My baby turned one a few days after we moved cross country. As a party planner, I couldn’t bear to miss the chance to celebrate him, but our house was in shambles and there wasn’t time to put together a huge bash like I normally would. The most important thing? Celebrating this sweet boy and a full year with him. And the other most important thing — getting a few pictures so that he’ll know he’s loved when he’s big enough to care!

Make sure to read below for some tips on how you too can put together a fast, memorable party.

HOW TO CREATE A PARTY IN A PINCH:

1. Stay off Pinterest. When I started working on the party all I wanted to do was sit for hours and curate an impeccable Pinterest board for the party. Maybe do that a little–but the more you look at Pinterest, the more you are going to feel the need to go overboard! That makes it hard to keep it simple. Simple is lovely! I kept getting awesome crazy ideas and even though it killed me to rein it in — I chose to file them away for next time.

2. Pick a theme that’s easy. Shop your home first! Think about recent parties that you still may have decorations from that you can reuse. Choose colors that you may have an abundance of in your home. If your guest of honor loves trains — grab trains from around the house for the decor. I was able to poke around through old decorations and find a bunch of stuff in the house that would be perfect. (Granted, I throw a lot of parties…) But if you just walk around house and collect items in your color scheme you’ll have a good start in putting something together.

3. Instant Downloads. Your best friend for decorations? Instant downloads on Etsy. Search for “instant download _________” with your theme and you’ll find a bunch of cute things. After you’ve paid and downloaded your goodies–call your local print shop and get an email address to send your files to. Most stores have websites you can upload files too–and most of them are terrible. Emailing them in saves you a trip and a lot of time! Most decorations can be assembled with scissors and a glue gun. Keep in mind that you are the only one who will notice if things aren’t perfect — so get things put together and move on!

4. Shop quickly. Give yourself an hour to find as much decor as you can at whatever stores are convenient for you — Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Party City… Stores are starting to carry lots of great party goods as planning parties becomes more fun! Using “store bought” decorations no longer equates to something tacky! You can find cute straws, bunting and decor just about anywhere. Grab items in your color scheme and get going!

5. Make it personal. I love photo banners, I think they are such a sweet way to celebrate a year going by. Upload the pictures to your favorite local photo printer’s website and grab the prints while you are out shopping! Quick and easy wall decor.

6. Buy some treats. Don’t feel bad serving store bought goodies! Walk down the candy aisle and look for candy in your colors — swing by a bakery and see if you can find any treats that match! If all else fails, go with white. You can always dress up a cupcake with printables to make them tie in!

7. Have fun. At the end of the day, a party is about celebrating a moment in a loved one’s life! Remember that, and celebrate. Our shop’s slogan is that parties should be fun and that includes the planning process. Don’t stress — just put together something that will make your guest feel loved, and enjoy. You don’t need a fancy dessert table and elaborate backdrop to make a party a success. All you need is a few decorations, some sugar, and some of your guest’s favorite people to celebrate.