Washing the dishes at the end of a long day, you think about how you can barely keep up with the day-to-day routine.
There are crumbs all over the floor you just cleaned. You didn’t get to the overflowing laundry pile today. Lunches to pack, homework to check, kids to get to bed.
It’s endless.
On top of that, your child’s birthday is coming up, and you really want to throw a nice party.
But how can you handle party prep in addition to all the draining housework and all of the other things going on?
With these tips and tricks, you will be able to throw an awesome DIY party without going crazy.
1. Choose 3-5 DIY party ideas and that’s it.
With Pinterest being an easily accessible party-planning archive, it’s typical to feel overwhelmed with all of the ideas out there.
Instead of trying to do everything, which can end in half-hearted efforts or stress overload, just pick a few manageable party DIYs.
This will put a creative spin on the party, without all the pressure.
For my friend’s son’s truck party, we chose 3 party DIYs – a cardboard truck photo booth cut-out, truck goody bags, and a pin the wheel on the truck game.
It was a manageable amount of work, and it creatively tied in the theme of the DIY truck party.
Definitely browse Pinterest or Google images to see what’s been done before. This will help you to brainstorm or even emulate ideas.
And, there are lots of easy DIY party ideas out there.
2. Cut corners with your time, where you can.
Designing, ordering, stamping, and mailing an invitation too much? Save yourself time with an Evite.
Cooking not your forte? Do a few crockpot dishes or order a few dishes from a local restaurant. Baking a cake too time-consuming for you? Order it from the bakery.
Spend your time where YOU feel it is most valuable.
Remember, you can delegate tasks out to reliable family or friends.
For every family party, my sister’s job is to work with the photos – whether making a photobook, collage, or slideshow. She never lets us down, and it’s a task I don’t have to worry about.
Also, prioritize your list, so that if you don’t get to everything, you aren’t disappointed.
For my son’s Sesame party, we barely got to set up the last game “Grover’s Obstacle Course.” We literally threw some pool noodles on the ground along with some balls.
Of course, the toddlers didn’t mind, and I didn’t either because this was low on the priority list.
3. Keep entertainment simple but creative.
Whether it’s music that goes with the party’s theme or party games for kids, entertainment can bring a lot to a party.
Since it can be overwhelming to know where to start, look for what’s already been done. Lots of websites have free templates and printables that can make your planning a piece of cake.
For baby or bridal showers, pick a game or two where most of the work has already been done for you, a game with easy prep or free templates.
We played such a fun game at my friend Meg’s shower – Mustaches and Tiaras, where all of the prep work was done.
For kids’ DIY parties, think easy. Kids love coloring or craft stations, playing with trucks in the sand, or having an egg race.
These activities can easily be adjusted to go with the party’s theme. For example, if having a vehicle party, instead of an egg on a spoon, use a race car on a spoon.
Station games are also great – and they can be made from foam boards from the dollar store.
You can literally make a Pin the “Blank” on anything – characters, animals, trucks, etc. I personally love using felt for these – since felt sticks to felt.
If planning a DIY anniversary party, put together a soundtrack with popular songs from the year the couple married.
Entertainment doesn’t need to be elaborate, or even time-consuming. Think easy – and don’t forget you can also delegate.
4. Do as much as you can early.
Creating, making, and shopping without of stress of a deadline is much more fun.
So, choose a few things that you easily get done ahead of time – like shopping for decorations or working on some DIY party projects. Then, get these done as early as you can.
This will free up your time closer to the party for things like cooking, food shopping, and cleaning.
For my dad’s Beatles party, I started working on the decorations a month or two ahead of time. I would cut letters for banners while I was watching television or had a few minutes of downtime here and there.
I had all of the decorations and games finished early, so the week of the party, I could focus on cooking and cleaning.
Planning and creating are so much more fun when you aren’t working against the clock.
5. Shop smart.
Prior to the DIY party, as you are doing your regular shopping at the grocery stores or craft stores, keep your eyes peeled for party things you can stock up on.
For example, take advantage of sales on paper products – plates, plastic wear, napkins, etc – or even decorations. I bought an abundant supply of ribbon at Michaels at 70% off before the winter holidays.
Months later, I used the ribbon to make banners – and was so happy I didn’t have to make a special trip out to the store.
For kids’ goody bags, it might be smart to steer away from food with all of the allergies out there.
If you are wondering what to give, the Dollar Tree and A.C.Moore have great deals for just $1. You can find cute kids books, stickers, coloring books, and learning games.
Choose a few that go with the theme of your DIY party, and you’re all set.
Speaking of the Dollar Tree, it wouldn’t be a section on shopping smart without mentioning that this chain has the best selection of all the dollar stores. Dollar Tree has all kinds of books and games. Their party section doesn’t disappoint: table cloths, paper products in various colors, pom-poms, and all kinds of other party goodies.
A few trips to Dollar Tree will definitely shorten your to do list – and not be a big hit to your wallet.
Remember, shopping early helps too. When shopping without the stress of a deadline, you tend to easily find the things you are looking for.
And the Housework…
Birthday parties are days that your child anxiously awaits. Even though a DIY party will make your to do list a little longer, following these 5 simple tricks will make the party planning more than manageable.
And, about the housework, no one will notice how clean the kitchen is or see the overflowing laundry baskets hidden away.
