These birthday party essentials are great to have on hand, because they will save you time and money! Whether you are going to DIY your party decor or buy some party decorations, these tools and tricks will come in handy!

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Birthday Party Essentials

Are you someone who loves their birthday or could you live without it? I’m definitely someone who lives for her birthday! Maybe it’s the only child in me or the fact that I’ve been a mother for five years, but my birthday is the one day that’s all about me! Everyone should be celebrated, whether it’s an intimate celebration or a huge party!

My birthday and my husband’s birthday are in the summer. I LOVED having a summer birthday because I never had to go to school on my birthday! My kids on the other hand, both have winter birthdays.

Related: A Pink, White, and Gold First Communion Party

Related: Easy 40th Birthday Party on a Budget

My daughter’s birthday is at the beginning of December. Then we have Christmas. Next is New Years and my son’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day! Everything feels a little crazy this time of year anyway and then to add in two birthdays, things always get even more hectic.

I’m partial to my summer birthday, so I kind of wish that they had summer birthdays as well! I’ll admit, I love planning for my kids’ birthday parties. But things can get a little stressful trying to plan a birthday party, especially one that is at the height of the holiday season!

That’s why I Iike to have some birthday party essentials on hand so that I don’t have to worry about tons of things when I’m trying to pull together a party on a budget!

Birthday Party Essentials to have on hand:

Balloons in different sizes
Balloon pump
Balloon tying tool
Fishing line
Command hooks
Double sided tape or glue dots
Online invitations-Paperless Post
White cake stand
White tablecloths
Helium tank
Pennant banner
Camera

Online Invitations:

Now, technically I don’t need to have this birthday party essential on hand, because it’s always available at my fingertips! Online invitations are perfect for parties today! They are easy to create and in many instances, don’t cost you a thing! Paperless Post is one of the best online invitation sites. They have so many unique invitations to choose from and you can shop different layouts and designs in the price range you like! Make sure you check out their adorable invitations for your next party!

Balloons in Different Sizes:

When you say party, everyone thinks of balloons! They are such a fantastic way to make a statement without spending a lot of money. You can grab a few bags of latex balloons in different sizes online or at your local party store. Having bags of different size balloons allows for you to make balloon garlands or groupings of balloons for any party! Make sure you get some balloon ribbon as well, so that you can tie up any helium filled balloons! Check out my post, “How to Make an Easy Balloon Garland” if you are interested in making one for your party!

White Tablecloth:

Same as the cake stand, a white tablecloth is great to have on hand because it can blend with every party idea! I love having a crisp white background for a party because it allows for the other decorations to pop! This scalloped one is my favorite and you can’t beat the price at $5.99! The scalloped edges give a little extra detail to make the plain white tablecloth unique!

White Cake Stand:

Having a plain white cake stands means that you can match it with any party theme you like!

Pennant Banner:

This birthday party essential is great to have on hand because you can create any text that you like! You could even make it reusable if you are careful about applying the letters! Or if you have it custom made to say something like “Happy Birthday” or “Celebrate,” you can continue to use it year after year!

Balloon Pump:

A balloon pump is a must if you are planning to blow up a bunch of balloons! It will save you so much time…and oxygen! I have the first pump shown below. It can blow up two balloons at once. I love it! I made the balloon garland below in under an hour! You can also see my post “A Balloon Arch Kit Saves You Time,” in order to find out how to save yourself even more precious minutes!

The second pump is one that I have heard of, but never used. Supposedly, it can blow up 40 balloons at once and seal them! WHAT!!!??? If you are planning to make a balloon garland or balloon arch, you NEED this tool along with the one below!

Balloon Tying Tool:

This tool will save you in medical bills! If you have ever tried to tie more than five balloons in a row, you know that your fingers just about fall off! This little balloon tying tool is a life-saver or a finger saver I should say! It makes tying balloons a breeze and keeps your fingers safe!

Helium Tank:

Nowadays you can purchase your own private helium tank! This is great because you have everything you need right at your house! No last minute balloon runs the day of the party! Of course, make sure that your tank is still full before you use it again!

Camera:

If a birthday happens without a camera, did it really happen!? That was a joke, but my point is, you need to capture those memories and the hard work that you put into your birthday party! You don’t have to have a fancy DSLR camera, but they sure are fun! I have a Cannon like this one:

You can also use an Instax camera, which is really fun because they print out the pictures right then and there! They also come in several adorable colors that I can barely resist!

When it comes down to it, you can always use your phone as well! I have the portrait feature on my iphone, and I love it! It makes my images look professional…or at least somewhat professional!

Fishing Line:

Fishing line is one of the birthday party essentials that is not often recognized, but can be used to make several creative party decorations! You can use it to make an easy balloon garland, string up some lights, hold decorations in place and so much more! If you plan to make a balloon garland with the fishing line, you’ll want to use a sewing needle as well.

Command Hooks, Double Sided Tape, or Glue Dots:

With all party decorations, you have to find a way to secure them! That’s where these birthday party essentials come in. You can adhere decorations to a wall or to each other using command hooks, double sided tape and glue dots. I use glue dots to add smaller balloons to my balloon garlands, and in order to hang balloons on my mantel and walls, I’ve always used command hooks.

Related: DIY Balloon Centerpiece

Having these birthday party essentials on hand will save you several trips to the store! You will also save on cost, because you are able to do so many of these things yourself! Make sure to pick up a few of these for your next party to make it run smoothly on a budget!