Spring is less than a month away – so close I can smell it. The only cure for my early spring fever is to share all my blooming ideas for a colorful, delicious, and playful party for under $12! I envy all you spring babies out there, what a beautiful time of the year to be brought into this world.

Let’s get this party started by decorating the table –

• Place settings – Using sheets of paper for place settings is always the way to go because you can draw (don’t forget the crayons!) while you eat.
• Plates and utensils – Eating on colorful plates and utensils is the best. I cut my colorful paper plates into flowers for extra spring flare and made confetti out of the scraps which I then sprinkled all over the table.
• Name tags – I like making name tags for each seat so guests wind up sitting by someone they normally wouldn’t. Unexpected conversation and laughter is always a plus at a party. I made my tags using popsicle sticks and placed them in cups filled with crushed Oreos (which will be used later), like a plant label that would be found in a garden. Extra popsicle sticks can be used to make flower centerpieces that can be colored too!

Can’t stop thinking about the Oreos I mentioned? Yeah, me neither. If you haven’t already guessed, we’re making dirt cups for dessert! Dirt cups are awesome because they are low maintenance, the ingredients are super cheap, and it’s just fun to pretend you’re eating dirt. Simply make or buy your favorite pudding (I have a chocolate problem so I used chocolate) and layer it in the cup with Oreos. Add gummy worms as desired on top and DIG IN!

For a fun spring activity, reuse the dirt cups and have guests make their own terrariums. Gather twigs, rocks, dirt,  and whatever other earthy treasures you can find around your yard. If you haven’t reached your $12 budget yet, buying little plastic figurines from the Dollar Store are a fun addition to terrariums. Here’s a link to some pretty awesome DIY terrariums on Pinterest: DIY Terrariums!

Speaking of the Dollar Store, all the items included in this post (paper, crayons, plates, eating utensils, popsicle sticks, cups, Oreos, pudding, and gummy worms) can be found there. Having a one-stop-shop like the Dollar Store is a big life/time/money saver. And, since your shopping trip will be a short one, you can feel good about bringing your birthday boy/girl along for the ride. Running too many errands with kiddos can get tricky with most children suffering from boredom and ants in their pants if shopping gets too long. They’ll love shopping with you and getting to pick out exactly what they want for their special day!