Since we’re all trying to save money throwing parties these days, I’m always looking for new ideas. 

Mariah L threw this incredible Sock Money Baby Shower and I can’t believe she did it for $100!  I had to know more (and make sure she wasn’t lying :)). So here’s what she had to say about her party…

I was born a natural social butterfly and have always loved to plan and host parties. From holidays to birthday parties, I can find any excuse to throw a fabulous party! Having a fabulous party doesn’t mean you have to spend BIG. I believe the little details are what set ordinary events apart from extraordinary events, even in everyday life!

My sister was hosting a baby shower for a good friend and asked me to help her with the shower. We had a small budget; again I throw lots of parties, so I have to keep things reasonable. 😉 She told me the mom-to-be was decorating the nursery in Sock Monkeys and I knew immediately this would be a great theme for the shower.

Here are 5 of my tips for throwing a fabulous party on a budget and how I did it:

TIP 1

“Shop” your house or borrow items. When planning the party look around your house and find inspiration and decorations from items you already have.

Vintage toys
Toys borrowed and already owned

TIP 2

Keep it simple. You don’t have to buy extravagant decorations or have a huge spread of food to throw a great party. For this party the decorations were simple, but the impact of a few key items created the perfect atmosphere for the party.

Sock monkey cookies – a splurge
Sock monkey cake pops – another splurge
Pasta from a box and fruit on skewers

TIP 3 

Dress up store bought items. You can make simple and cheap store bought items look like a million bucks if you take the time to dress them up.

Store bought cupcakes dressed up with cupcake liners

TIP 4 

Reuse & Repurpose. Stop before you throw it away can you use it again? Like I mentioned before I have lots of parties so I have an arsenal of supplies on hand that I can reuse over and over again.

Reused tissue paper pom poms
Made with a Cricut and onesies
Crudite served in candle votives

TIP 5

Make an investment. Invest in items you can use over and over again.

Party Expense Break Down

Here is how I spent my budget on the Sock Monkey Baby Shower. I had lots of things already on hand and my sister was able to do all of the printing for free.

Food – $30
Cupcakes – $12
Custom Cookies & Cake Pops – $38
Paper goods – $6 (bought at Dollar Store)
Fabric – $2 (I only bought 1 yard of the Polka Dot fabric and used a coupon, the other fabric I already
had)
Printables – $20
Total – $108

*My sister spent an additional $40 on the party favors, but this was not part of my budget. She also had several left over she plans to give as teacher gifts when school starts.

Okay, so you weren’t lying. 🙂 Thank you, Mariah, for these great tips, and for sharing your party with us.

Check out Mariah’s other fabulous parties on our site. You will be impressed with what she can do!