Another fun idea to greet guests is to position a life-size standee of the birthday boy or girl at the entrance. Check out the standees here , and the voice recorder here. This will create a focal point in the room.
12 Creative Ways to Celebrate and Honor Your 40th Birthday
Decorations often have to compete with existing room decor so they can get a bit lost if spread too thinly. You can then use a few general decorations around the rest of the room to tie everything together. If you want a freestanding backdrop structure you can then apply the finished print to, you can pick a 8ft x 8ft backdrop board here pretty cheaply. They come in 5 different sizes, but for a backdrop you probably want the large or extra large shown below. All the designs can be customized with your choice of text and font.
Check out the full range here or click on any of the photos below for that particular design then use the "personalize" option. For example, you could recreate this Kate Spade inspired backdrop, below left, by using this striped tapestry available here , with paper flowers available here added around the edges. Alternatively, add some foliage or balloons as in the examples below. I particularly like this gold sequin design also available in silver for milestone birthdays and it comes in a range of different colors. The great thing about this backdrop design is that there's a range of matching party supplies available, such as the ones below available in assorted colors , including party invitations, plates, cups, napkins, bottle labels, favor boxes, guest books, thank you tags, and more.
Check out all the options here. I came across these photos of a 60th birthday party, below left, where they'd created a lovely 'Through the Years' style backdrop using photos of the birthday girl at different stages in her life. These photo collage style tapestry would make creating something similar really easy—as you can see in the mock up I created below 'Celebrating Eighty'.
There are other photo collage tapestries available that you could also customize, such as this 'Story of Us' example, below right. Check out my other page dedicated to Dessert Table Ideas which has lots of other creative suggestions for backdrops, along with tips and advice for how best to construct, support, display, or hang them.
This photo collage idea, below left by Kami at No Biggie , was actually to celebrate her parents 40th wedding anniversary, but I think it would work well as a wall display or dessert table backdrop for a 40th birthday party too.
40th Birthday Party-Throw a 40 Is a Blast Party!
This approach is much more personal and fits in nicely with the idea of celebrating the person, rather than just their age. I particularly like the way the photos are mounted onto a chalkboard, which allows you to add more personalized scribbles surrounding the photos. You can achieve this look by using chalkboard contact paper available here , or even chalkboard paint.
For something a little more permanent, check out various option here for having the 40th birthday collage made into a print or canvas, like the examples below, so that it doubles as a birthday gift. Another option is to use giant wooden numbers like the ones below, available here , or these giant 4ft high 3D cardboard letters below, available here use discount code: You could stick photos to them, paint them with chalkboard paint for guest to write messages on, or decorate them however you want.
Another great way to decorate is to spell out the birthday boy or girl's name using marquee letters. Check out the full range here , or you can pick up smaller ones here quite cheaply. Alternatively, you can do a lot with these giant foam letters, such as dressing them with foliage and flowers or using them to support a table top, or you can use smaller ones to spell out longer phrases. I came across this timeline-style photo collage and thought this would also make a lovely way to celebrate the birthday boy or girl through the years.
The artist will crop, edit, and arrange your photos—along with any text you provide—resulting in a high resolution 12" x 36" image you can then print yourself. You could display this as part of your party decorations or give it framed as a birthday gift. I came accross this tutorial for how to make a balloon chandelier for a bridal shower on Wedding Chicks and it gave me an idea for a fun way to customize this for a 40th birthday party.
As well as attaching different photos of the birthday boy or girl from different stages of their life, on the back of each image you could include a 'Fun Fact You May Not Know About [insert name]. This a great way to add a personal touch to the party decorations. Personally, I think balloon arrangements look more chic and sophisticated when you use just one color of balloon, such as these pearlescent ones here or these silver foil mylar balloons ones. You can also make these glow by popping one of these battery LED balloon lights inside. Start each fact with 'Did You Know This idea would work really well when executed as a balloon drop—if you're having dancing, do it over the dance floor.
You could also pop an LED balloon light into each one, available from the same supplier, and, as before, consider making the balloons all one color. These photos of number-related facts about a couple on their 50th Wedding Anniversary, from Marta Writes , is another cute idea that can be repurposed for a 40th birthday party. I like the way they used them as decorations and it gives party guests something to do early on while waiting for everyone else to arrive. Alternatively, you can have various posters containing facts about the year of their birth personalized.
