Where to buy banners/decorations Cheaply?

dogstarheaven

It'll be my daughter's 18th birthday at the end of the month and i'm keen to deck the venue with some decorations, but looking on the net, the banners that are personalised are about £15 approx. Are there other places that i could visit on the high st. that could be cheaper? or will i have to resort to using the standard ones that most ppl use anyway? if so, which places are worth going to? I've never held a party for her since she was younger so i'll need some ideas for what i could do the place up with? do i buy helium balloons or are they a waste of money? I can't use poppers/streamers at this venue due to the mess it causes. I can't think of anything else to put up tho'. Probably, put up A4 photocopies of daughter and friends around the doors?

I wanted to provide a buffet but she says the food that she sees at other parties all goes to waste, but she says most ppl would only eat crisps and sweets, is this right? i just find that crisps and sweets are just junk food, and wouldn't ppl prefer proper savouries?

any tips and advice will be greatly appreciated - thanks!!:rotfl:

ps. i'm worried that the venue's DJ/disco will go ahead alright. I don't want ppl to think the music's rubbish (the last party she went to, the host had a pre-planned playlist that the DJ played, and as the music wasn't of the popular variety, the atmosphere bombed!). her interests are indie/electro, some pop and that's about it..

XpOpPy17X

Card Factory is good for banners, and balloons. You could buy a packet of the normal balloons with 18 on and ask them to blow them up with helium the day of the party and group a few together. Also get pictures of her and her friends made into posters at asda or somewhere and display them, have ones f when she was younger too. For entertainment you could hire a local band that plays the type of music she likes, they might do it for free otherwise won't charge much.
:j

xxlaurissaxx

Asda is where I got mine.

Food - cater for 25% as it does go in the bin. Make sausage rolls, sandwiches, cocktail sausages, cheese, pineapple and pickles on a stick. Thats what 18yr olds eat. The rest gets binned.

Put up pics of when she was younger - baby etc (photocopy on A4 paper as people will take them (for slagging off later) it does happen.

Dont waste loads of money on helium as they only get deflated with everyone sucking out the helium. If you do, dont get loads.
My asda has a free helium filler attached to the wall, but you can only use it if you bought the balloons from there.

Hope this helps and she enjoys her party.

xx

XpOpPy17X

oh... you could have a chocolate fountain, with stawberries and marshmallows :rolleyes:

xjoannexxx

i just got a personlised engagement banner off ebay cost me £6 including postage i found another one aswell which is cheaper will try to post links for you

xjoannexxx

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&item=360136881008

This one is £4.25 including postage

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=280317047921

this is one i got cost me £6 you can have a pic on it aswell

Hope these links work

dogstarheaven

thanks for your replies. I'll pop down to Asda's soon to have a gander at what they're like. My bf said he'll make a banner out of cloth and cut out a stencil in cardboard and spray paint the colours on, and we'll also use cut-out card for individual letters and join them on to string for another banner as well.