Affordable Milestone Birthday Decor Ideas

You’re planning a milestone birthday and want to really wow the guest-of-honor with incredible decor, but when it comes budget … you’ll need to keep the decorations on the affordable side. You’d love to throw a party everyone will rave over, but you don’t know where to find cost-effective party supplies to make it happen. Maybe you’ve found one or two things so far, but you need some help coming up with a cohesive plan. This guide breaks down all the decor you need so you can throw a party to remember without breaking the bank.

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Milestone Birthday Decor

Balloon Cloud

When you’re choosing decor for a milestone birthday party, you need to pick one feature that will be the focal point. It should make a statement and be the thing everyone’s eyes are drawn to when they enter the room. Having one “wow” piece is better than 10 random smaller decorations.

Luckily, you can get a stand-out look on a budget. All it takes is strong lungs (or an air pump!) and a bit of time.

Enter, the balloon cloud. We’ve all heard of balloon garland, but balloon clouds are also perfect statement decor. For under $20, you can get a kit (similar) that comes with everything you need – balloons, plastic holding tape, and sticky tabs. Here’s how to recreate this installation in your own home:

Inflate balloons
Add balloons to the plastic holding tape, grouped by color. Put them on the tape alternating the direction the tie is facing, and leave about 12″ of space between each color. (You’ll need this extra to hang the balloons.)
Cut the plastic tape between each color section.
Using string, thread through one of the holes in the plastic tape near the end of where you cut, and then tie the string to the peak of your installation. I tied mine to a light fixture (disclaimer: practice fire safety if you choose to do this too). Alternatively, you could put a command hook on your ceiling and attach the string to that.
Repeat for each balloon color section.
Use sticky tabs to connect balloons to fill in blank spaces where needed. The goal is to not be able to see through the cloud.
Add streamers by cutting them into even lengths and attach groups of five lengths underneath the cloud. I used tape to do this. To keep the groups of strands together, double roll the end you are taping.
The last steps is to cut the streamers into random uneven lengths for an organic look.

Balloon Stands

Another affordable birthday party decor idea is to use balloon stands (similar). They are available to order in multiple shapes and sizes, and are surprisingly reasonably priced.

Some assembly is required for the tabletop set in this example. But it was not difficult or time consuming.

You can use the balloon stands to decorate in so many different ways. The options are virtually endless. But in this case, they were used on a coffee table to tie together the living and dining room party decor.

Streamers

Are you as happy as I am that streamers are making a come back!? And they truly are back and better than ever. Yet, still just a couple of dollars a roll. With a little creativity, you can create some majorly impressive decor moments on the cheap.

In this example, they were used as the “rain” in a balloon cloud. And then again as a backdrop for the cake table.

TIP: To speed up the time it takes to cut streamers into strands, don’t cut each piece one at a time. Rather, use a flat surface to accordion fold so you can cut a bunch of ends at once!

Banner

A happy birthday banner is pretty much a must-have. There is quite a range of price points. But you don’t have to sacrifice nice for price.

This modern black and gold banner – which would flow easily into LOTS of different party themes and palettes – is under $10!

Cake, Cake Topper, and Candles

While every market is different, you likely don’t need to settle for a generic grocery store cake to stay on budget.

Instead, seek out a small, local baker to work with on a birthday cake. There are so many talented bakers out there who would love to collaborate with you on a one-of-a-kind cake for your party. And you might be surprised that the cost isn’t that much higher than a run-of-the-mill sheet cake.

Once you have your cake, don’t forget the candles! Tall candles have been trending for years and they have made their way to the mass market. While the color selection may not be as broad as the boutique stores, you can find tall candles in basic colors at stores like Target.

Finish your milestone birthday dessert off with an age-appropriate cake topper. Etsy and Amazon are treasure troves. A quick search on either of those sites will give you lots of options – many quite affordable.

Table Decor

Keep your party table decor simple by using a paper runner and confetti.

TIP: Get twice as much out of your paper table runner roll by cutting it in half length wise. Simply fold it in half to create a gentle crease, and then cut on the line.

Sprinkle confetti on the table. So there’s no mistake about the guest-of-honor’s age, find confetti in the shape of the number in a coordinating color palette. Again, Etsy and Amazon will be your best friend for a search like this.

Plates and Napkins

Save on plates by using real dishes. Depending on the number of people at your event, you may need to invest in a set. But over the course of time, you’ll recoup that investment by not having to buy paper plates for every single party. Crate and Barrel’s square appetizer plates are a great, frugal option to consider.

milestone birthday party cake and plates

Don’t skimp on the napkins, though. They are an easy way to pop some extra personality into your party decor. Home Goods and Target are my favorite places to find cute party napkins on a budget.