10+ Fabulous and Inexpensive Party Ideas for Adults

Shop sales and clearances. If you have the space to store decorations, then always be on the lookout for good deals, especially after holidays. You'd be amazed at how many different types of stores have party sections that aren't perused that often.

Dollar stores have more deals! These types of stores have lots of decorations for less but the selection may be limited. If you're looking at the party store, make sure you're checking out their clearance or sale sections.

Don't overdo it. As kids, we love decorations and designs for parties, but as adults, good company (and food/drink) is even more important. Sometimes minimalist decor is the way to go since people will be distracted by socializing most of the time.

Let guests help. As adults, when we're invited to a party, it's common to bring something, whether it be food, drink, or entertainment. Use that to your advantage.

If you need or want something, ask guests for specifics. This is a great way to save money and it doesn't put people out unless you're asking for expensive or difficult-to-find things. But, if you let them know the theme or what you’re missing, you kill two birds with one stone!

Budget locations. Obviously, hosting the party yourself and at your home is going to be the least expensive way to go for an adult party but that's not always an option.

Consider asking friends if they want to go in together to plan a party and one of them can host. Also, keep in mind your community areas. If the weather is nice, throwing a party in a park or in a backyard is a great option.

Send invites digitally. We live in a digital age and one of the best ways to save money and time is by sending things through email or social media platforms over snail mail. You can even use e-cards to make it more exciting.

Eras

It's always fun to pretend you're either living in the past or the future. Pick your favorite era and plan around that. If you're looking to decorate in the past, then thrift stores will be your best friend when looking for little bits of decor of any era.

The future is unknown which means you have a lot of space to play around and ways to keep it under budget. Most people think of silver and space for the future, so start with that. Check out the dollar store or design some posters or signs yourself using a computer and printer or some scissors and construction paper.

This can be the theme for decoration only, for the overall look, food, drink, and entertainment, or involving the guests. They can dress up if desired to add another element of fun (examples: speakeasy flapper parties of the 1920s or 1980s music videos).

Colors

Choosing a distinctive color or group of colors makes decorating much easier and oftentimes cheaper. You could do black and white or all pink or green to help you narrow down what you have to buy. You could even shop the sales first to see if any color jumps out at you.

Mixing patterns is also super stylish. Get on that power-clashing trend for your party by mixing bright stripes and florals or polka dots and argyle. 

Use a color wheel to help you find complementary colors, which will look smashing and aesthetically pleasing.

Seasonal

You can use the season of your party as inspiration. If it's spring, you can decorate with light florals, summertime can be tropical or Hawaiian-themed, fall can use those rich autumnal shades, and winter is ripe for crisp whites, blues, silvers, and golds.

This is especially budget-friendly because you can shop sales for seasonal decor at the time. You can even use natural elements to help decorate or have your party outside.

Entertainment-Inspired

Use your favorite books, television shows, movies, music, or games to inspire your next party. Guests can dress up as their favorite characters or you can simply decorate or serve food and drinks that match your theme. The key to doing this as inexpensively as possible is by DIYing.

Start early and don't step too far out of your comfort zone as that can cause unneeded stress on what should be a fun occasion. Check out the next section for some great sites that offer free and easy craft ideas.

FaveCrafts is a site dedicated to all the free craft projects you can think of, so it's a wonderful place to start when planning. Be sure to check out their party craft section. 

Editor's choice: Hawaiian Party Set - This is great for a tropical-themed party!

AllFreeHolidayCrafts has every holiday-related craft project you could image, even birthdays. Search through the site's keywords or use the search bar at the top left to find what you're looking for.

Editor's choice: Zodiac DIY Pinata - Pinatas aren't just for kids. Make a birthday party one to remember by bringing back the pinata. Awesomely fun.

Make and Tell is stuffed to the brim with stylish and cool free printables and DIY projects. Take a look at the party printables section to find some of the most creatives ideas for your adult party ever!

Editor's choice: Printable Rainbow Star Letters - These printable letters are colorful and full of stars. Perfect for garlands, invites, signs, and so much more!

Crafts by Amanda needs to be mentioned when discussing craft party ideas for adults. This site has a whole huge section dedicated to thrifty and unique craft ideas, most of which work beautifully for parties of all types. Check out the adult crafts section to find a project.

Editor's choice: Fabric Scrap Heart Garland - Any romantic party, whether it be Valentine's Day, anniversaries, showers will look lovely with this sweet and scrappy garland.

CraftPaperScissors is a blog with all sorts of party ideas for someone on a budget. Check out their party decorations posts and get ideas from all over and using all types of materials.

Editor's choice: The Best Harry Potter Crafts and Recipes for a Magical Party - This fun post features all sorts of ideas for a Harry Potter themed party. So enchanting and not just for kids!

Celebrity Anagrams: This printable game is a fun group activity. Unscramble the letters to find the names of celebrities. You can find more free adult games to print at Word Game World as well.

Milk Bottle Toss Game: Go vintage with this fun milk bottle craft and activity. Guests will love the simple joys and challenges of this classic game. You can find more game ideas at Delineate Your Dwelling as well.

Two Truths and a Lie: This is a fun and thrifty game idea. Guests will write their facts and fallacies down and other guests will have to guess the truths and lies. Find this and more creative party game ideas on Fun Stuff To Do.

Yard-Zee: Take your Yahtzee game to the next level with these large, adult-sized die. They are easy to make and super fun to play with. Find more party decorations and games on Nancy Keslin's site.

Alphabet Game: The best aspect of this game is that you can change up the rules to find lots of different ways to play. Find words related to a theme using the alphabet and the first to fill in all the letters wins. Find this and more printables at My Party Games.