Of course, the floors will be dirty again in five minutes, whether or not you had guests over.
Bunny Bag Materials:
Burlap Banner Materials:
You could also use the popsicle stick markers to create little signs for the hunt – such as follow the path to the backyard signs or “Bunny Crossing” signs. They are another easy Easter craft that you could do with your kids.
5. Popsicle Stick Bunny Easter Crafts
6. Card Stock Banner
Card Stock Banner Materials:
Materials for the Burlap Banner:
How to Make a Burlap Banner
Making the Stencil
For the stripes, I used strips of scotch tape to create the lines. Then, I just dabbed on the green paint onto the burlap.
I also recommend doing a test with the colors/stencils you will be using. I tried a few different shades of green to see what would work best – and a few different shapes to see how they would look. 
Pictured below is the edge of my desk, with my stencil and scotch tape strips. Rather than use a ridiculous amount of tape, I used the same four strips over and over, and I hung them here while not in use.
I also went back and forth with painting a shamrock, then stripes – this gave the stencils/tape a little dry time before more use.
Connecting the Pennants
So, I lined up my stripes and shamrocks in the order I liked and flipped them over for gluing.
I LOVED the way the sign turned out – it was so festive and added much more to our mantel than some of the store-bought St. Patrick’s Day decorations.
It was a total naptime creation, with time to spare 🙂
So, when my sister suggested making a real Mr. Potato Head craft as a St. Patrick’s Day activity, I knew he would love it!
Decorating the Mr. Potato Head Craft
For the St. Patrick’s Day hat, I simply used card stock. I cut a circle for the best, and then I rolled another piece into a cylinder. I centered the cylinder on the base and taped it on top.
Then, we decided to paint the cotton orange, in an effort to make our Mr. Potato Head craft look more like a leprechaun.
I did have trouble getting the potatoes to stand up straight. I had wished I cut off the bottom to make a flat surface, but I’m sure this would have shortened their shelf life.
Overall, our Mr. Real Potato Head craft was definitely a success. My son had a ball preparing for the craft, making REAL potato heads, and playing with his new, clumsy figures.
For the truck, I picked bright colors to contrast the blue background. Then, I found a clipart truck that looked like it had simple angles and cuts and then I draw it freehand on felt.
Truck Photo Booth Prop
For the paints, I used the below acrylic paints. I loved the colors together.
I did two quick coats of paint – so you couldn’t see the cardboard anymore. Two coats also made the colors pop.
Last, Ash made the adorable license plate – by simply grabbing a license plate image and using Photoshop (you can use paint too) to write on it.
If you’re still wondering what kind of party to throw your little guy, don’t overlook a truck party. These simple DIYs were easy to make, cost little-to-nothing, and blew the guests away!
Gathering Winter Picnic Basket Items
I put together some snacks to go in the basket. We love 
Assembling the Winter Basket
I had a little “help” with the arranging… our buddy Zeus. He actually wanted the crackers in the basket and was begging 🙂 He looks huge next to the basket.
The basket took minutes to put together, and the total cost was around $30. The basket, mugs, plates, and napkins were $8 – you can’t beat that!
The winter picnic basket is not only a unique, creative gift but it’s something friends and family will find so thoughtful. You can put a romantic spin on it for husbands, wives, boyfriends, or girlfriends, too 🙂 Especially with Valentine’s Day coming up 🙂
A New Valentine’s Tradition
Making a Scavenger Hunt
Here was the tricky part – labeling the clues so that they are put in the right places. So if the first clue is “This is where I sit and read” and the answer is the couch. This clue is not the one that gets hidden on the couch. The following card will be hidden on the couch.
Binding the Scavenger Hunt Clues
Making Felt Finger Puppets
Next, I cut off the excess felt. This took a little patience, since the glue/outline was inside. I roughly cut them and then ended up putting my pinky finger in each puppet and then carefully cutting off any additional excess.
At this point, my son was begging to play with them. He was so excited about the finger puppets that I didn’t have the heart to say no.
Before I knew it, I had a frog, chicken, penguin, panda, fox, lady bug, fish, fox, bunny, and a dog/mouse that was originally a bear.
Decorating the Felt Finger Puppets
My favorite is the chicken. It turned out so cute 🙂
For longevity, you could laminate the animals (before the googly eyes and before gluing to the finger puppet), making the felt finger puppets more durable. You could do this either with a 
Also, these homemade thank you cards from toddlers and kids could be used for any occasion – not just for kids thank you cards 🙂
After, glue your cut-outs onto another piece of cardstock and fold into a card.
2. Potato Stamped Homemade Cards
First, cut off the top of the potato. Then, press in a cookie cutter of your choice.
After that, use a knife cut the excess from around the cookie cutter, slowly moving your knife around the border of the cookie cutter.
You are left with an awesome stamp that’s easy for kids to paint.
I got a little creative and did a double-sided stamp on this potato – with a star on one side and a heart on the other.
This encouraged my son to be more involved – getting messy and flipping the potato to see the shapes. This is great for kids messy play ideas!
3. Painters Tape Lettered Kids Cards
When the paint is still a little tacky, remove the tape from the card.
4. Fingerprint Balloons Homemade Card Ideas
Simply put a little of each of the colors you are using on a palette or piece of paper, and have your child dip their finger into each color and then make the print.
K