How to Have a “Caillou” Birthday Party for Under $200

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My little niece is having her second birthday next month and it's Caillou themed. I know a lot of you out there have little ones who adore this freaking annoying little boy (coughcoughIHATEHIMcoughcough) so I thought I'd show y'all how to have a Caillou birthday party for under $200! It's true – it can be done and it can be colorful and awesome. I'll be sharing with you a simple menu, some premade stationery plus decor, and even a few fun “extras” that will make it look like you shelled out the big bucks. Please note: This party is based on a guest count of 10 toddlers plus one parent each.

Let's start with the invitation. Personally, these days I do not have the time to design paper goods myself. Are you the same? Then pick up this adorable invitations for only $10.00 and print them out at home. Use a nice, heavy cardstock (a few sheets  and follow the designer's print instructions for super easy and quick personalized invites. Don't forget to pick up some envelopes and stamps, too! TOTAL: $10.00

Next up is the decorations! Remember, you don't need to festoon every corner of your house to make an impact. Pick one wall (your best bet is the one behind the cake/food area) and decorate that! Boom – instant focal point! Personally, I love it when people are inspired by the colors of their child's favorite characters/shows so I've selected some crazy affordable, yet really cute decorations in Caillou's colors of red, blue, green, and yellow. String up several strands of garland (I like this tissue paper garland) and then add a cute Caillou themed Happy Birthday banner! Totally adorable. Attach a few confetti filled balloons in groups to the food table and use these striped straws and customizable food tents to bring the people to the eats in the cutest possible way! Finish off the look with this disposable tablecloth, 3 sets each of Caillou party plates and cups, solid colored napkins, and some flatware in a fun color. Total: $108.75

Now let's talk about the food. I have some easy menu ideas for you (and NO COOKING – yay!) that you can mix and match as needed to suit your needs. I estimated about $50.00 for all the food (including the dessert/cake). This is easily done if you pick up generic brands and keep things simple. Here's a sample menu for the party (featuring all buy and dump food [meaning, you can buy it and then just dump it out on a platter]) – feel free to add, subtract, or make substitutions as needed:

• 3-5 veggies/fruits (I like grape tomatoes, apple slices, baby carrots, strawberries, and blueberries).
• Ranch dip or hummus (one or the other – don't bother with both).
• 1-2 chips or crackers (I'd do a plain one and then a flavored one [skip the dip – it will just end badly]).
• Mini sandwiches (pick up a big sandwich from the deli and cut it up into smaller slices).
• Lemonade and water bottles with fun Caillou water bottle labels (mix up a big pitcher of the lemonade and get the mini size of the water bottles [print out the labels on plain paper or these labels specifically designed for this purpose).
• Either pick up some simple, premade cupcakes (with these adorable Caillou cupcake toppers) or a plain white sheet cake finished off with this edible sheet cake topper (get either one from the deli).

I know that the menu seems lean but, really, you're feeding toddlers and handful of parents. Just have a few menu items but lots of them – it'll make everything MUCH easier. TOTAL: $60.00 (with the cupcakes) or $68.00 (with a cake)

OVERALL TOTAL: $178.75 (with cupcakes) OR $186.75 (with a cake)

Lastly, here's a few fun bits that make a party feel extra special! Pick whatever best fits in your budget (one item, all of them, or mix and match) and have fun! I love the idea of the birthday kid wearing a special Caillou birthday t-shirt (with their new age on it!). Or, pick up a dozen bubble bottles and pop on these bubble favor labels to send home with each party guest (or do as an activity). Another activity idea is to grab this awesome Caillou photo booth prop and take everyone's picture with an instant camera (another cute favor possibility).

Are you hosting a Caillou birthday party for your little one? Which of these ideas will you be using?