How To Plan An Amazing Low Buy Summerween Party
I make an effort to borrow before I buy to save money and resources. I don't know many people who already own six 5-gallon buckets with lids that I could use for an annual paint fight, so I bought my own. But I do know tons of people who own plenty of Halloween decorations.
And people who get excited about a Summerween party are probably into Halloween too. So, why are there so many cheap one-use products being pushed for this super fun trend that probably won't be a thing in two years?
It's astounding to me that even something as simple as Halloween in summer can be marketed. Everything you could possibly need has already been made, right? This feels like a poor excuse to spread more junk into the world.
Sure, if you love Halloween enough to get a spooky beach towel that you will use every summer for years to come, go for it. But you really don't need inflatable jack-o-lanterns for your pool or those "Hot Ghoul Summer" cocktail cups.
If you love Halloween so much that you want to celebrate it twice in one year, why not use the Halloween decorations you and your friends already have?
It turns out Summerween is the perfect party theme when you are on a budget!
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The average cost of kid birthday party in America is $314 with an average of 16 guests. That's $20 per person!
Our Summerween themed birthday party for our seven year old cost only $188 for 27 guests ($7/person)!We even provided lunch in addition lots of treats!
I had so much fun putting this party together and my son said it was magical! And so I'd like to share with you how to plan a memorable Summerween party on a budget.
Here's the breakdown of our Summerween party at $188 for 27 people!
I spent $5 on decorations, specifically two of each orange and black paper streamers, and one roll of white paper. The white crepe paper was used to decorate a ghost piñata.
And I got spooky paper bags for candy and Halloween stickers for goodie bags. These were $11 together).
I also bought some clear plastic cups for $6. My son and I drew jack-o-lantern faces on some of them for orange ice cream floats. I like these better than buying pumpkin themed cups because I knew the extras could be saved for another event. And drawing the faces together gave us an opportunity to get excited about my son's upcoming birthday.
I paid $8 for compostable paper plates, and plastic spoons cost $2.
Shortly before the party I decided to pick up some parasol picks to make our ghost cupcakes feel more summery. These cost $5.
The rest of our party budget was used for food:
Pizza $42 plus $3 or sliced cheese to make cutout ghosts
Vanilla ice cream and orange soda $9,
Cake/cupcake ingredients $52 because I used high quality. A large part of that was $20 of frozen peaches to freeze dry for the frosting!
Candy for the piñata and goodie bags $40,
Fruit (watermelon & pineapple) $10
Everything else was stuff we already owned or borrowed from friends and family.
This low buy type party requires a lot of DIY and planning ahead. Here's how to do it...
GATHER IDEAS
The fun thing about Summerween is that you can go all out without buying a whole bunch of stuff.
Save ideas on Pinterest with abandon. Just save everything you like. Wait a few days, then look through your board with a notebook beside you. Write down what you specifically want to do and how you can substitute materials or whom you can ask about decorations.
Please don't try to copy and paste ideas as that will make you want to go buy things you don't already have.
Instead, take notes on how you can adapt these ideas to your own circumstances.
For example, I thought witch hats hanging from trees was super cute, but I didn't have or know someone who had any that would work. So, I asked my neighbor if I could borrow her little ghosts I see in her tree every October.
It turns out she couldn't find them so I made my own using only materials I had at home.
PLAN WELL IN ADVANCE
This kind of party planning simply cannot happen a week or two before the party. And it does take more effort than buying everything.
But I promise this really is the more fun approach. A focus on creating over consuming is truly good for the soul. It turns the party planning into an artistic process rather than a chore to rush through.
It will take time to ask around and for people to get back to you. So, start early, be willing to adjust your plans, and let yourself feel the excitement of not knowing exactly how it will turn out.
BORROW BEFORE YOU BUY
Get your own Halloween decorations out. Look at them, handle them to spark ideas of how you can incorporate them into a Summerween theme.
The next step is to ask if you can borrow things. The nice thing about doing Halloween in summer is that people aren't using their decorations at their own houses. They may even be flattered that you like their taste.
