How to Plan Spa Birthday Party on a Budget
Learn how to plan the perfect spa birthday party on a budget. Follow these easy tips to throw a super fun but inexpensive party at home.
Birthday parties can be expensive!
We want to give our children a party they will remember but we also don’t need to spend a small fortune doing so.
I’m all about saving some money and having birthday parties at home.
And with a little creativity and inspiration, you can too!
My daughter, Emma wanted to have a photo shoot with her friends for her 13th birthday party…we considered hiring a professional photographer but that would have been expensive.
She also liked the idea of going to a spa for mani/pedis.
But again…expensive!
What new teen doesn’t love those ideas?
After considering a few different options….we decided to combine a home spa party with me playing photographer and taking pictures of her friends in our neighborhood park.
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I hope these budget friendly spa party ideas help you plan a memorable and fun time.
I’d love to hear other party ideas you may have, so drop a comment below!
There are links at the bottom to help you throw this super fun spa birthday party!
So keep reading!!
How to Decorate for Spa Birthday Party
We kept the color scheme simple with black & white.
Our dining room furniture is white and our kitchen chairs are black and since we were using both sets of chairs, it helped decide the colors to use.
We borrowed black fabric table cloths from Emma’s middle school.
The perks of being a board member of the Parent Teacher organization.
It helped to not have to purchase table cloths and they looked nicer than plastic.
Classy but neutral!!
Emma really wanted to incorporate giant number “13” balloons in her photo shoot.
The gold color was a perfect compliment to the neutral color scheme of the party.
And the huge balloons were a great addition to the party decorations!
How to Create a Spa Experience at Home
My new teenager thought it would be super fun for her guests to do face masks.
And after they had fresh faces, they could do each others make up.
Such a special way for them to spend time together before their big photo session.
I purchased inexpensive vanilla coconut moisturizing face masks for all the girls.
We also bought headbands, mirrors, washcloths, and baskets at the dollar store which helped keep the cost down.
All the spa goodies went into cute white wire baskets.
We set up our dining room table as the spa.
I put cotton balls, cosmetic rounds, and Q-tips in glass jars that I already had.
The cotton swap supplies in the middle of the table were included for the spa experience.
You can use any type of container to hold these extras but the glass jars look so pretty, don’t you think so?!
I had bought too many white baskets so I filled the extra one with some more spa essentials.
Makeup wipes, makeup brush cleaner wipes & face lotion along with a box of tissues filled the basket.
The girls were all able to use these items when doing their makeup.
The guests all brought their own makeup to the party.
And what spa table wouldn’t be complete without a bouquet of beautiful fresh flowers?
The flowers were from Emma’s dance recital, so technically free party décor!
Score!!
The girls all had so much fun pampering themselves with the face masks…and shared quite a few giggles about how they looked with them on.
I don’t want to embarrass Emma by showing you all those pics!
But trust me they were cute!
So, here’s an approved photo of my birthday girl applying mascara.
What Snacks to Serve at a Teen Birthday Party
While the girls were pampering themselves, they enjoyed some of Emma’s favorite snacks!
I always like to serve the guest of honors favorites at their celebration.
We served buffalo chicken dip with crackers & celery, chips, pretzels and fruit.
And of course, it’s important to hydrate the skin from the inside as well as the outside.
So, we had plenty of water available for her guests.
S2M Tip – Use the mini water bottles, even for teens, because then there’s is less waste.
How to Plan a Photo Session for Friends
Once the makeovers were done, we walked down to our small neighborhood park for the photo shoot.
We did both group and individual photos of all the girls.
They had some great ideas for the pictures!
Way better than my ideas.
My advice is to just leave it up to them…teenage girls are super creative!
Dessert Alternative to Birthday Cake
Can you believe Emma doesn’t like cake?
Yup, it’s true!
Instead of a birthday cake, she wanted to have ice cream sundaes.
We bought plain vanilla & chocolate ice cream, several toppings, and cones at the grocery store.
I found black and gold paper ice cream cups, napkins & spoons at Party City to serve the ice cream in.
The small mason jars with gold tops matched the color scheme of the party.
I filled each one with different ice cream sundae toppings.
Goody Bag Option for Teen Spa Birthday Party
The girls took home their spa baskets that they used during the makeover as a thank you gift.
Then as each guest left, she added another face mask and a loofah cleansing poof to their basket to take home.
It was such a fun birthday party!
Emma loved spending time with her friends and now she has all those special photographs of their time together.
We were able to pull this party off without spending too much by hosting it at home.
Shopping at the Dollar General also saved us lots of money.
Keeping food to a minimum with just appetizers and an ice cream sundae bar was easy and budget-friendly.
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If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!
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I loved this idea! My daughter is all grown up with children of her own, but she would have loved this party when she was younger. I think way too much money is spent on birthday parties these days, (as a Baby Boomer), I am glad to see younger parents coming up with these creative ways to celebrate without breaking the bank. I am sure that your daughter will always cherish the extra time you put into making her day special!
This looks so fun!!!! I am going to do this for my daughter's 33rd birthday. She is disabled and loves mani/pedis and spa stuff.