The time has come for your little princess to celebrate her birthday and she has decided that this is the year for her royal ball; an enchanting afternoon to celebrate with all of her friends. Now what? Relax, take a deep breath and follow our guide to decorate for the Perfect Princess Party.

Whether you a month or even just a week to plan, we will make this birthday the easiest and best.

First you need to decide what is doable and what you can do without. If you have a budget, stick to the basics. You do not need to spend a lot of money to have a magical day.

Of course decorations are a must! If you are on a budget, the dollar store is your friend. You are certain to find streamers, table covers and balloons there. Here you can save some money by purchasing basic colors instead of Princess themed streamers and balloons. Buy a mix of pink, purple, white or yellow. These are the basic colors for princesses.

First, start by making a thrown for the princess. If she is younger in age, a child’s chair will work great. My daughter had a Cinderella plush chair that made a great thrown. If you do not have something similar, take a basic chair and cover with tulle fabric. If it is an adult chair, try adding a step stool in front, to make it easier for her to get on and off. Place chair against a blank wall if possible

Using more tulle, curtains or streamers, decorate the wall directly behind the thrown. Arrange on the wall as you would arrange drapes on a window. Instead of the window being the focal point, the thrown will be instead.

What thrown would be complete with a carpet that leads up to it? I used large red construction paper and taped it together to make a red walkway carpet. I already had it on hand and it added so much flair to the thrown area. The girls loved walking on the “red carpet".

Entering the princess party can be just as exciting as the inside, with doorway decoration. If you are crafty and have patience try this project. Start by deciding which doorway you would like to decorate. It can be the doorframe to the house or to the thrown area. Measure the width of the doorframe, so that you know how wide to make your castle entrance. Using cardboard or heavy paper cut the top half and shape to represent a castle making castle towers. Leave the bottom half straight so that it aligns parallel to the floor. Try to make it a good height, so that the adults won’t bump their heads coming it and out. After decorating with construction paper or paint, hang from the top of the doorway. If you have the time or would like to make it more elaborate, you can also add the sides of the castle and a lowered drawbridge. These decorations can be made in advance and setup the night before.

If adding a castle entrance is too much work, try adding streamers and balloons instead.

Decorating the tables and chairs can be just as easy or elaborate depending on your budget, space and time. If you want to have a table just for the princess and her court, design her table with a Princess themed, pink or purple table cover and all other tables should have white table covers. Centerpieces can be a single red rose in a vase to honor Belle of Beauty and the Beast or glass slippers if Cinderella is her favorite. You can find faux roses and vases in inexpensive party stores or in dollar discount stores, whereas glass slippers may have to be an online purchase from auction sites or online party stores.

Chairs can be draped with tulle or fabric and embellished with a bow in the back. If you have a table just for the princess and her court, you can just decorate the chairs for them.

Decorate the cake table with Princess themed napkins, plates and party favors. Be all the little girls have tiaras or princess hats and the little boys have crowns or swords. You can also have the party goers dress in royal attire to add flair to such a special occasion.

Dress up the walls with princess pictures and posters can add that special touch. A great idea is to print princess pictures, place in frames and hang on a wall to represent all the princesses that came before yours. You can purchase inexpensive frames in discount stores, dollar stores and superstores. Find nice princess pictures by searching online.

Last but not least, don’t be afraid to be bold and help make your Princess feel special on her birthday, after all she is royalty.