Bboo recently celebrated her sweet sixteen. (Pictures are coming!) We knew we wanted something fabulous, but were also on a budget. In order to plan the perfect party, we had to plan ahead! Here's some tips for planning a party on a dime!

We made our own custom invitations using Publisher. I created an blank page with a size 4X6. I then added a black background, some word art, a text box with borders and some colors. I then grouped it and saved it as a jpg. The result? Invitations printed at Walgreens with a coupon for 5 cents a piece!

Next came decorations. We knew the colors we wanted, so we started shopping clearance after the holidays. We were able to purchase ornaments, sparkles, ribbon, candles and centerpiece items for 75% off! We purchased sparkly silver grass at the dollar tree and roses for 50% off at Hobby Lobby. The result?

Backdrops run for a minimum $150. We found a black tablecloth on clearance. I sewed a loop on it to run a shower curtain through it and put it in a large doorway. We then bought silver posterboard and made our own mask, decorating it with glitter and feathers. The result?

Next challenge was a balloon arch. I had googled a way to make one, then found one of those nifty tapes with holes in it that are supposed to be easy. Don't waste your money! The balloons kept pulling out and flowing to the ceiling. I went back to my googled help. We had used fishing line to string the ornaments across the dance floor and make it look like they were kind of floating. We used the fishing line to make a balloon arch. I took two balloons and tied them together with the fishing line running through the middle. That way, I could slide the balloons up. I wasn't sure it would work, but was amazed at my newfound hobby!

In the end, the party was a beautiful hit! The guests laughed and danced the night away! I'll share more about that in my next post!