Your birthday is a truly glorious day. It's a time when everything revolves around you; you're able to celebrate another year of being your fabulous self, put on something sparkly if that's your thing, and enjoy all the confetti cake. My birthday is coming up soon (Please take note.), and I cannot wait to party all day long. Though, when you're adulting, life tends to get busy, and your birthday may arrive within the blink of an eye. No worries if you totally forgot to plan a big shindig this year, because there are plenty of last-minute things to do on your birthday that are so much fun.
Maybe you've had your hands full with a big project at work, or maybe you've been procrastinating coming up with a solid birthday plan. You don't want to just have a "me-party" of going home after work, but you also might not want to put in the effort of planning something major, either.
That's where I come in as your glamorous party planner. (FYI — I'm adding it to my resume now.) My go-to tradition is to grab a simple dinner with friends on my actual birthday, and that's a fine idea. But, I've also come up with these 10 unique ideas for you to choose from that'll make this birthday one for the books. So, let's celebrate, because it's your birthday and you're going to party like it's your birthday — last-minute or not.
This idea gives the traditional birthday dinner a major upgrade. As someone who played dress-up all the time as a kid, I love any excuse to wear a costume.
That's why it's fun to choose a theme and have all of your friends dress up to go out for dinner. You can dress in your best flapper-style #lewks, and meet up at a speakeasy-type spot in the city. Birthday selfies? Required.
Take a trip down Memory Lane for a nostalgia-filled game night. Invite everyone over to play new versions of the games you used to love when you were kids, like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Mario Party if you have a Nintendo Switch. You could even put up a bracket for Mario Kart to see who's the ultimate driver. Of course, be sure to rock your Super Mario Bros. onesies to complete the birthday festivities.
It wouldn't be a birthday without the cake! Host a baking party with your friends to make your very own dream dessert. It can be as simple as a box cake you grab from the store, but the real fun comes from decorating it together with colorful frosting, candy, and sprinkles.
A bar crawl is a fun idea if you're 21 or up, but for your birthday, you might want something a little sweeter. Go on a dessert crawl with your besties. Map out a fun night of stopping at different ice cream parlors, cupcake shops, and bakeries to test out all the different tasty sweets.
It's your birthday, so it's prime time to treat yourself. Head to your favorite stores to pick out a fire birthday outfit, but have fun with it by treating it like a shopping movie montage. Your friends can pick out different outfits they want to see you in, and have a little fashion show in the dressing room as you take videos for your Insta story.
Don't forget, there's always fun to be had at a bowling alley. Rent out two lanes for your entire crew, order up pizza and wings, and go for a strike. You might even want to split up into teams for some friendly competition, and come up with punny team names that are right up your alley. (See what I did there?)
Dancing is always a great idea for a last-minute birthday plan, but instead of heading to your usual club or bar scene, round up your besties and sign up for a swing dancing lesson. I actually did this last year for my birthday, and had the best time ever. If you're not into swing dancing, there are so many other classes to choose from, including hip hop, Zumba, and ballroom, to name a few.
Pop some corn for a chill movie night at home with your favorite crew. It'll be like a birthday girl film festival as you only show your favorite movies. Treat yourself to a new pair of PJs, get those Insta-worthy cocktails going, and don't forget to add string lights and glittery balloons to your space to set the birthday mood.
Sure, a pizza party is a simple last-minute go-to plan, but it doesn't have to be just delivery and done. Change it up by making your own pizza at home.
Get a bunch of delicious toppings at the store, and have your friends design their own pies. You could even make it a contest to see whose pizza is the best, or shall I say, steals a pizza your heart. Be sure to snap a ton of pictures, and if you're feeling extra crafty, decorate aprons and chef hats beforehand for the ultimate birthday 'Grams.
Do it for the 'Gram for your birthday. Set up a super fun scavenger hunt for you and your friends to complete around town. Make sure it's things that are totally Instagram-worthy, like snapping a cute mural wall pic or drink selfie as you toast to your birthday. Don't forget to come up with a cute hashtag to document it all!
