Oriental Trading is my go-to for supplies when I am planning a big birthday party, as I am doing this year. They have a ton of stuff, from decorations to crafts to goodie bag items. It is easy to find items to fit practically any theme. The spending could quickly get out of hand, unless you know the Oriental Trading money-saving secrets.
My youngest, who usually gets short-changed in most things, by fortune of his birth (hand-me-downs and a much slimmer photo album) is finally getting his do with an elaborate (for us) knight-themed birthday party. He is inviting all of his Kindergarten friends, plus some neighbors, and family, too. It will be complete with a homemade castle cake (I’ve made two of them before–I am a one-trick pony) at his request, and a backyard quest for the kids to complete.
There will also be blow up swords, fake treasure coins, golden grail cups and more, thanks to Oriental Trading. Through some careful shopping, I saved about two thirds of the projected cost. Here is how I did it.
Read the reviews
Most items are reviewed by shoppers. This makes it easy to spot the duds and avoid spending money on items that will break before or during the party, are too small or big, etc. Often the reviews give you extra ideas as well. By reading a review, I avoided purchasing some treat boxes and instead got a great idea to use something I already had on hand.
Shop the clearance and sales
You can save a lot when you click on that sales button. Many times items that are on sale from another season could work for your party. The blow up swords, for example, were on clearance because they were part of a vacation bible school theme.
Get inspired and make it yourself
While searching the Oriental Trading website for “knight” and for “Castle,” I came across a kit that supplied materials for kids to make their own shields. Instead of buying the kit, I decided to go online and look for a template for a shield. We printed them out, added handles like the ones in the kit, and purchased some stick on jewels for decoration. At “The armory,” the kids will be supplied with craft items to help them customize their shields.
Find coupon codes
Finally, before you check out, be sure to search for Oriental Trading coupon codes. I got free shipping on my order that way!