Bargain shopping for birthday party decorations means stacking cheap sources against each other — dollar stores, big-box discounters, and secondhand marketplaces — rather than defaulting to one specialty shop. The right mix depends on what you need, since party-supply stores lost their biggest national chain in 2025 and the replacements have different strengths. That shift matters because the old habit of "just go to Party City" no longer works the way it used to. Knowing where decorations actually got cheaper, where they got pricier, and where safety rules apply lets you build a full setup without overspending.
Table of Contents
- Why Your Old Go-To Party Store May Be Gone
- Where to Find the Cheapest Everyday Decorations
- Should You Buy Secondhand Decorations?
- Where to Actually Cut Your Budget
- Balloon Safety Rules Bargain Shoppers Should Know
Why Your Old Go-To Party Store May Be Gone
Party City filed for bankruptcy again and began winding down in December 2024, closing all of its roughly 700 to 850 U.S. stores by February 28, 2025 — eliminating the largest dedicated party-supply chain many shoppers relied on for discounted decorations. If your usual plan was a closeout run to the nearest Party City, that store is very likely gone.
The brand didn't disappear entirely. New Amscan PC, LLC, an affiliate of Ad Populum, bought Party City's brand and assets for $20 million at auction and has reopened Party City shop-in-shops inside more than 700 Staples locations, with further expansion planned through the end of 2026. Check whether your local Staples carries one before assuming you have no party-supply store nearby.
Where to Find the Cheapest Everyday Decorations
Dollar stores remain the fastest way to assemble balloons, banners, cups, and tablecloths cheaply, but the price point has moved. Dollar Tree raised its longstanding $1 standard to $1.25 chainwide by around April 2022, so basic dollar-store decor items now cost 25% more than the original single-dollar price. Budget for $1.25 per item rather than $1 when you're mentally tallying a cart. Dollar Tree has become one of the main replacements for Party City's exit: as of June 2025, it was selling 18-inch foil star balloons for about $1.50 each, and many locations offer in-store helium fills, which saves the cost of a separate helium tank rental.
That combination — cheap mylar balloons plus on-site inflation — covers one of the pricier line items in any party budget. Five Below is worth a separate stop for novelty extras rather than core decor. It undercuts comparable Amazon multipacks on items like party favors and noisemakers: an 8-pack of metallic fringe noisemakers runs $1.50 there versus roughly $9 for a 12-pack on Amazon, and themed items like light-up disco party cups run about $4 each. For novelty or trend-specific pieces, check Five Below before defaulting to an online multipack.
Should You Buy Secondhand Decorations?
Yes, for reusable items — banners, backdrops, centerpieces, and themed signage that aren't balloons or anything consumable. Secondhand platforms, led by Facebook Marketplace, are growing mainly because of price rather than any sustainability motive, and 40% of 18- to 24-year-olds now shop secondhand at least monthly, according to GWI/YPulse research.
Parents frequently resell barely-used themed decor sets right after a party, often at a fraction of retail. Search by the exact theme and age (e.g., "5th birthday dinosaur decorations") rather than generic terms, since sellers typically list by occasion. Expect reusable items — paper lanterns, fabric banners, cardboard backdrops — in good condition; skip anything balloon-related secondhand, since deflated or old mylar balloons won't reinflate reliably and latex balloons degrade.
Where to Actually Cut Your Budget
Decorations are not where the biggest party costs sit, so it helps to know what to target first. A 2024 survey of 404 U.S. women by Everyday Health Group for What to Expect found average spending on a child's birthday party, excluding gifts, is about $314 — and 14% of parents spend under $100 while 20% spend over $500, showing a low-cost party is both achievable and common.
A UK survey from Confused.com, published October 2025, found average total party spend of about £701, with food (£109), entertainers (£104), and venue hire (£104) as the three largest cost categories — far outweighing what decorations typically cost. If your budget is tight, trimming the venue, catering, or entertainment line usually saves more than hunting for cheaper streamers. That doesn't mean decor spending is irrelevant — a $314 average party can easily spend $30–$50 on decorations alone if balloons, a banner, and tableware are all bought new. It means decor bargain-hunting works best as one piece of a broader cost plan, not the only lever you pull.
Balloon Safety Rules Bargain Shoppers Should Know
Balloons are usually the cheapest decoration per visual impact, but they carry a real safety requirement. The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission states that balloons are the leading cause of suffocation death among children's products, and the Child Safety Protection Act of 1994 requires choking-hazard warning labels on every balloon manufactured since January 1, 1995. A few practical rules apply at any price point: Buying balloons cheap at a dollar store doesn't change these rules — a $1.50 foil balloon and a $5 one carry the same choking-hazard warning requirement, and the safety steps apply regardless of where the balloon came from.
- Don't let children under age 8 play with uninflated balloons unsupervised, per CPSC guidance.
- A fully inflated balloon poses no hazard on its own — the risk is from broken pieces.
- Collect and discard every piece of a popped balloon immediately.
- Check that any secondhand or clearance balloon still carries its original warning label before buying.