Many of these, available here , are printable files so you can print as many off as you want and use them as party decorations. These often work well when presented on an easel, as in the photo below right, and displayed anywhere there might be a line, such as near the bar, coatcheck, buffet table, bathrooms etc or at the entrance to the party. Lots of people do this for kid's birthday parties, but it can be quite fun to do for a 40th birthday party because guests often won't have seen pictures of them as a baby, toddler, child, teenager, student, etc. You're probably better off scanning any original photos and printing copies off onto cardstock using your home printer so as not to risk them getting damaded.
If you're displaying these indoors, peg the photos onto these photo clip LED string lights for a lovely decorative glow. Another way to use photographs as decorations is to turn them into these photo face garland banners, below left, available here. Again, I would suggest using a selection of photos from different stages of the birthday boy or girl's life. Alternatively, you can get this 'Through the Years' banner, below text and color changes available , available here , or customize one of these baby milestones photo banners, available here.
Alternatively there's a wide range of 40th birthday banners, such as the ones below, available here. An easy way to decorate larger areas is to use these custom photo banners to create a 'Through the Years' collage using pictures of the birthday boy or girl at various stages of their life. The 'Jim's 60th Birthday' example below left is a mock up I created using this template, available here , which is available in lots of different sizes. Just click on the 'Customize It' option to upload your photos and change the text and colors.
Alternatively, there's a larger range of different photo banners, such as the others featured below, available here , or click on any of the photos below to see that particular design. These banners are available in different sizes and some were originally for graduations but I just clicked on the "personalize" option, scrolled down to the bottom of the list of photos, and selected "click to customize further" to change the text and colors.
If you don't want the hassle of collecting up old photos in order to create the custom 'Through the Years' banners above, there are a few general banners, such as the ones beow, available here. The advantage of these banners is that they are part of a collection of matching 40th birthday party decorations and tableware so you can co-ordinate then with other party supplies. These letter and number balloons are a great way to decorate the entrance to the party, or to use as a backdrop to bars and food tables. I would suggest you don't buy these from sellers on Amazon.
There have been so many reviews of poor quality balloons that have holes in, tear easily, arrive in the wrong color, or the seams splits when inflated. Instead, I would suggest you get them here —the suppliers are far more reliable. These smaller letter balloons are great for decorating walls by spelling out different phrases.
As you can see from the photos below, Jordan from Oh Happy Day is a master at creating quirky phrases using these. She even has a tutorial here for how to paint the the gold and silver balloons to make them into the colored ones below.
While you could just spell out a traditional message, such as Happy Birthday [Name], I think it's quite fun to spell out a funny, quirky, or meaningful phrase that's a bit more personal to the birthday boy or girl—maybe something they're known for saying. Alternatively, see below for phrases you can buy as kits.
There's a range of phrases you can buy as kits, check them out here , or check out this supplier here for a number of fun phrases, such as these four below. These photo lanterns were created by Party Perect Orlando for a client's 60th, but it's the type of party decoration that could be used for any milestone birthday.
You can pick up cheap lanterns and LED candles here , then follow this tutorial by Gladys at The Mother Overload for how to insert the photos. Display them on plinths, bars, and buffet tables, as centerpieces, or to line the entrance to the party. If you're not very crafty and just want a quick fix, you can now buy these lanterns ready-made with your choice of photos and, in some cases, added text.
Check out all the options here or click on any of the images below to see that style of lantern. Check out this tutorial from Our Best Bites for a similar idea for photo luminaries which you could also use as 40th birthday party decorations. There's a great example, below right, from Perfect Party Orlando who used these to create table decorations for a 50th birthday party.
If you don't want to make these yourself, you can buy them ready-made with your choice of photos, like the one pictured below left. You could make something similar yourself by printing your photos onto vellum, available here , lining the insides of clear acrylic cubes, available here , and adding a battery operated tea light, available here. If that's all a bit too crafy for you, you can buy something similar; a set of printed cardboard stacking photocubes, below, available there.
This would be a far more cost-effective and easy option, but the downside is that they're smaller and not illuminated.
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Alternatively, you could take a slightly different approach and scatter clusters of these smaller plastic photo cubes on bars and table tops. You can easily recreate this look with these custom photo collage lampshades other styles available , available here.
If you're setting up a dessert or buffet table, position two lamps you already own—one at each end—with these custom shades to add height to your display with a really personal touch. Check out these photo collage lampshades here too , they have different sizes and some of the smaller ones might work out more cost-effective. Another easy way to decorate bars, buffet, dessert, and occasional tables is with these personalized tabletop standees. I like the way, in the final image below, that they matched the tablecloth color to the upper body to give the impression that the occasional table is part of the yellow dress.
