Ever since our older daughter saw photos of a sleepover birthday party, a tiny wish was planted in her heart. We started planning it together months in advance without much discussion.
Although tent setups can be rented, children are getting older and sleepovers happen often during summer and school holidays. After this party, everything can be reused again next time. Compared to a one-off rental fee, doing it ourselves felt more cost-effective and much more meaningful!
It really took a lot of effort to prepare everything for them, and inviting friends over also brought its own pressure. We had actually prepared 8 teepees, but the living room wasn’t big enough, arranging 8 in one space looked very crowded.
Sleepover party checklist for parents
DIY tents — 8 units, total cost $279
Bought 16 pieces of 1×2×10 ft wood boards and 24 pieces of 3/4×48 inch raw wood round dowels from Home Depot. Curtains (108 inches) were bought from Amazon.
Air mattresses — 8 units, $36 each after Black Friday discount, $290 total including tax
Twin size, perfect for the tents. Since the kids are older, these mattresses are suitable for adults as well.
Blankets — 8 units, $103
Bought from Costco.
Bedsheets, pillows, cushions — 8 sets, $200
Purchased from Amazon.
String lights — 2 sets, $40
Balloons
These were added as decoration because the string lights broke at the last minute. Only a few balloons were used, so the cost was negligible.
Folding wooden tables — 8 units, $160
Purchased from Adairs.
Christmas decorations were mostly reused from previous years. This year, we only added a pair of reindeer at the entrance.
That’s the full list and it’s just over a thousand dollars in total.