How to Use Pinterest to Plan and Personalize Parties

I have planned six children’s birthday parties with the help of Pinterest: Totally Epic Mine Craft Party,  Go Dog Go Party, Dinosaur Dance Party, Super Hero Party, Get Your Roll On, and 2 Legit 2 Quit. I know it can be overwhelming seeing so many examples of beautifully styled and photographed birthday parties. After trying too much and trying too little, I have developed a strategy for how I use Pinterest to plan and personalize parties for my boys.

If you ask my boys they always prefer to have a birthday party at home. However my husband and I will say the venues are much easier. Nevertheless, using Pinterest to plan and personalize the parties has given them good memories of birthdays at home. If you would like to do the same, my first tip is, which is obvious for any kind of planning, start as soon as you can. As soon as you decide to plan the party, get going! Seriously, you won’t regret it. 

The earlier you start planning the more you can personalize.

Next spend some time gathering inspiration based on themes, interest and obsessions. Also you’ll want to save whatever catches your eye, even if its not based on your theme. If you like it you can always do your own spin. Every theme I’ve selected is based on my child’s interest at the time. I usually have list based what they talk about, what they play with, what they watch and/or read. These ideas are jumping off points for the research process. I have one Party board with subsections for different themes. 

Choose your theme options based what they talk about, play with, watch and read.

Use Pinterest subcategories to organize the pins you plan to use.

After gathering as many pins related to the list of interests, I narrow down the pins that I’m excited to try by considering how much I have to to buy, how much I have to learn, how long will it take to do, how much time do you have, how will I feel if investment doesn’t work, and do I have a backup). Feasibility as well as fun factor and my sense of how exciting the theme would be help my narrow down a topic. I am usually looking for a theme that I have ideas and inspirations in the following categories: food, activities, decorations, party favors, and music. 

Once I have chosen the theme I start searching at home for the materials required for inspiration decorations, food preparations, and party favors. Don’t be afraid to use materials from a previous birthday party! Determining how expensive an inspiration will be helps me whittle down the options. This is also an opportunity to look for alternative ways to do something similar or make something similar that will add your own touch. Don’t forget to consider whether you have the space for the idea and or if the weather is conducive to what you plan to carry out.

Narrow down your inspiration by considering ease, cost, time, and practicality.

For food I like to have child-friendly and parent-friendly entrees, snacks, and deserts. I usually plan a simple and relatively universal dish for the entrees such as hot dogs, pizza, burgers, etc. We make it parent friendly by offering sausages or links, adult toppings for pizza or burgers, or an additional dish like bbq ribs or brisket. Pinterest usually has lots of themed-out snack ideas that help select which crunchy, fruity, veggie, and sweet snacks I’ll include. I prefer snacks that can be hand held as young children WILL walk around with food at the party. I keep the dessert simple: some form of cake and ice cream.

For the party favors I like to go all out with the bag and get something that is reusable. Many children enjoy toting toys around and playing the empty-fill game. If the favor bag is reusable it becomes one of the favors. To include inside the favor bag I like to have something to do, something to build/create/craft, something to eat, something to learn/read, and something theme related. These can be as big or as small as your budget permits. I know pinatas are a big party trend these days but we don’t have them at out parties. Instead, my party favor bags are stuffed like a pinata prize bag. Additionally, I sometime make dress up items to use during the party that also become party favors.

Last Tip that is also somewhat obvious: Do a trial run if you have time. This will help you determine what worked and what didn’t. Additionally, you will have time to problem solve and try different methods to make it your own.