Just stick them in glasses, jars, or vases, like the example below from a graduation party, and scatter them around the table for decoration. You can also buy these 'Through the Years' photo centerpieces, which can also be used in vases to decorate a buffet or dessert table—as per the example above. Again, use at least 3 different photos from different stages of their life but only one photo per hat, just do 3 seperate orders.
Personally, I think these look best with just the photo, preferably in black and white, so I would suggest not adding any text to the design. These 'Biggest Fan' big head cut outs are typically used for sporting and homecoming events, but I think they could be used as decorations for a 40th birthday party. You can also use them again for photo ops later on in the party. Full body life size cut outs are also available. These cool balloons, printed with funny or adult slogans, are a great way to make traditional party decorations a bit grown up.
There are a number of age-related slogans too, so they're perfect for a 40th birthday party. If you have a darker sense of humor like me, there are also some funny rude balloons, such as these ones below more sayings available. There are also some quirky age-related balloons available here you'll need to use the search box to find the "sorry you're so old balloon" below. If you're looking for something more decorative, these confetti balloons are a nice tasteful touch. You can get these as giant circular ballons which look great when filled with helium and arranged in clusters at varing heights, as in the photo below, or regular oval shaped ones.
Check out my Pinterest boards for 40th birthday party food ideas, including sweet and savory ideas both hot and cold. Ever wonder why your own party food never ends up looking anything like the inspiration you found on Pinterest? Check out my Buffet Table Ideas page for a few simple food styling and presentation tips to give party food a professional look.
I came across this party, below left, by Kelly at Talk of the House , and another, below center left, by Tammy at Maghily's - Party in Style where they'd both created a dessert table for their grandparent's birthday consisting of 'a few of their favorite things'.
I think this is a great idea for any age birthday and ties in nicely with the idea of celebrating the person rather than just their age. If you want to do something similar you can get a number of printable signs that read "These are a few of my favorite things", such as the ones below, available here. I love these photo cupcake toppers! They look so cool when identical cupcakes are arrange en-masse on a dessert table. Again, it's a simple little touch but is guaranteed to make guests smile. What better way to make it personal than with these custom face cookie cutters made from a photo of the birthday boy or girl!
As well as baking a batch of cookies, you could also use them on sandwiches, cheese slices, or fruits such as watermelon. Alternatively, pop them into celophane bags and give them out as party favors. You can buy either a selection box for a particular decade or individual candies. If you're choosing a decades pack, remember to think about what year they would have been around years old.
For example, if they were born in , you're probably better off getting a 's selection box as they'll have more memories of those candies than of ones where they were only 2 years old. Some alternative options now available here too. They're available as 2, 5, and 10lb bags or as smaller favor packs. These silhouette style cake toppers are a great way to personalize a 40th birthday cake. See the full range here. Check out other examples here. Alternatively, you can easily create a beautiful photo cake like the ones below by using these custom edible picture icing sheets which you can then apply to any cake.
Check out the icing sheets here. These custom photo collage paper plates are a great way to create really personal 'Through the Years' style party supplies by uploading photos of the birthday boy or girl at different stages of their life. They're also far more special than the regular store-bought 40th birthday party supplies emblazoned with There are a number of different designs available, depending on how many photos you want to include, and you can just use the 'Personalize' to change colors, fonts, and text. The only downside is you can only upload one photo per plate, so you can't show the 'Through the Years' journey on each plate.
Instead, order several packs and upload a different photo to each one—then you can just mix them all up when you lay them out. If you don't want to create custom photo plates, there's also a range of tasteful 40th birthday party supplies available here that includes matching plates, cups, cutlery, and other decorations, such as banners.
If you prefer something less themed, this range of elegant disposable tableware looks stunning. They make several different collections, so I've identified the designs used underneath each picture below incase you want to recreate the exact look. You can also find these here now too. If you're feeling crafty, Giana from Chic Celebrations has a DIY tutorial here for how to create a photo table runner, like the one below left, which would be a great way to include lots of old photos of the birthday boy or girl from different stages of their life.
There's also another tutorial here by Elisabeth McKnight who created the one below right using printed instagram photos. If you're not very crafty, you can stil achieve a similar effect with one of these photo collage table runners. There are lots of different designs available, depending on how many photos you want to include, and you can customize with your own photos and text. I quite like the two designs below, which you can find by clicking on the link above. The 'Family is Everything' example below you can change this text is known as the 'Gallery Collage' runner, while 'The Jones' example is known as the 'Tilty Montage' runner.
