Birthday parties are fun events for your loved ones and your friends — especially when you get to show off your planning and decorating prowess. If you want to decorate a party using vintage items only, you can do it with ease. Not only does this give you the opportunity to decorate with style, but you can save money too! The following should help you get started on planning birthday parties, and other events, using only vintage thrift finds.
Pick a theme
Your birthday party can be pretty much any theme you want, even if you’re choosing to decorate using only vintage thrifting finds. Is this party for a child, or is it for an adult? What is the birthday girl or boy’s favorite color, cake flavor and overall aesthetic? When you decide on a theme, keep notes on it so you don’t accidentally deviate from your chosen color scheme or overall vibe.
Linens, Napkins & Flair
Begin planning by choosing your napkins, linens and other fabric or paper accents that fit your chosen color or design scheme. Believe it or not, you can get vintage napkins with ease on sites like Etsy, Ebay or Hibid Auctions. You can also find vintage napkins (paper or fabric) in thrift stores and at estate sales. If you’re looking for specific colors and patterns, however, your best bet is Etsy. For example, these paper napkins are vintage from the Flapper era, and their look is totally unique. If your vintage theme is for a child’s party or even a nostalgic party for an adult who’s a child-at-heart, you can consider something like this vintage Care Bears party table cover.
Dishes & Servingware
Vintage dishes and servingware can be found all over the place from thrift stores and rummage sales to estate auctions and sites like Etsy. There are countless colors, designs and price points when it comes to vintage dishes and servingware, so your options are pretty much endless when it comes to planning a birthday party. Choose dishes and servngware that stand out from your vintage decorations, unless you are specifically looking for a monotone look. For example, if your vintage tablecloth and napkins are red or pink, then white and gold accented vintage dishes would look fabulous. Alternatively, you can find dishes that feature vintage floral motifs in the same colors as your birthday party’s theme.
Vintage Giftwrap?
You can indeed find vintage and even antique wrapping paper and stationary on Etsy, as well as at estate sales and on virtual estate auctions on HiBid. A unique alternative to paper, however, is vintage fabric. Wrapping gifts in beautiful vintage fabric pieces is not only eco-friendly, but gives you the ability to add some zing to the aesthetic of your birthday party. Check out these squares of beautiful vintage fabrics:
Use your imagination
The best part of planning a birthday party using only vintage thrift finds, is that you get to be as creative as you want to be. Use your imagination and find inspiration in the beautiful vintage finds you come across while thrifting or estate sale shopping.
