Decorating for a children's party isn't difficult at all -- in fact, you really can't go wrong with kid party decorations. You can quickly create a festive atmosphere with a few balloons and streamers! It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that, but if you need a few tips, you'll find them below.

Balloons

Hang balloons in bunches for the best effect. If you plan to fill balloons with helium, wait until the party day to ensure they float well. Attach balloons to light fixtures and hang them in doorways or anywhere that strikes your fancy. Use colorful ribbon to tie balloons together, and curl the ends by pulling the ribbon between your thumb and the blade of scissors.

Use balloons on your mailbox to mark the party spot; arrange them as a decoration at the door; or tie them to the birthday child's chair to mark the seat of honor. For an extra special touch, make a balloon arch by filling balloons with helium, attaching them (several inches apart) to a long piece of curling ribbon and anchor the ends to the floor beside the doorway.

Streamers

Decorating with streamers is fun, and it's an easy way to add a flourish of color to your party room with just a few simple steps. Gather 6-8 streamers and attach them to your walls (mounting them in corners and on opposite-facing walls works well). Then, twist them and attach them to the ceiling in the center of the room.

If you have an overhead light fixture, attach your streamers to the fixture and add a small bouquet of balloons. If you don't have a light fixture, attach your streamers to the ceiling in the center of the room, tie a small bunch of balloons together and attach the balloons to the ceiling where your streamers meet.

To create colorful two-tone streamers, simply lay two different colors of streamers back-to-back and twist them as you walk toward the wall, a light fixture, or anywhere you think a good place to attach your streamers would be.

Table Decorations

Spread your tablecover on the party table, but be sure to put a protective covering on first if you're concerned your table could become damaged by spilled beverages.

If your child has any toys or small items that complement the party theme, it's fun to add them to the table for a more festive display. See the 'Specialty Decorations' section below for more ideas.

Cut several 12-inch pieces of curling ribbon and curl it by pulling it between your thumb and the blade of scissors. Lay the resulting curls along your table and in front of each guest's place setting. They'll love the added touch and the extra attention you paid to make them feel special.

It's your choice whether to set the table completely before the party. Some parents choose to lay out only the napkins, forks and spoons, saving the plates and cups until the food is served. However, the overall visual effect is greater when all the partyware is on the table when guests arrive.

It's a good idea to create place cards so each child knows where to sit. This helps prevent hurt feelings when they discover that not everyone can sit next to the birthday child. Plus, your child isn't put on the spot of deciding who gets to sit next to him or her; that can be decided before guests arrive. Party favors marked with the names of guests are a great substitute if you don't have time to make place cards.

Specialty Decorations

When it comes to decoration, you can use just about anything that you have around the house that fits the theme. For example, if you're doing a farm theme, you could put some of your child's stuffed animals (farm animals) around the house, in the corners, as table decorations, etc. A construction theme might include construction signs placed around the room. For a Halloween theme, you could place clothepin bats all around the house. If you're doing a Christmas party, you could bring in pine boughs and pinecones from outdoors to compliment your decorating.

The idea is to use anything that you have on hand or can easily and inexpensively aquire to decorate for your theme. You are really only limited by your imagination.

One quick note -- don't overdo the decorating. You don't want so many decorations laying around that they become a hazard to the party-goers.

Have the Party Guests Help Decorate

A great way to beef up your party decorations and get your young guests in a party mood is to have them craft some of the decorations. They can often serve as a duel purpose -- they are a fun party activity and the kids can take them home as a party favor. Use them as part of your party decorations and you kill three birds with one stone, so to speak.

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