If you're laying on a buffet or catering to large numbers, you can get some pretty good premium plastic cutlery in either gold, silver, or rose gold, available here , or even with a glitter finish, available here. Similarly, they also have matching premium plastic plates, such as the ones pictured below, available here. An easy way to style the dinner or buffet table for a 40th birthday celebration is to use these personalized napkin wraps, below left available here , or these glittery 40 napkin holders that come in a range of different colors, available here. If you're throwing a party at home for a milestone birthday, you have to work a little harder to make sure it feels like a special occasion and not just any other house party or get together you might host throughout the year.
The easiest way to achieve this is through attention to detail; add a few personalized touches to the most common party elements. A really easy way to theme party drinks for a 40th birthday party is to have personalized beer, wine, or spirits labels made. There are lots of different designs available, many which allow you to upload a photo, and some are available as printable files so you can run off as many as you like at home.
Identical bottles will look great lined up on a bar or drinks table and it's a really simple touch you can add to make everything feel a little more special. Check out this site for the full range. I recently came across this site which has lots of great templates for personalized wine and beer bottles, such as the ones below, that you can customize with your own photos and text.
Another easy way to theme a 40th birthday party is with these personalized plastic party cups. They're available in a range of different designs for any age. The nice gold and blue art deco style designs, pictured below left, are available here for any age. At a crowded party with lots going on, it's often the clever little touches and smaller details that people tend to remember; things they touch, handle, or interact with. There are lots of different colors and designs available and you can change the text to whatever you want. There are also lots of other ready-made 40th birthday themed napkins that you can buy 'off the shelf' which work out cheaper than the personalized ones.
Check out all the options here , or for the 'Making America Great Again' design pictured below see here. Similarly, you can also get personalized drinks coasters, such as the ones below. For more info, see my Party Drink Ideas page. These custom person pinatas are another great way to add a fun personal touch to a milestone birthday party. Just upload a photo of the birthday boy or girl and they'll create a custom pinata in their image. You can add as many specific features as you want in order to make it look as realistic as possible.
Towards the end of the party, once people have had a few drinks and loosened up, bring out some photo booth props and frames to capture some more lighthearted memories of the party. Another fun photo booth prop are these mug shot signs that come with different crime roles such as 'The Flirt', 'The Lush','Dancing Queen'.
There are lot of theme party options or a generic 'birthday' option that you could use for a milestone birthday party. But now you can buy them, the pale blue example below, in a number of different styles and you can also change the color. Alternatively, these personalized milestone birthday photo booth backgrounds are a more affordable option, and some of the designs allow you to change the color scheme.
These funny mouth photo booth props are also pretty fun for a milestone birthday that might have guests of all ages. These custom crossword puzzles are a fun way to test guest's knowledge of the birthday boy or girl by creating your own clues and answers. You could include clues to facts they should already know, or create clues that deliberately reveal funny or embrassing facts that only require them to guess easy answers based on the number of letters, e. These customized versions of the classic game Guess Who would make a really fun personalized gift for a 40th birthday.
The game's usual faces are replaced with photos of friends and family so you can guess their identity with fun questions such as 'Was your person a bed-wetter? There are a few differently-priced options available depending on the finish; option 1 here , or option 2 here , or option 3 here. There are lots of 40th birthday games and trivia, available here , as well as almanacs and funny books such as ' You Know You're 40 When Some other fun games include Table Topics available here , which includes great conversation starters such as ' What did you get into trouble for the most when you were young?
Drunk Confidence, available here which includes challenges to test whether friends and family are as smart, funny, or talented as they think they are, such as whether they can sing the chorus to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer", do a convincing British accent, or knows the words to the Star-Spangled Banner. Or for those with a wicked sense of humor there's Cards Against Humanity available here —billed as the party game for horrible people. Players then have to select a white card from the hand they have that could complete the phrases, which might include awkward, hilarious, or downright despicable answers such as "Smallpox Blankets", "Drinking Alone", "A Can of Whoop-Ass", and "Take-Backsies".
Finally, for those who prefer safer fun, there's this printable Younger or Older game available here where guests have to guess whether the birthday honoree is younger or older than celebrities, TV shows, popular toys, and more from years gone by. Similar to the custom pinatas above, these 12" Mini Me Pinatas can be mailed out to the birthday boy or girl as a fun gift. Just upload a photo and they'll create a custom pinata in their likeness or they can create them from photos of a favorite pet.
You can add multiple images to some designs, like the photo collage wrapping paper below left, so use differet photos of them through the years. Check out my other page of 40th birthday gifts for thoughtful, sentimental, and meaningful gift ideas such as the ones below. These 40th birthday T-shirts make great gifts, but as I've mentioned previously, avoid the corny ones that just poke fun at their age and pick ones that celebrate it.
