The economy is making it hard for a lot of people right now but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fun and style when it comes to throwing birthday parties. If you’re tasked with throwing a birthday party for a loved one, here are some tips for keeping the costs down, while still allowing you to create an event no one will forget:

Be Creative with the Birthday Party Theme

Why not try an unusual theme that can be implemented without breaking the bank for your guests or you? If you’re giving a children’s party, you can ask all the guests to bring inexpensive gifts suitable to give to a local animal rescue organization or family homeless shelter. If you call the organization’s manager, you can get a list of low-cost items you can recommend to your guests. Instruct them to wrap the items as if they were regular birthday gifts and then everyone can go as a group to deliver them. Doing this would be a meaningful experience for everyone and would also teach the children the true concept of giving.

If the event is for an adult, you can help your guests save money by having a recycling/re-gifting party. Most people have at least one gift in their closets that they’ve been given but don’t want, so why not have them wrap them up and give them again? Make sure to let them know who is coming to the party though, so people don’t bring gifts they got from someone who’ll be at the party! If you don’t want to risk hurt feelings, this idea also works well for items that people have bought new on impulse but never used. Make sure to provide a specific dollar limit for the gifts, so people at all income levels can participate.

Make Your Own Birthday Party Decorations and Invitations

The Internet has an unbelievable assortment of printable birthday invitations for kids and adults. So why waste your money on invitations from a party store when you can print them at home for just the cost of card stock and ink? There are also a lot of birthday clip-art options online, many of which would make ideal party decorations. If you can find large enough art, you can make your own banners and signs for the party. If you can’t find the right kind of clip art, you have the option of decorating flower arrangements or plants with clip art cut-outs or making table place cards. If the guest of honor likes vintage art, you can print a selection of free vintage birthday cards and attaching them to a string that you drape around the room or the cake table. This will create a distinctive old-time feel and make the room look great! To enhance the shabby chic, vintage theme, you can get mix-and-match used plates and silverware at a thrift store instead of buying paper plates and plastic knives, forks and spoons.

The most important thing to remember when trying to save money on a birthday party is that you need to be creative. If you implement even the most low-cost ideas with style, no one will ever know the party was actually a bargain!