Committing to a party theme can be tricky. You have to take into account the time of year the party will be thrown, the age of the person the party is honoring and/or the holiday you will be celebrating. Pinterest is loaded with so many great ideas, but it can be hard to actually commit to a single theme.
My oldest just turned five in July and I threw her a little last minute ice cream-themed birthday party. I invited a few of her favorite friends over to swim and enjoy some DIY ice cream sundaes. We all had a blast and the party was a complete success, despite it being put together in one week.
As always, our supplies came from one of our favorite party supply stores online, Oriental Trading. I get their catalogues in the mail and we happened to see some adorable ice cream party supplies, so we rolled with it. Since I’ve partnered with them in the past, it was the obvious first choice this year.
Choosing the ice cream theme was a no-brainer, since I’ve already done Luau and Hawaiian pool party themes in the past. Oriental Trading made it easy because they had their entire lineup of ice cream party supplies in one section of their website.
If you need help picking a party theme, follow these simple steps:
1. Before you do anything, write down the person’s age, gender, time of year for the party, holidays coming up, where the party will be held and what the person is into at the moment.
2. Stalk Pinterest for party ideas. I have a party board which offers some great ideas, but you can also use the search bar to find even more.
3. If you still need help decided on a theme or decor ideas, blogs are also great for ideas. I follow some really great party planning bloggers on Instagram. You can browse through my “following” list to take a look.
4. Decide on a budget. By doing more DIY projects for your party, you might be able to save a lot of money versus buying pre-made decorations. Make sure you compare the cost of DIY projects versus store-bought decor, though. DIY projects’ cost can add up and end up being really time consuming.
5. If you will be buying any party supplies, choose your vendor. Oriental Trading is an inexpensive party supply store and they really do have just about everything you’ll need. And they carry bulk supplies!
If you are an individual that has trouble committing to a single theme, I feel you. Try combining a couple of themes like I did with the Pool/Ice Cream Party. Ice Cream, sunshine and swimming go together perfectly!
Supplies Used in my Ice Cream Party
Goodie Bags:
- Ice Cream Cone-Shaped Lollipops – IN-13685038 ($5.75 each)
- Fuchsia Gift Bags, IN-3/170 ($2.50)
- Ice Cream Cone Shooters IN-20/20 ($8.50 per dozen)
- Ice Cream Cone Bubble Bottle Necklaces IN-12/6604 ($6.50 per dozen)
- I Scream For Ice Cream Party Tattoos, IN-13652010 ($4.99 per 72 pieces)
Toppings:
- Maraschino Cherries
- Rainbow Sprinkles
- Oreo Cookies
- Gummy Bears
- Mini Marshmallows
- Salted Peanuts
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Variety of Simple Syrups
- Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
- Whipped Cream
- Smucker’s Hot Fudge
- Smucker’s Caramel Syrup
Decor and Tablescape:
- I Scream For Ice Cream Tablecloth – IN-70/7045 ($3.50)
- Light Pink Snack Cups , IN-13721395 ($10.99/25 pieces)
- “I Scream For Ice Cream” Beverage Napkins – IN-70/7064 ($1.99 each)
- Hot Pink Tablecloth Roll – IN-13599145 ($15 each)
Have you recently thrown a party? I’d love to see pictures. Share any social media links in the comments section.
Getting ready to plan my grandson who lives with me party. He will be 7 in Sept. We are tossing around different ideas. I love the sundae bar. We are going to get more serious by the 1st of Sept. But thanks for the tips.
I'd love to know which theme you end up going with!!! 🙂
I love the ice cream bar. What a great idea!