This site has the best range , but it's also worth browsing here too for some other cool designs. Check out my other page of 40th birthday gifts for ideas for lovers of literature, such as the ones below. Check out my other page of 40th birthday gifts for a selection of lighthearted, humerous, and fun gift ideas, such as the ones below. Check out my other page of 40th birthday gifts for lovers of technology and gadgets, such as the ones below. This is where I post discount coupons, special offers, new trends, inspirational ideas, recipes, and other fantastic finds.
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Click here to check out my Facebook page or follow my boards on Pinterest. Just click on the Facebook or Twitter buttons below to post a link back to this page, or share this collage image. Alternatively follow the "Enjoy this page? Since , Left Field Productions has won 30 industry awards for excellence including Production Company of the Year. Birthday Party or Group Activity? Party Themes Then choose whether you want to combine a theme with these 40th birthday party ideas.
Countdown Ideas How to plan a few surprise 40th birthday party ideas that countdown to the big day. The day of the party Ideas for how to make the party as personal as possible. Food, Drink, and Styling Tips and tricks to personalize the food, drink, styling, and presentation of your party. Games, Activities, and Fun stuff Ideas for 40th birthday party games, activities, and other fun stuff. Gifts, Cards, and Wrapping Personalized gifts, card, and wrapping to compliment these 40th birthday party ideas. Escape from Death Row Experience. Dude Ranch Adventure Days. Zero Gravity Flight Experience.
Action Hero Stunt Training. Escape from death row plan a heist Wilderness and survival workshop Dude ranch adventure days circus school days stunt driving experiences. Celebrate the Person, not their Age If you are throwing a traditional party at home or at a venue, make sure it's a party the birthday boy or girl will actually enjoy. Other Party Themes If you want to add a theme to your party, check out some of my other theme party pages by clicking on any of the icons below. Personalized Postage Stamps To make it as easy as possible for people to the return the " 40 Messages from 40 Friends " postcards above, be sure to attach a postage stamp to them before you mail them out.
Personalized video messaging stickers Another great way to enhance the " 40 Messages from 40 Friends " postcards is with these scannable stickers that allow you to add a personalized voice or video message. A Gift Every Hour—at 40 mins past Spread the love over the entire day! Reasons We Love You Photo Book I came across a number of these types of photos online, where people are photographed holding up individual signs to express different sentiments.
The Party Invitations
That's what makes this idea so special. Birthday Photo Slideshow A great way to truly celebrate the person is to create a photo slide show charting their life journey so far. Check out the two example below: Creative Guest Books These ideas for creative guest books are actually from weddings, but I think they're just as appropriate for making these 40th birthday party ideas personal and filled with great memories.
A Day to Remember. Photo Messages Another way to create a photo guest book is to have everyone write their birthday wishes onto a chalk board and hold this up in the photograph—which makes it more fun and interactive. Things to do before you reach 50 Have party guests help to create a thoughtful and inexpensive gift by contributing suggestions for a bucket list of 'Things To Do Before You Reach Hello My Name Is Through the Years Banners A similar idea is to create custom vertical banners to show the birthday boy or girl 'through the years'.
Personalized Photo Banners The reason I love the banners above is that you can add multiple photos from different stages of the persons life to each banner. Photo Yard Signs These half-body photo yard signs are also a fun way to decorate the route leading up to the entrance of your party. Get together with family and friends and overflow their mailbox with 40 birthday cards! Fill their inbox with 40 different digital songs, games and birthday wishes! Not terribly original, we know, but always appreciated! Think of all the games you can play using 40 pennies…tiddly winks, bingo, penny pitch, etc…then have fun playing them!
Tis better to give…Make a list of 40 ways you could volunteer your time, then go and help out together. Treat them to a whole day of events that are within a mile radius of where they live. A hike in the woods, a round of mini-golf, lunch in the park, etc. What the heck does that mean? Agree to learn 40 new words when you get together over time, of course! For fun, keep notes and see who remembers the most new words! Gift a minute psychic reading…make your own predictions in advance and then compare notes later!
Promise each other several minute soulful conversations sans texting, email-checking, phone answering, twittering, etc. Share with each other a list of 40 people, places, things that made you who you are today. Gift a minute swing dance lesson. Gift one for yourself as well…you deserve a little fun, too! Spend 40 minutes together doing something you both hate laundry, grocery shopping, etc. Spend the day together going around town taking pictures of signs, billboards, etc. Get a group together, go bowling and see who can score under 40 without throwing gutter balls.
Purchase a balloon bouquet and tie it to their wrist. Still Hot at Gift a basket filled with hot sauces and spices-perfect for a great cook or grill-master. A lightweight gift to give or send ground delivery.