Procrastinator’s Guide to a Pinterest Perfect Party & FREE Printables!

I know, I know. The phrase “Pinterest Perfect Party” has basically become a bad word in the mom community. I get it. Who has the time or energy to put together a party (or anything) that looks as good as any of those Pinterest pins? Shouldn’t we be keeping our tiny humans alive while also leaving enough room in the day to watch the new episode of This is Us?

It wasn’t until that first First Birthday Party that I discovered my love and desire for a Pinterest Perfect Party. However, that love and desire quickly fought my procrastinator tendencies and I ended up driving myself crazy while cutting strips of burlap and felt at for a picture-perfect birthday banner at one in the morning.

The second birthday went much smoother, because instead of fighting my inner procrastinator, I embraced it and that teamwork resulted in a Pinterest-ish Pretty Perfect Party. And, I’ve got some tips for all of you middle-of-the-night-burlap-cutting-Pinterest-party moms out there.

Decide on a theme… if you want to.

Sure, themes make it easier to focus your time and energy on specific decor choices, but is it necessary? Nope! Since my son is young enough to be pretty flexible on the theme of his birthday party I still get to pick it. I take clues from him throughout the year on what he’s currently obsessed with and that’s the theme! So, animals were his thing this year, so going with a “Party Animal” theme was pretty much a no-brainer. I decided on the theme a couple months out and gave myself enough time to design and print invites then I was able to pick up decor items whenever I hit up Target or while I was scrolling through Amazon.

Target Dollar Spot is your best friend.

If you haven’t figured this out yet, Target Dollar Spot is the bomb. If you’re like me, you peruse the aisles of Target at least once a week. If you swing through the Dollar Spot every visit, you’re sure to be completely stocked up on things that might look random to your husband, but will actually pull everything together for your party. I’ve found party favors, cute paper banners, and tassel garland all in the Dollar Spot! For my son’s second birthday, I found the neon plastic animals that I used as decor for the food table and for the party favor bags. I also found a bunch of patterned paper straws that were basically just used as decoration, but that gave the party that “Pinterest” look in photos. Plus, for a buck, how could I pass them up?

You can do anything, but not everything.

What I did differently this time around to minimize the crazy was lived behind the phrase: “You can do anything, but not everything.” I picked one “big” thing and then saved time and money on everything else. For this party, I knew I wanted the fun balloon backdrop for photos. So, I made that my one “big” thing and spent the most time on that. I found the balloons at the craft store, the plastic balloon arch ribbon on Amazon, and the baker’s twine to string the letter balloons at… the Target Dollar Spot!

This is also where it’s nice to rely on free printables (see below!) to bulk up your party decor. They are an easy way to pull your theme together without losing your mind. All you have to do is print, cut, and place! For this party, I created fun animal cut outs that matched the theme to place in the dessert and food bowls. I also made some stickers for the favor bags that I printed out on sticker paper and stuck on plain brown sacks.

No one really cares.

At the end of the day, it’s nice to know that no one really cares what the party decor looks like. This was ultimately a party for a two-year-old, so as long as the birthday boy gets to stuff his face with birthday cake pie and open presents the party is a success.

Have a kiddo with their heart set on a “Party Animal” birthday? Download your FREE printable decor set below! Includes: Customizable Invitation, Animal Cake and Food Toppers, and Favor Bag Stickers.

Download your FREE printables here: Invitation / Cake and Food Toppers / Favor Bag Stickers

Planning a birthday party in Wichita?
Check out our local Birthday Party Guide!

Kayla Close
Kayla lives in Goddard with her husband, Zach, and their two littles, Kash (3) and Stella (2 mo.) Born in Manhattan, Kansas but raised in Wichita, Kayla can’t wait to raise her kids in the same city she grew up in. By day, she works at a local bank as in-house graphic designer and marketing coordinator. By night and on weekends, Kayla enjoys hanging out with her family, designing for her Etsy shop, Hue & Hazel, and catching up on her Netflix queue. Although, really, she’s just watching Gilmore Girls for the millionth time.