I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite nieces on this planet.
This is Isla.
And in surprising news? She just turned 18.
(Just between us? I think she was just riding her scooter around the yard and somewhere along the way I blinked and now she’s on her way to college).
I’m all about celebrating a milestone, and I take my responsibilities as an aunt very seriously, so of course, we hosted her birthday party here.
We had a pre-party planning session and she showed me pictures of her party ideas (very beautiful) and discussed her aesthetic (Pink and fancy) and talked about some ideas to do at the party (Watercolor painting) and then I started putting it all together.
(Quick tip: It’s a good idea to put together a Pinterest board for the party for vision and inspiration).
all of you
Looking for some fun, easy birthday party ideas and decor?
This is the post for you.
Wait until you see how everything came together.
Here are 9 easy 18th birthday party decor ideas.
// Balloon arch kit // 18 number balloons // Pink bow balloons //
1. Make a balloon arch
Making a balloon arch is a lot easier than you think.
seriously.
I started with this kit that I got off Amazon. It is very affordable and comes with all the balloons of different sizes and colors that all coordinate together. It affects the budget a lot.
A strip is also included with the kit that you use to make the arch. It is very easy to use, you just blow up the balloons (I used Pump the balloon to blow them up) and then insert them into the strip. That’s it. The arch type creates itself.
i got These pink bow balloons which were added to each end of the arch.
you You can see the balloon arch kit we used here.
you Here you can see pink bow balloons.
// The tiered stand //
2. Brunch menu
The party started at 11:15 (After we finished hosting everyone for a half-marathon party), so we decided to have brunch food.
I have officially decided that this is my new favorite type of party food.
It was super easy to put together and super filling and everyone loved the food.
Here’s what was on the menu:
18th Birthday Party Brunch Menu
Fruit tray with cheese
Mixed Muffins (Mini Muffins and Croissant Muffins)
Mini egg white frittatas
Spinach dip with crescent rolls
Banana Nut Bread
Mini pancakes with syrup
Mini French Toast Bites
Brunch punch
(Made with orange juice, fruit punch and ginger ale)
Mini bottled water
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of my favorite display pieces.
I use this three-tiered stand at almost every party I have and it just elevates the display (literally). It comes apart for easy storage.
// Same painted banner //
3. Painted banner
Isla drew this banner and I love it.
It was the perfect backdrop for pictures and such a fun way to personalize the event.
You can even have all your guests sign it as a fun reminder of the party.
She painted the banner locally, but if you live out of town and want a similar banner, I got it This here.
// 18 number balloons // Pink plates // Gold and silverware // Block Print Placemat //Battery operated candles // Brass candlesticks // Block print runner //
4. Number balloons
I have never bought balloons like this before, but now I highly recommend them.
This is another way to make a big impact on the budget.
We hung them from the window and then tied balloons to string and hung them from curtain rods.
They come with a little straw that you use to blow them up and they hold their shape and look like you ordered them from a professional balloon maker.
You can get any number and they come in many different colors.
you You can see the numbers here.
// Pink paper plates // Gold and silverware // Block Print Placemat //Battery operated candles // Brass candlesticks // Block print runner //
5. Layer in paper plates
This is one of my best tips.
I love paper plates, but sometimes paper plates aren’t fancy.
So I use regular plates as chargers and then layer the paper plates like this.
It works really well with these beaded melamine plates that have ruffles.
you can See ruffled melamine plates here.
you can Check out the pink paper plates here.
6. Watercolor painting as a party activity
My mother always told me that activity makes a party.
And guess what?
My mother is right 99.9999% of the time.
We thought it would be great fun if there was a watercolor painting.
It is a super cost-effective craft and everyone loves it.
This was his grace to take home (With take-out containers—more on that later).
/Battery operated candles // Brass candlesticks //
7. Use battery operated candles for the table
When I clicked on this? My niece loved it. It is like the final thing that made the table more fancy.
These candles?
I’ve used it for Thanksgiving and birthdays and Christmas and New Years and Pokeno and Bunko and Book Club and now Isla’s 18th birthday party.
Candles fit into regular candle holders Like this And you can adjust the flicker and it looks very realistic indeed.
8. Decorate with paper banners
Here’s a simple tip to add a little something to any space at a party.
I wish I had a better picture, but this was actually the backdrop for the food.
He is a hutch in the kitchen, and I display the food on the counter in front of him.
I love the lettering and the banner was so light and easy to display.
// Treatment box //
9. Send remains in take-home container
I hate having leftovers from a delicious party like this.
It’s so tempting and so easy to pop that snack into my mouth when I should be eating broccoli.
So I always try to have a take-out container at the party and send the leftovers home with the guests.
This container is very beautiful. I wish I had printed out stickers featuring Isla’s 18th birthday and added them to the front of the container, but I didn’t think of it until I was writing this post.
I will remember for the next party.
you Take-out containers can be found here.
And now?
Do you think Isla liked the party?
Let’s hear what she had to say about it.
Here’s the text message she sent me later that afternoon:
“Thank you so much Aunty Kari for hosting the brunch!!!
Everything turned out more beautiful than I could have imagined!!!
You are the best, everyone had such a great time!!”
See why she is one of my favorite nieces on the planet?
Love you, Ila. happy birthday 🙂
PS Here’s a little video I posted on Facebook of the party for a little more detail:
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