So here’s an interesting idea.  You go to Paper & Cake, buy some inexpensive, but cool party themed design files, download them, print them (or take them to your local Kinkos or Staples and have them print them for you), cut them out, tape them together, and voila! and you’ve got professional-looking partyware at a fraction of the price.

I just talked to Abigail, a graphic designer and mother, whom with her partner, Kira, also an artist and mother, started Paper & Cake from their kitchens.  Kira’s the illustrator with the eye for color, and Abigail is the typographer and layout expert.  And together they have come up with some beautiful party theme designs.

They’ve got themes for kids’ birthdays, grown up parties, holidays, and baby showers.   The most expensive design is $10.

So the question is what to do you get for $10.  Well, for their most popular Pirate Kid party package (which is only $8, by the way), you get:  an invitation, a front door sign, a pennant banner, cupcake picks, “ship” cake decorations, favor bag tags, cone party hats, jar labels, party food labels, a treasure map craft activity, a birthday boy pirate crown, cupcake wrappers, a photo frame, a gift log, and skull and ship artwork saved as .png files for you to apply to extra printables as needed.

Here are some pictures to see what I’m talking about.

From their Underwater Themed Baby Shower Collection

An assortment of their cupcake wrappers -- I think these are absolutely beautiful!

From their Pool Party Collection

From the Bon Appetit Collection

From their most popular Pirate Birthday Collection

From their Fairy Wonderland Party Collection

Abigail promises me that you don’t need to be computer savvy or good at crafts to pull this off.  You just need a printer, a pair of sissors, and some good ol’ Scotch tape.  To see some inspirations, check out their Paper&Cake blog.