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Cost of birthday parties

Continuing with my birthday theme . . . .
In the past I would say I spent way too much money (in my estimation) on throwing parties. This time I decided I would be as frugal as possible without taking away from the party.
Sassafras and I talked about her birthday theme and we decided on Pink Polka Dots. It wasn’t until after we decided this that I found you can’t find hardly anything party supply-wise with polka dots, at least not pink anyway. I was able to find a little tin hot pink bucket with white polka dots and that was it. So we decided to just “Think Pink”. I pulled out my fancy pink rose trimmed china and hunted up all manner of do-dads in pink and white from around the house (a sugar bowl, white vase, the rose china bowls, etc.). Two rose topiaries from the girls’ room that were used in our wedding graced the piano. The sugar bowls and such were filled with pink candies and lined up down the middle of the dining table (thankfully pink candy is plentiful right now with Easter coming). Pink and white balloons and streamers (all leftovers from past parties) abounded.
Here's the Dining Table all decked out:

You can see the Daddy flowers on the buffet (pink candle and figurine holding a rose) and the decorated piano in the background. We also used Sass's placesetting from breakfast to mark her place of honor at the table and added streamers and balloons to her special chair.

My favorite idea was the funky banner I made for Sassafras. I purchased 3 different prints of pink material (1/4 yard of each) and a package of pink bias tape. I cut the fabric into pennant shaped triangles using pinking shears, positioned the triangles in my desired order (and spacing) between the folds of the bias tape and hand stitched them with hot pink thread.
Here is a close up of the banner:

I ended up with quite a few triangles left over and we then used those in the decorating- on the table, taped to lamp shades and taped across the top of our entertainment center. The banner was swaged between the two columns that separate our living and dining rooms.
The kitchen table was full of the buffet spread. I used a white table cloth and put the silverware in the polka dotted pink tin bucket and another pastel pink bucket (an Easter decoration). Sass had a hot pink plastic tote and that is where I put the pink paper plates and napkins. The pink punch went into my beautiful etched rose glass punch bowl.

So here’s the breakdown for party supplies (with tax):
Pink paper plates, napkins and plastic cups $6.19
Pink plastic tablecloth $2.08
Polka dotted pink tin bucket $2.11
Material and bias tape $4.23 (had thread on hand)
Pink Candy $8.65

Flowers $10.05 (Daddy flowers plus Daisies in table centerpiece)

Total for Party Supplies: $33.31

Now, that is definitely a price I can live with!
Next I’ll talk about the food . . . . .