some tips for easy & inexpensive party decorations?
My biggest suggestion when looking for easy and inexpensive party decorations is being observant of ALL items around you. Recycling items and repurposing them into creative and unique decorations is one of my favorite things to do. A perfect example of this would be a party favor I created for a client by using “Motts Fruit Cup Tins”; peeling the existing sticker off, a good thorough cleaning, and applying a printable sticker to make “Crafty Carver Cups” filled with sweets!
Many parents may assume that achieving a certain “look” requires having a professional stylist, or ordering items online; next time you go into a store be observant of regular everyday items for things like backdrops and linen & other party decor. Instead of buying expensive linens for your table, check out your local fabric store, and have the knowledgeable staff help select a fabric for you. The benefits are having an extensive variety at your fingertips, and the opportunity to choose exactly how much you need to fit to your table measurements! I tend to get the most amazing ideas for backdrops by playing it SIMPLE. Ask yourself some questions.
A. What is my theme?
Perhaps you are putting together a character theme; you may even decide to base your party off of the G.O.H. (Guest of Honor). Deciding a theme or style can help narrow down what type of backdrop (or other party décor) is best for YOU & your budget!
B. What are some things that surround that theme (characters, locations, other)?
This is the fun part, draw inspiration from your theme to create some unique visions!
C. What materials can I use to create the backdrop, and what are the costs associated with those materials?
Now that you have some ideas of things that draw inspiration to create your theme, you can start thinking of unique and innovative party backdrop ideas.
Inexpensive party décor ideas:
- Backdrops: Posters, fabric, tassels, garland, themed objects, frames
- Tabletop: Crates, barrels, bowls, cake stands, luggage, boxes
- Personalized: Stationary, photos, numbers, personalized posters boards, banners
Check out the photo of our “NEW YEARS FRESH AND FABULOUS” Party where we used pictures of oranges, limes and lemons with hot glue to create an amazing and colorful table runner. You could do the same with ANY theme.
Is it possible to throw a cute party for under $100? What are some great budget cutting tips?
Yes – OF COURSE! I have many parties that I do for clients that can cost well under $100! The most important thing that parents need to remember is:
A. Make a budget
Determining a budget for your party helps cut costs! Start with the simple “necessities” that make a party a party.
Guest count: You don’t always need to invite your friends that you never see (you know, Linda who you went to college with, but never see unless she is in town); keep it simple; smaller guest counts equals less stress! A benefit I find to having a small guest count; I can personalize the party favors, I have fewer items to buy, and most important, I can focus on the guest of honor!
Food: You don’t HAVE to have food at your event…true story! State in your invitations if there will be little to no food by simply saying “coffee and cake with presents” or lighten your load by asking family & friends to provide a dish if it is nearing lunch or dinner with a “potluck – bring an appetizer or casserole”.
What are some creative non-food favor ideas for children?
My FAVORITE part of the party planning process is the favors! This is the best time to look to your theme and have fun! Just like the décor process, isolate your theme, and think creative. Sometimes when doing a “budget friendly” party, I head over to the dollar store. Matching a cute item with a cute printable can make a party come to life!
Example of party favors ideas:
- Summer ideas: Sunglasses, bubbles, plants, sidewalk chalk, butterfly nets, magnify glass, paint brushes, paints
- Winter ideas: Mugs, mittens, hand warmers
- DIY: Nature kits (using rocks, bug diagrams, dirt, mini shovels)
- Baking kit (Oven gloves, cake mix, spoon, baking pan)
- Spa Party (Nail polish, scrubs, hand towels, hair ties, brushes, clips, shampoo, soaps)
- Educational: Books, notepads, crayons, coloring books, flashcards
This is a photo of “Animal Observer” favors. Found and purchased at the dollar store, and matched with EBK stationary for the theme. This photo is from a “Wild Kingdom” party styled by EBK.
You have such creative party ideas! Where are your favorite places to look for party planning inspiration?
As a stylist, I thirst for originality; A way to keep my edge and keep myself unique in the industry. I look on Pinterest for ideas of what’s already been done as a guide for things that I won’t do or try because I feel that my clients hire my services to create “one of a kind” parties. If I picked a décor option that has already been used in a similar way, I feel as though this is a great disservice to my clients because they could have just as easily created the same product! I draw inspiration by doing extensive research on not only the style or theme, but also on the client. It is SO important to me to make each event unique and different towards every client! I draw inspiration (in an unconventional way) from Pinterest, styling books, and of course, other stylists in the industry. It’s hard not to look at the gorgeous eye candy and popular blogs and not feel inspired. I am honestly and truly the luckiest person in the world to be in this industry, because the amount of talent and creative possibilities in our career is ENDLESS; and I am thrilled to be a part of the innovative talented community!
All photos are courtesy of Events by Kate.
We’d like to send a big Thank You to Kate for being featured in this Party Tip Tuesday! Be sure to follow along on Facebook for more creative party ideas. As you can see by this post, she’s filled with creative party ideas!
Do you have party related questions that you’d like me to ask an expert? Do you have a favorite expert that you’d love to see featured? Please contact me to let me know!
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