Here are the inexpensive "party favors" we made.  Kaitlyn and I used alphabet stickers to personalize strips of cardstock. (already had both of these items.)

 We put on colorful polka-dot stickers (The kind used at yard sales for price tags...  I had a few lying around)

and some grosgrain ribbon at the top and bottom was attached with double-stick tape.  (Also, already had this... I use many of these supplies for name cards for my afghans).

Then we cut all different sized circles out of cardstock and glued them onto the other side and wrote out one of K's favorite verses (I Timothy 4:12) on the other side with metallic gel pens (already had the set of pens too!)

I have a small laminator so we soon had these cute bookmarks!

It was only a panic when a last minute guest RSVP'd at 10 AM on the day of the party and we had no more polka-dot stickers and had to just cut smaller circles out of cardstock and make one more "keepsake" rather quickly!

We found these cute polka-dotted party plates at Walmart for $1.27.  I splurged and bought two packs.

We set things out with our two wooden...  what do you call those things?  Lazy Susan turny thingies!  That added to the dot motif a bit! (I didn't buy them for the party, but I just want to note that I got the bigger of the two turny thingies at a garage sale for $1 awhile back! I was excited about that find!)

The ABOVE picture shows a red table cloth, but we decided to switch to a striped one instead (pictured below:)

We already had a package of regular paper napkins that just HAPPENED to have polka-dots (and butterflies on them...  so we set them around the cake pedestal!

We have one of each number candle (from 0-9) so no more money was spent on the number candles on the top two cupcakes.  As it happened, I also already had polka-dotted cupcake liners! 

Kaitlyn saw this cake idea on the back of a cake mix box.  It took just one cake mix (89 cents at the Commissary), two containers of frosting (on sale for 99 cents each) and three cans of decorators spray (I think they were 1.50 a can) and two bags of M&Ms for which I paid $1.99 a bag(probably the most expensive item). 

We set out the M & Ms in a three part tray that we already had.

I made homemade ice cream in our Vita-Mix blender...  cream, honey, frozen fruit and vanilla...  for just under $2 dollars! (Already had the vanilla, frozen fruit and honey, just had to buy the cream)

Invitations cost $1 and thank-you notes another $1! (Had bought them on a clearance rack!)

We played a Getting Acquainted Game.

I gave each girl a pencil and two sheets of paper. (New Cost: $0)

I had them divide the first sheet into four sections.  I instructed them to write their favorite Bible verse in one section and one unusual fact about themselves in each of the remaining three sections. 

I then cut their papers apart so that only one thing was on each piece, folded them all and placed them in a bowl.

I drew the papers out of the bowl and read them one by one and the other girls guessed who made each statement!  (One said: I did not breathe for 2 minutes when I was born.  Another said: I have not brushed my teeth in 10 days!)

Then, I gave them a Kaitlyn Quiz.  They wrote their answers on the second sheet of paper and Kaitlyn wrote the answer key on her page.

I asked multiple choice questions like:

Which the following has Kaitlyn NEVER done:

A.) skydiving

B.) rock climbing

C.) water skiiing

D.) eating worms

(The answer is A... she would do it, but its not legal until age 18 at the place near our home!)

I also asked fill-in-the blank questions like:

Kaitlyn took her first step at age:______months.

Kaitlyn has____ siblings.

Kaitlyn's favorite color is______.

(The answers are 10, 5 and blue!)

Lastly, I asked True or False Question like:

Kaitlyn has had seizures in the past.

Kaitlyn has had surgery.

Kaitlyn has had speaking roles in more than 5 plays.

(Answers: T, F, T)

We had fun letting her reveal all the answers!

With the exception of learning that one child was allergic to sugar and wheat (AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY!) it was all great fun.  (By the way, we quickly cut up some melon for her!  So I guess that was an additional unexpected cost...  maybe $2-$3)

We also played the "I Have Never" game.

You set up chairs in a circle facing the center.  You allow one less chair than players.

The person in the middle makes a statement...  something she/he has never done, but thinks others may have done.  (No vulgarity allowed of course!)

Some that we heard were:

I have never been to another country.

I have never eaten a steak. (from a vegetarian)

I have never been adopted.

I have never had a brother.

I have never had a dog.

Then, anyone who HAS done that thing has to jump up and run to another chair (like Fruit Basket Upset).

The person in the center tries to snag an empty chair and whoever is left chairless makes the next statement. 

It is great fun!

We had 7 guests:  Ruth, Esther, Laina, Savannah, Merikesh, Mariah and Tilly!  (All from our new chuch).  I was going to post photos, but did not want to do so without parental permission.  So just imagine 7 smiling, sweet girls between the age of 12-15!

The above photo was taken afterwards when Kaitlyn used the stationery she received (even though we had said Presents were not necessary on the invitation!) to decorate her thank-you notes!

Kaitlyn (and I ) had a wonderful time getting to know members of 5 of the families from our new church!

All told, I think we spent about $20.  NOT BAD! PLUS...  many of these items were purchased from the Navy Commissary that day that guy decided to pay for all of our groceries!  WOW!)

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