Birthday Bags - 20 gifts for $20!

Hi friends!  As I am prepping things for the new year, I wanted to stop in & share a few tips about birthday bags.  If you're like me, you want to give your kiddos something to help them celebrate their special day, but you want it to BE cheap without actually LOOKING cheap.  (Now that I think about it, that's kinda my motto with all gifts...)  Anyway, here are some tips to putting together cheap (but not cheap looking) student birthday gifts.

Tip 1: Look in the party sections at Target, Walmart, Michaels, etc.  They often have 6 or 8 packs of small toys for only a few dollars! I've also found fun stuff like bubbles, notepads, googly eye rings, and crazy straws.  You do have to be careful, as some of it isn't the best quality, but there are some hidden gems too.

 Tip 2: Look in the Target Dollar Spot over the summer.  I know this tip probably isn't new (anyone else religiously stalk browse the dollar spot over the summer looking for cool things?), but it's still worth mentioning.  The past few years, I did a Dr. Seuss birthday theme with Dr. Seuss pencils, erasers, & bookmarks...all from the Dollar Spot!

Tip 3: Put the items in a fun birthday bag...I got 20 bags for $1 from the Walmart party section!  It just makes it look more festive and less like a bag of trinkets. :)

Tip 4:  My last tip...buy in bulk.  If I see a good deal or a cool item, I buy 2-3 years worth at a time.  That way, I don't have to worry about going out to find birthday items every summer.  The items are already waiting to be assembled in my classroom. :)

So, what to see what mine turned out like?  Take a peek!

Here's what's in this year's bags...
- Cupcake stickers (24 for $1 from Target Dollar Spot)
- Glitter Pencils (8 for $1 from Target Dollar Spot...needed 3 packs)
- Colorful Erasers (8 for $1 from Target Dollar Spot...needed 3 packs)
- Googly eye rings (20 for $3 from Michael's)
- Bubbles (20 for $3 from Michael's)
- Birthday Bookmarks (24 for $1 from Target Dollar Spot)
- Crazy Straws (6 for $1 from Michael's...needed 4 packs)
- Fun birthday bags (20 for $1 from Walmart party section)
- Birthday certificate (24 for $1 from Target Dollar Spot...not pictured...oops)
TOTAL: $20...and I even have some leftovers! :)

When you assemble your birthday bags, I recommend setting up an "assembly line" with all of the items lined up in front of you.  Grab a bag, go down the line and put the items in, tie it off with a twist tie (comes with the bags), and viola!  20 birthday bags...ready to go for my kiddos!

I hope this gives you some new ideas for student birthday gifts!  Tell me...am I missing anything?  I'd love another reason to go to the Dollar Spot! ;)