My kids love birthday parties. When they get an invitation at school they can’t wait to tear it open and post it proudly on the fridge. I, however, am not such a fan. Seeing that little card on the fridge means yet another last minute trip to Target to buy yet another shrink-wrapped something-or-other. The older my kids get, the more often the invitations come. After a while, it seemed like every other weekend I was spending another $20 on kid gifts and wrapping supplies.

One Saturday last year, I forgot about a birthday party my daughter was invited to and had neglected to buy a present. In a rush, I looked through my pantry and pulled out a simple stash of cupcake supplies. I curled some ribbon around each item, threw them in a gift bag and tied a few balloons to the handles. Much to my surprise, the mother of the birthday girl pulled me aside after the party and thanked me for not buying a toy. She loved the idea of the baking set and said her daughter was thrilled to get it.  Having hosted several birthday parties myself, I totally understood what she was talking about.  From that point on, the baking set has become our standard birthday present.

For the girls, we do a birthday cupcake kit like the one pictured. Generally it includes a box of cake mix, frosting, cupcake liners, sprinkles, and candles. I also include a small child-size apron (found at craft stores for around $2). If I have time, I use printable t-shirt transfer paper to add their names to the apron (see download below).

For the boys, we do ‘Totally Gross Chocolate Dirt Cups’ . The gift bag includes the recipe (see download below), a wooden spoon (we add the boy’s name on the handle in goopy letters with brown and green permanent markers), 2 boxes of chocolate pudding mix, gummy worms, Oreos, and clear cups.

The gifts have been a huge hit at every party.  For some reason, the kids seem to love them…and so do the parents.  Of course, the greatest part about these gifts is that it’s easy to stock up. When I see one of these particular items on sale or available at the dollar store, I grab a bunch and add them to my birthday stockpile. When the invitations come in, I simply print out a recipe or an apron decal, make an apron or a spoon, and toss the rest in the gift bag. In less than 10 minutes and for less than $10 I’ve got a customized birthday gift that’s sure to please. Just thought I’d pass it on.