Turning the big 3-0 can feel incredibly daunting, but hitting the milestone birthday isn’t as bad as it sounds. Ring in your birthday by having a big themed birthday bonanza to celebrate the beginning of a new decade, and have the most fun as you can before you must become a ‘proper’ adult.

As a child, birthdays were always special – but this shouldn’t just be limited to children, adults deserve some fun too! The best part is you can make all of the decisions. Yes, adults make difficult life decisions every day, but it’s much more fun when you’re planning your own birthday. So, if you want a giant chocolate cake – you can! If you want everyone dressed up in adult fancy dress – do it! Your choices are endless, but be sure you don’t end up spending a fortune.

Whether you’re planning on throwing a big birthday bash, heading out for a few drinks with your friends, or hosting a small dinner party, here are some ideas to make your birthday a party to remember.

1. Pick a theme

First things first, it’s time to pick a theme for your party. The choices are endless – from a 70s disco party, to fancy dress, to even throwing a BBQ or dinner party – depending on the weather, of course!

2. Get the invites out

Next, it is important to get your invitations sent out – at least 3 weeks in advance. You can either create these yourself, or you can get some online that you can personalise and design to your party’s theme, however this can be expensive if you are on a fairly tight budget.

If you are on a tight budget, instead of purchasing invitations, consider opting for a simple text or Facebook message, or even a invite your friends or family verbally, in a bid to cut down paper wastage.

3. Get creative

The best thing about organising your own party, is that you can be as creative as you wish. If you want to go all out, why not? Now you’ve decided on a theme and sent the invitations out, it’s time to begin with the preparations. Here are a few things you could consider:

• Balloons are a great way to incorporate some colour and fun into décor, and you can be as creative as you would like. From getting large ‘30’ balloons, to blowing up your own and creating your very own balloon garland, which is as simple as it sounds.

• Start looking for colour schemes and find ways to incorporate this into your interior, such as serviettes, disposable plates and table accessories.

• You could even think about getting a birthday piñata, which is great fun once you’ve had a few cocktails with your friends.

• Whether your party setting is inside or outside, surround yourself with fairy lights and plants to add a classy glow. The last thing you want is the space being too light or too dark – fairy lights offer the perfect medium.

4. Create your own photo wall

A popular choice for party-goers nowadays, is to incorporate the use of media. Instead of hiring a photo booth that costs an arm and a leg, create your very own photo backdrop using a large piece of cardboard. Once you and your friends have taken a number of pictures, get all of your friends to tag your very own hashtag when they upload to Instagram – but make sure it’s unique to ensure no one else adds pictures to your feed! In addition, you can also create your very own Snapchat filter for your friends to use.

5. Food

At your own party, the last thing you want to do is slave away in the kitchen making food for your guests. Instead, it is worth looking at simple recipes that you can make in advance and serve cold for your guests, like the classic finger-foods, such as sausage rolls, pizza and salad for example.

However, in all honesty, it’s worth getting a catering company to sort this out for you. With all the planning and décor involved, it’s nice to have one less thing to think about doing on the day of your party. But remember to not buy too much – when does anyone see a party spread empty by the end of the party? Never.

6. Cake, cake and more cake

A birthday party is incomplete without a birthday cake. Whether you want a small birthday cake, or an elaborate wedding-esque style cake, it’s entirely up to you! Although simple birthday cake will do the trick, just add a cute cake topper and candles.

Baked or shop-bought, you can never have too much cake. As a fun element, add toppers with your face on to your cupcakes. You can make these yourself using paper – just make it clear to your guests that you cannot eat them.