Little Cozy Solace

Being a mom is already a full-time job. Add in nursing shifts, university coursework, and planning a dreamy, DIY sea life birthday party—and you’ve got a serious juggling act. But when my daughter asked for a “magical sea animal” theme for her 3rd birthday, I was determined to make it happen.

Of course, like many families, we didn’t have the luxury to splurge. That meant lots of planning, research, and carefully chosen purchases to bring the ocean theme to life—without sinking our budget. I wanted everything to feel special, magical, and cohesive… but also affordable.

So if you’re looking for sea-themed inspiration that’s cute, practical, and budget-friendly, here’s a breakdown of all the supplies I bought:

Amazing! Here’s a clean and Pinterest-y layout for your supply list section—organized by category, with room for your personal notes and even optional product links if you want to include them later:

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🐚 Party Supplies for a Magical Sea Life 3rd Birthday

A budget-friendly haul that made waves without drowning our wallet.

🌊 1. Tableware

Whimsical mermaid vibes in dreamy shades of purple, blue, and pink—this table setup brought the magic.

• Mermaid Scale Paper Plates – Shimmering in pastel pink, purple, and sea foam blue with scallop-edge detailing.

• Matching Mermaid Cups – Coordinated perfectly with the plates, featuring iridescent scales and cute little star accents.

• Pink Cutlery Set – Simple, affordable, and a perfect pop of color against the ocean palette.

Mermaid Birthday Decoration Girl Tableware Spoon and Fork

• Mermaid Tail Tablecloth – A pastel ombré with holographic scales—gave the whole table a Pinterest-worthy look.

• Shell-Shaped Napkins – Added a sweet and subtle under-the-sea charm.

🐠 2. Decorations

I wanted something easy to set up (because, hello, nursing shifts 😅) but still elegant and magical—so I focused on simple touches with a personalized twist.

• Mermaid Balloon Garland Kit – A mix of pink, purple, and pearl-blue balloons with shell and star accents. Pre-packed and easy to assemble, but made a big statement!

Iridescent Tassel Curtain – Draped over a plain wall for instant sparkle. It caught the light beautifully and made the perfect photo backdrop. I also added ready made jelly fish lanterns and a blue cloth at the back of the tassel as backdrop.

I also added my own personal touch to the decorations. I created a welcome board with a beautiful shell design to greet our guests as they arrived. For the main setup, I personally made the “Happy Birthday” sign using pastel and holographic cardstocks, my printer, and my Cricut. I even printed and cut out sea animals, shells, and starfish to match the theme. It was a labor of love, but these DIY details made the party feel extra magical and uniquely ours.

This is how it looked like:

P.S. If you’re curious about how I made the welcome sign, the sea animal cutouts, and the Happy Birthday banner, I shared all the details (plus links to the supplies I used!) in another blog post.

✨ You can check it out here!

🧜‍♀️ 3. Costumes & Accessories

For my daughter’s costume, I kept it simple and budget-friendly. I ordered two dresses that matched the mermaid and sea life theme and let her choose which one she wanted to wear on the day. Both dresses were affordable (since we’re still sticking to our budget!), but they looked absolutely beautiful.

To make her final outfit feel even more special, we added a few personal touches—like a cute seashell hair clip and a sparkly bracelet. She felt like a true little sea princess, and seeing her light up in her chosen dress made everything so worth it. 🌟

This is what it looks like after we added more glittery tulle on the lower part of the dress.

This is the other dress that we bought.

🐬 4. Party Favors

I wanted the party favors to feel fun, personalized, and still budget-friendly—so I added some handmade touches and carefully picked out little toys the kids would actually enjoy. Each bag included mini bubbles, ocean-themed stickers that I personally designed and printed, and a few small toys I ordered from AliExpress.

I made these jellyfish and seashell-themed boxes using my Cricut, pastel cardstocks, and a whole lot of love. Each one was filled with mini bubbles, stickers, and small ocean-themed toys. They turned out so cute and were a big hit with the little guests!

✨ Want to recreate these?

If you’d like to see the exact items I used for this project — from cardstock to favor fillers — just click the link here!

🎂 5. Cake Toppers

We only ordered a purple, ube flavoured cake from a friend and I made the shell-inspired name topper with my Cricut, and my lovely friend made the sea-themed chocolates using molds I found online. From starfish to mermaid tails, every little detail brought the ocean magic to life—and the cupcakes with character toppers were a fun little bonus!

🎨 Want to make your own shell-inspired cake topper?

If you’d like the full list of materials I used to create this personalised topper (plus where to get them), just click the link here!

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Planning this magical sea life birthday party for my daughter was a labor of love—filled with late nights, budget planning, Cricut projects, and lots of glitter! But seeing her eyes light up and watching the kids enjoy every little detail made it all worth it.

I hope this post helps inspire your own DIY party ideas, whether you’re planning something big or keeping it simple. You don’t need to splurge to make it special—just a little creativity, some personal touches, and lots of love. 💖

Thanks for reading and celebrating this memory with us!

Feel free to drop a comment or share your own party ideas—I’d love to hear them!

And don’t forget to check out the linked posts for full DIY details, supply lists, and freebies.