If you can't borrow or reimagine your decor you need to either adjust your plans or decide if that is something worth buying.
Consider whether you will ever use this item again: Can it also function as Halloween decor or is it a micro trend? Will you be hosting Summerween every year? Do you know someone who will definitely want to borrow or buy this item secondhand for their own Summerween bash?
If, after contemplating these questions, you find you can't go without this item be mindful while you shop. Think about quality, biodegradable materials, and resale value.
Now for the fun part!
HERE IS HOW I PLANNED MY PARTY
We decorated our two maple trees with streamers by throwing them like we were toilet papering. It was a fast and fun way to decorate!
We used one roll of both black and orange for each tree. I wouldn't have minded having a little more but it was still great.
I took this photo the night before the party while we were still throwing the streamers up. I wish I had gotten a better photo, but it looked really cool in person!
I made a dozen tree ghosts from household materials: paper ads in the mail, plastic grocery bags, an old bedsheet, string, and a black sharpie. Making them took about an hour and hanging them in the trees took 30 minutes or so.
I used sticky putty to create several swarms of bats on the house. I borrowed these little bats from my sister-in-law.
The kiddie pool was given to us by a neighbor. The kids had a blast going down the slide on our deck steps to splash into the pool.
We also used another pool that we already own and the water pump blasters we have for our annual paint fights.
I used my kids' pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets as decor and for throwing water at each other in the water fight. They were just as cute as those blow-up jack'o'lanterns but the buckets are functional too.
Not pictured:
I also spread black spiderwebs that we already owned along the banisters of our deck. And borrowed foldable tables and chairs from a friend
This skeleton was borrowed from a neighbor, the jack'o'lantern decoration is my mom's, and the accessories are mine.
In hindsight, I wish I had draped my coral-colored polka dot towel over the chair and given these two cuties each a drink cup with a parasol pick.
This skeleton was borrowed from my mom. I used floral wire to attach him to the fence in our front yard so he could show guests where to enter.
My husband carved these fruit jack-o-lanterns!
The oranges and kiwis were leftover from a wedding I helped to cater.
Pizzas were $41.54 for five 10-inch pepperoni pizzas. I thought guests would want more than that but it was plenty.
The white cheddar cheese ghosts were created with a cookie cutter loaned by my mother-in-law
The skull and cake stand were borrowed from my parents.
The flowers were a gift leftover from that same wedding.
Orange ice cream floats $9 for soda and ice cream, plus $6 for the cups.
I bought some cocktail umbrellas for $5 from Walmart to add a summer vibe to these homemade ghost cupcakes.
The cost of ingredients for the cake and cupcakes was $52. By my calculations this cake alone would be priced at about $150+ from a bakery. It's enough for 30 people and made with a dense sour cream vanilla cake and peach swiss meringue buttercream.
I made this ghost pinata for $1! I bought one roll of white paper streamers and already had the rest of the materials.
I used cardboard, masking tape, twine to hang him up, Elmer's glue to attach the streamers, and cardstock for the face.
It took me 6 hours to make this guy! But I am sure it would have taken only 3 hours if I hadn't unintentionally made him so big. He was only half full of candy and very heavy.
We filled these cute goodie bags ($5) with a little candy and some Halloween stickers ($5). I wish I had thought to add some glowsticks too since I already have them.
I bought $40 of candy at Walmart for the piñata and goodie bags because is it Halloween even in summer without candy?
It was a lot but we got good stuff like Trolley Brite Crawlers, Nerds gummy clusters, KitKats, and so on.
Last but not least, some of the best party ideas are free!
I invited guests to wear a swimsuit, costume, or both which made it all the more fun!
The final and one of the most important details is the music!
I made a playlist with all my kids' favorite Halloween songs which included dance songs and tunes from Nightmare Before Christmas. The music at a party really sets the vibe!
It truly was a fantastic Summerween!
The peach flavored jack'o'lantern cake, the carved fruit, and the combination of the music and the water fight all gave the perfect Summerween vibe.
What do you want to incorporate into your Summerween party?
Share your thoughts with me in the comments!
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