The birthday bucket...

Here's my post from HowDoesShe:

Who doesn’t love to celebrate their birthday? Or in my husband’s case his “birthday week”. Years ago, wanting to make birthdays fun and exciting without breaking the bank, we started the “Birthday Bucket” tradition or “party in a bucket” as our friends have referred to it as. It’s a bucket that contains all the things you need to decorate for your special birthday morning without any planning or ever having to run to the store

Here’s what it entails.

A bucket:
Use vinyl letters to designate it as the family birthday bucket. Our bucket, from Pottery Barn Kids is large enough to put a box of cereal in.

A fake birthday cake:
We’ve had this felt cake from the beginning and it’s often the only cake the kids get on their birthday, so it always makes an appearance on the table.

Disposable camera:
I know this is totally old school but trust me your kids will love it. Keep it in the bucket and let them take pictures each birthday. It may take two years before you use the film up but it will be worth it!

Balloons and Balloon sticks w/holder:
I would love to have a helium tank at my disposable but since I don’t, I use these sticks (purchased at your local party store) to create a balloon bouquet on their special day. Added bonus is you don’t have to tie off the balloons so you can use them over and over again.

Ice Cream Cone Pictures:
These were picked up at a teacher supply store and they get hung all over windows and door of the birthday boy/girl

Birthday Banner and Runner:
We have two Happy Birthday banners, a boy and girl version made out of fabric with a coordinating table runner.

We store all these decorations in the bucket.

The night before a birthday, we pull out the bucket and the kids (all except the birthday child) do all the work. They blow up the balloons, they hang the banner, they hang the ice cream cones…and they love it. It’s almost better when its not your birthday because you get to help decorate!
Once the area is decorated, the only thing left to do is leave a couple surprises in the bucket – it’s a like a Christmas stocking on their special day. We keep it really simple – It’s a box of their favorite cereal and another little treat and a little toy or movie or book…depending on the kid.


For one day – the kitchen is transformed into a party and taken down the next night. Everything goes back in the bucket and stays there until it’s the next birthday.

It’s cheap – it’s easy – and it’s not too late to start, no matter how old your kids are!