The days are long but the days are short. True enough, your baby, who was just a wee little thing, is now almost 1! You’re itching to celebrate your baby’s first birthday, but remember that they are too young to remember it. So while it’s awesome to meet such an important celebration with a blast, you don’t have to break the bank to do it!
All you need is some imagination and a bit of creativity, and you will have a wonderful, memorable first birthday party. Here are some creative birthday ideas and tips that you can use.
1. Celebrate at home.
The first thing you can do to minimize your expenses is to choose a free venue, and the most obvious choice is your home! Not only will you be able to save money by hosting your baby’s first birthday at home, it’s also the place your child feels most comfortable in — and comfort is probably one of the best gifts you can give them at this point.
2. Use nursery decor.
You’re going to have a charming baby party without spending much by just re-using the decor that you already have — inside your baby’s nursery! Use your quilt, plush toys, and play mat and arrange them in your living area. Add a few other pieces of nursery decor like garlands, cushions, and some wall art.
3. Bake your baby’s cake.
If you are a decent baker, go try your hand at making your baby’s own cake! Making your own cake is not only less expensive but also better because you know exactly what goes into it. If your baby has allergies, you can avoid it. Plus, you don’t need to make a flawless-looking cake; chances are, it’s going to get smashed anyway!
4. Use nice cups to display snacks.
Because they’re just several months into solid feeding, preparing snacks for babies doesn’t take much. Prepare baby-friendly snacks like crackers, cereals, yogurt, carrot sticks, banana, and peanut butter. But be sure to ask for food allergies first. In order to make your culinary display more fancy, put your snacks in fancy paper cups!
5. Use children’s books as theme.
At the age of 1, your baby won’t appreciate popular movie and TV characters as theme yet. Better save that rustic Winnie the Pooh theme until your baby turns 2. Now, for your child’s first birthday party, their favorite book — like Dr. Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar — will make an absolutely charming and baby-friendly theme.
6. Prepare a photo booth.
Everyone loves photos, and you’re going to enjoy taking a lot of pictures during your baby’s first birthday! To encourage everyone to snap photos, prepare a simple photo booth in your yard. Lay a blanket on the grass and use nursery gear like your baby’s crib, musical mobile, and a cutout of your baby’s name as the photo booth background.
7. Use photographs to decorate.
Speaking of photos, rather than decorate the place with balloons and other potential choking hazards, use pictures instead! Print out your baby’s photos — from birth to the current month — and make a collage out of them. For added cuteness, create a collage that’s shaped like the number one and put it up on the wall or a pallet.
8. Arrange a baby-safe play area.
Unlike children’s parties with a program and planned out activities, a baby party would be pretty unstructured. Take advantage of the space that you have — whether indoor or outdoor — and arrange a play area for the little ones.
Put out baby-friendly toys like plush toys and soft rattles on a play mat. You may also create a bubble station using natural bubble solution and homemade bubble wands using pipe cleaners. You can also prepare a ball pit out on your yard using an inflatable pool and get ready for shrieks of laughter!
Your baby’s first birthday is a huge milestone, but you don’t have to shell out a huge amount of money to celebrate it! With this list of creative birthday ideas that don’t need you to spend a lot, a beautiful first birthday party is in the bag.