Cheapest place to buy birthday party supplies?

[Mandi]

I need to start looking for stuff for Micayla's birthday. She's never really had a real party so I've not priced stuff like plates, streamers, etc.

Anyone know the place with the best value. I think we're going with a Dora/Diego theme. :) TIA!

[Jayne]

You can piece it together if you want at walmart but honestly I think the cheapest way to go (and get it all matching and together) is Birthday Express (http://www.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/default.asp?keycode=TQA-258)

Here is Dora (http://www.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/product.asp?sku=E2432&mscssid=J3LHNC3WTSKD9NV3SN2273CQN3PDAW8C)

http://birthdayexpress.speedera.net/images.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/assets/product_images/E2432.jpg

[Cami]

I have gone the route of plain colored plates, napkins, and cups. You could get pink, orange, purple, and/or yellow at a dollar store or party supply store (Factory Card and Party Outlet here is cheap). And then just get some Dora balloons, pinata, poster, and cake.

If you want to get the whole matching shebang, I agree Birthday Expres would be the cheapest.

For other party treats, crafts, activities, and games, Oriental Trading Company has lots of very cheap plastic junk that kids love.

[Stacey]

I'm in the market for birthday decorations too, so I'm pulling up a chair. :popcorn:

In the past, we've done what Cami's talking about and done solid colored plates and napkins with some decorated ones thrown in. It's cheaper, and the decorations get to be a bit much for me when everything's got a picture on it. :lol:

[Nocona]

ITA, Stacey :lol: I've only had 2 parties here, but we did solid plates/cups, etc. and then the decorations, goody bags, etc. with the theme.

Don't forget to have a marker handy to put their names on their cups so they aren't swapping slobber :lol:

[Ami]

Oh yeah. I mix the solids with the themed stuff. Having all the themed stuff is a bit much.

[Theresa]

If you want solid stuff, check out the Dollar Store. Ours always has great party supplies and even favors! :aok:

[Karri]

Birthday Express is SOOOOO not the cheapest way to go :nono:

I buy locally. Like Cami, we have a Factory Card & Party Outlet and that is where I've gone in the past. This year, they didn't have Thomas, so my mom got it from Party America, which is in her town (not sure if its local or nationwide...they have a website) and she said the Thomas stuff and other stuff just happened to be 50% off that week! :woo:
And like others, we piece stuff together. I usually get the table cloth, cake plates, and napkins, and then just get solid color large plates and cups and streamers. I've gotten cupcake papers when I did those and I've gotten some cake decorations in the past, too, depending on what I did. Oh - and I get mylar balloons the day of from the closest party place. All places seem to carry a big selection and its cheaper to get them there and have them fill them than to pre-buy them off the net and take them someplace else and have them filled (cause they charge you for freakin' helium).
I just remember the first year I did a party and I got it from Birthday Express and that was way more expensive than doing it this way!!

[Brooke]

WalMart had a great selection of solids and patterns the last time I was in there. The solid colors were really cheap there.

[pfisher]

We just had a Dora party a few weeks ago. I got Dora plates, hats and blowers from Wal-Mart. We just used plain white napkins. When I decorated the table, I put the napkin down and put a blower on top of it. I also got a balloon bouquet with one Dora balloon and four pink and purple balloons.

Slightly OT: I made the mistake of getting two different kinds of blowers. We had the Dora blowers that roll out when you blow into them and the kind that made noise when you blow into them. Guess which ones the kids fought over? It sounded like a flock of geese invaded the party room.