birthday party ideas Archives

Collaborate on a bucket list for an unforgettable group gift

birthday wish box 1

You’ve heard of bucket lists, but if you’ve worked with buckets long, you’ve figured out that they’re a little difficult to store neatly. So, whether you’re planning a birthday, anniversary or retirement party, consider a wish box! A personalized wooden box, like those bought here, is relatively easy to get your hands on, and moderately easy to make yourself. You can buy bucket list cards over here for guests to fill out and drop in the box for later storage.

birthday wish box 3
If everyone fills out an idea or two, that should keep the honoree(s) busy for quite a while. But more importantly, it’s easy to tuck a box away in a cabinet or in your luggage than it is a box. Make it waterproof and it will even survive a disastrous fishing trip, or a slightly too wild cruise.

If you want to gift something even more neatly bound, organize a collaborative memory book. Unlike a wish box, folks contribute wishes online before the party so that they have more time to think of what to write. This also works well if some people are unable to attend your event!

A stylish birthday card hung on the wall

big birthday card

Whether you are planning a birthday, anniversary or retirement party, you probably expect to see some folks bring traditional greeting cards sealed in paper envelopes. Usually they are cards from folks who found the time to prepare one in advance. Sometimes it’s an actual giant birthday card someone finds at a local convenience or party store. But hanging a giant birthday card on the wall is a little cumbersome and might look tacky. Why not hang a photograph instead?

Buy a frame with an extra-large border and center your chosen photograph in it. Provide some pens and encourage the guests to sign a note for the man or woman of the hour. In addition to proving they attended and reminding people of that in the future, the birthday child will be able to see it hanging on their wall or sitting on their table and remember friends and family.

Alternatively, go further and organize a birthday memory book filled with pictures, stories and messages from everyone. It won’t hang on the wall, but it’s a great addition to the coffee table that will get picked up over and over again.

How can I personalize a birthday celebration?

When you’re out of birthday ideas, you can’t go wrong with human memory, and the birthday should really be all about the birthday child in question, shouldn’t it? Using photos, build a timeline on the wall showing your loved one throughout the ages. Friends and other members of the family probably have enough to make plucking one for each year tricky, so ask them to help you choose! Keep the memories alive by taking party photos, then add them to a photo book with those snapshots. If you’re using physical photos, make a copy before hanging them up, just in case some get damaged over the course of the party.

You can hang a poster on the wall and provide markers and pens for guests to write down a reason they love the person, either a blank sheet or something like this. While you’re at it, set out a jar and let them drop small cards into it, each one bearing a memory they have of the MVP. These can either be read aloud during the party to try to guess who wrote it, or saved for when they’re feeling down.