There is so much great vintage inspiration to share this week! Stephanie of Spaceships & Laserbeams created this fantastic Vintage Train Dessert Table for a “Boy Bash on a Budget Challenge“ that she runs on her blog, in which the guidelines allow her to use one of her printable collections + a budget of $50. (See full budget breakdown below.) There’s definitely a retro-vintage look to this dessert table, but I love how she also managed to keep the overall vibe fresh and modern with her use of bright colors and clean lines.

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• A cupcake “train” carrying candy & snack “cargo” along the tracks (oh so cute!)
• Clever brownie “suitcases” with gummy ring handles
• DIY “railroad track” wrapped around the cake, fashioned from candy cigars & licorice

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Stephanie…

Every Tuesday till the end of the year, on our blog we’ve been having a challenge called the “Boy Bash on a Budget Challenge.” Each week a talented woman participates — from party planners and vendors to moms who love to plan parties.

The rules are: every participant gets the Spaceships and Laser Beams of their choice + $50 for a dessert table or $20 for a tablescape. They can also use anything they are able to beg, borrow/already own or make themselves.

I decided it was only fair to use the very same rules to do a Vintage Train themed dessert table. In addition to keeping the budget in check, I wanted the table to be cute, achievable and super easy to pull off.

Here’s a breakdown of what was spent:

• Cookies + Brownies: $8
• Cake: $11
• Cupcakes: $4
• Candy: $8
• Rice Chips: $1.00
• Water: $1.50
• Poster Printing: $14

I used items my son has in his toy chest including the wooden box the cake sits on (it originally was packaging for a toy drum), the train tracks, train on the cake. In addition, I already owned the tablecloth glasses, white tray and muslin bags from previous parties — and the green crates are from my kitchen. These are all things that people could search their houses for or borrow and get creative with what they actually end up with.

A few easy DIYs: topping the brownies with candy to create suitcases + surrounding the cake with candy cigars and licorice to create a railroad effect.

(P.S. For more party-on-a-budget ideas, check out my $100 Tablescape Challenge entry last year: Part 1 and Part 2.)