Ideas for a Cowboy Birthday Party

So you're 5-year-old is clamoring for a cowboy-themed birthday party. He wants the ultimate themed event, but you're not sure where to begin. You've got a few ideas swimming around in your head, but you need some help getting started on your ultimate cowboy-themed party. Well, here are some affordable and unique ideas for a show-stopping cowboy birthday party.

Head over to your local discount store to purchase several sheets of colored construction paper and a cowboy-themed coloring book. Flip through the coloring book pages to find familiar cowboy images such as cacti, cowboy boots, hats and horseshoes. Trace or draw the patterns onto the construction paper, cut them out and fill in the important party information. Voila! You now have one-of-a-kind cowboy invitations. (Make sure to tell party guests to don their finest western outfits for the party.)

There are so many simple ways to decorate for a cowboy-themed party, starting with tables and seating. Go to your local farm supply store and purchase several bales of hay. These become instant seating for party guests. To cover tables, you have lots of options. Spread red and white checkered tablecloths, yards of denim or long pieces of brown kraft paper over tables to really set the mood. For table centerpieces, turn over cowboy hats and fill them with licorice, a favorite cowboy treat. For an added cowboy touch, secure balloons to a heavy horseshoe on every table.

Here is another area where the do-it-yourselfer can really shine. Create a "Wanted" poster for the front door, but instead of a criminal on the front of the poster, add a picture of the birthday guest of honor. Continue the poster theme by hanging various signs around the party area. Examples include "Lost Ranch," "Dude Farm," "$1000 Reward" and "Gunslinger" varieties. Be creative in your sign making! Use rope to adorn porch rails, stair banisters, doorways and other areas for a rustic, cowboy touch.

Prepare a traditional cowboy fare by serving baked beans, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, biscuits, cornbread and chips and salsa in tin camping dishes. Use bandannas as napkins and serve drinks in mason jars. For dessert, make sugar cookie cutouts in the same cowboy shapes that you used to make the invitations. This is a great way to have your child help you prepare for the party.

No cowboy-themed party is complete without a game of pin the star on the sheriff. Use bandannas as blindfolds and have party guests attempt to place wooden or metal stars on the sheriff's vest. And, of course, a game of horseshoes is a must at a cowboy-themed party.