Handmade vs. Made in China: How to Get Quality Decorations for Your Child’s Party

Have you seen the article in Newsweek about the mom that purchased Bluey decor for her child’s birthday only to discover too late that it wasn’t that famous Blue Heeler from Down Under at all? Unfortunately, this story happens way too often when it comes to buying party decor – or even home decor items – over the internet. Even big name retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and of course, the notorious Temu, can get it wrong. Don’t risk the success of your child’s party with cheap goods from overseas when you can have custom, handmade cake toppers, banners, tags, stickers, and more made right here in the U.S.A.

Planning a Successful Birthday Party

In the Newsweek article, the mom notices at the last minute that the pseudo Bluey character featured on the banner is actually a horse or pony. All the same colors, background styles, and other colorful characters are represented, but they aren’t the beloved dogs that a child would be excited to see. The truth is, when it comes to trademarked characters, including Minions, Disney characters, and even YouTube stars, the factory-made items are often “cheap-looking” when they arrive, even if they are authorized and not turned into other creatures to dodge infringement charges.

If your child loves Bluey, Blippie, Danny-Go, or another well-known character and requests a birthday in that theme, you might want to consider creating a party out of interests, colors, and ideas related to that character rather than mass-produced decorations. One example would be to host a Grannies party to honor Bluey and have all of the fun items that “Janet” and “Rita” might enjoy.

• Ask guests to dress like “grannies” in the invitation for a fancy dress type event.
• Provide props for them to enjoy and play with during the party that connect to the popular theme.
• Have a couple of kids’ play cars decorated like the car Bluey and Bingo drive around in the show – maybe even have races or just allow playtime to evolve naturally.
• Party favors and other takeaways can be decorated like the “can of beans” and other items that the kids played with in the show.
• If things get crazy or the kids are too hyped, suggest a “nana nap” rest time and put on a Bluey episode or have a low-sugar snack offering available.
• Order a custom cake topper that reflects the theme without using the trademarked characters – a cozy coupe car design, a big blue paw print, a cute Bluey-inspired house, and other items can be a great way to get unique and personalized results.
• Matching decor, including handmade banners, invitations, stickers, thank-you tags, centerpieces, and other elements might all be available from the same vendor to create a seamlessly decorated event.

Think Outside the Box for Decor

There are so many ways to decorate for your child’s party and these character-inspired ideas are just the start. Think of a theme, any theme, and it’s totally possible to spin it into something unique and memorable for your child’s special day. At SmartCraftDesigns, a majority of the designs that I use to create cake toppers, banners, and other party decor, were inspired by my children, grandchildren, and even my husband! Monster trucks, pirates, construction vehicles, rock guitars, and Vikings were all directly from requests and inspiration for loved ones.

There are so many ways to add decorative elements to a party beyond the cake topper and cupcake decorations. Party favors, gift bags, tags, stickers, water bottle labels, treat labels, thank-you cards, invitations, banners, centerpieces, table decor, and much more can all be created to your specifications upon special request with an experienced craft shop owner. Forget the Made in China cheap trinkets and decor pieces that tend to disappoint more than delight. Take a look at the offerings available in my store, as well as the stores of other Etsy shop owners, and create a one-of-a-kind birthday for your little one.

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About the Author

Laura Young is the owner and operator of SmartCraftDesigns.com and the Etsy Shop, known as Smart Craft Designs USA. Designer, maker, and small business owner, she specializes in creating custom party décor, small business resources, and personalized gifts for her customers. With more than 25 years of experience working in website design, management, and marketing, she put her varied knowledge to work when opening her handcraft business. Located in North Texas, she and her husband enjoy traveling, spending weekends at the lake, and visiting their five grandchildren in Arizona and Colorado.