Hello, fellow moms and party throwers! We all want to throw an unforgettable birthday party for our little ones without breaking the bank…well, have I got a fantastic DIY project for you that's both budget-friendly and impressive. Get ready to learn a cool birthday party hack that involves making custom cutouts of your kids' favorite cartoon characters. These cutouts will not only take your party decorations to the next level but also earn you some serious mom points. So, let's dive into this must-know birthday party hack and make your child's celebration truly amazing!

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Step 1: Find Your Images

First things first, let's hunt down some images of those beloved cartoon characters your kids can't get enough of. Look for high-resolution images online that capture the essence of the characters. Once you've found the perfect ones, save them in a folder and head to Photoshop or Canva to combine them together. It's time to get creative and add a personal touch to your cutouts. Ever thought about putting your little one's face on Spider-Man's body? Well, now's the time to make it happen! I found a font on Etsy that mimics the Spidey logo so I used Photoshop to change the logo to say “Kai and His Amazing Friends”. Once you have the images how you want, head over to Walgreens' online photo services and order them as a 2' by 8' banner. Don’t pay full price! THEY ALWAYS HAVE A COUPON! I got mine half off.

My local Walgreens would not print these due to copyright concerns but I reordered on the Walgreens photo website and had no issues getting them shipped to me.

Just remember to respect those intellectual property rights and play by the licensing rules. Here is what I ordered:

You can use my templates for Spidey and Baby Yoda directly from the Walgreens website! I excluded the banners with my children’s names.

Step 2: Cut Out the Characters

Now that you have your printed banners in hand, it's time to bring those characters to life. Grab your trusty scissors or craft knife and carefully cut out each character from the banner.

Step 3: Materials for Mounting

Ready to make your cutouts stand tall and proud? Head to your local hardware store and pick up a foam board, the secret ingredient for sturdy support. And don't forget to grab some spray adhesive that's suitable for bonding paper to foam. Oh, and one more thing—a hot knife will be your new best friend for cutting through the foam like a pro. EVERYTHING LINKED HERE!

Step 4: Assembling the Cutouts

Remove the plastic poly-facer from both sides of the foam board, leaving just the white foam. Grab your characters and give them a light coat of spray adhesive on the back—avoid spraying directly onto the foam, though. Now, press those bad boys onto the foam board and let them dry. We want a strong bond here! Consider wearing gloves to avoid getting your hands and nails all gunky.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Turn on the hot knife and trim around the outline of each cutout. The hot knife will glide through the foam, giving you those polished, professional-looking edges. Take your time during this step! I actually do NOT recommend the hot knife I purchased on Amazon because after some very light use, the adapter overheated and stopped working. Luckily I had another cord on hand that worked but I am taking pre cautions to make sure it doesn’t over heat. I have linked some that may be better. I recommend finding one that has adjustable heat settings.

I plan on putting these on my DIY balloon arch and backdrop for our son’s Spidey birthday party. I am also making more for our daughter’s baby Yoda birthday! I think I will either sell them after their parties or hang them in their rooms as decor.

Armed with this fabulous birthday party hack, you're ready to create stunning, budget-friendly cutouts of your kids' favorite cartoon characters. By ordering printed banners and mounting the characters on foam boards, you'll have jaw-dropping decorations that will make your child's special day truly memorable. Let us know if you try this birthday party hack!

My total cost for all of the Spidey party cutouts was right around $65.

EDIT: Both parties were a hit! Here’s how the back drops turned out. (Click here for links to the back drop and fabric cover) I got the cutouts to stay on the fabric by using gorilla tape and taping a zip tie or two to the back of each cutout. I made the zip tie into a loose circle. Then I would push them from the front as my husband would clamp the zip tie and fabric together from the back! It worked like a charm!