The Pros and Cons of Using Pinterest for Party Planning

Should you be using Pinterest for party planning?

We’ve all seen the posts on social media of our friends’ birthday parties for their children. There are those moms who go all out, and there are those who keep it simple. But as long as you do something to acknowledge your child’s special day, you have succeeded!

Should You Be Using Pinterest for Party Planning?

I’ve heard conversations amongst moms here and there regarding Pinterest and the pressure it has caused some of them when it comes to parties, crafts, snacks, etc. So I thought I would share my thoughts as a professional event planner, and as a realistic mom, when it comes to Pinterest and how I use it.

Using Pinterest for party planning can be overwhelming…even though it is meant to narrow down what all is out there on the worldwide web. I try to follow this order when I go about planning a party:

Steps to Planning a Party

 1.  First, I choose a theme. This could be anything your child loves or is interested in around the time of their birthday. Or, here are 5 fun and exciting kid party ideas.

2.  Then I go to Pinterest and type in the theme to look at the different options available. This is really just a quick browsing session without pinning anything. Or you could create a new board at this time so you will have it ready for when you do save pins.

3.  The next step is deciding, based on the guest list, if will you do themed foods, favors, games, and decorations. Here are party planning tips and reminders that every hostess should know.

4.  Invitations: I like to look on Pinterest for invitation ideas and pin them to my board. That way I can decide if I will design the invitation myself or depending on the difficulty, I could take/send the pin to a graphic designer or friend. Learn how to write a party invitation that guests will appreciate.

5.  I search and pin ideas for party decorations, favors, foods, and game ideas.

6.  I usually pin ideas for the cupcakes/cake last. Some things to consider when pinning: difficulty level (especially if you will be making the cakes at home), cost and how many people you need it to feed. If you plan to have a bakery make the cupcakes/cake, you can easily send/show them a picture of what you like. Check out this free food and beverage estimator to calculate how much to serve at a party.

7.  Sometimes I like to combine ideas from the pins and create my own version of a game or favor. This is a way to put your own spin on things.

The Pros and Cons for Using Pinterest to Plan Your Party

My thoughts: Why reinvent the wheel when there are so many good ideas out there already? Your party will be creative and loved by both the birthday child and guests because you took the time to make it what you/your child wants. It doesn’t matter where the ideas came from.

So, Pinterest: friend or foe? I say, it is what you make it. For me, Pinterest is my go-to spot for ideas when I just can’t think of any or I have so many that I need to narrow it down. Plus, I am a very visual person and I LOVE that Pinterest is primarily pictures and then you are able to follow the links to see or read more.

I have shared pictures below of a few of the birthday parties I have hosted for my own kids. If you would like to connect with me or see my boards on Pinterest that go with these themed parties, feel free to follow me.

Party Pictures

Featured Contributor: Katie Strohecker

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