A DIY Sleepover Set Up for Genevieve!

8:43 AM

A DIY Sleepover Set-Up for a 13th Birthday

Ok here's the story- I wanted a cute set up for Genevieve's 13th birthday party and was happy to splurge on it, but I kept running into obstacles. First, she and her friends are a bit big for the rental sleepover set ups. Second, my ideal date was booked with nearly everyone I reached out to, and lastly, we don't have the space to house 8 tents/teepees. After lots of calls, I became determined to DIY a sleepover set-up for her 13th birthday! We don't often host sleepovers- actually we never host sleepovers- but for 13 I wanted to do something special. Not only did I end up saving money (more on that later), but it also turned out cuter than I could have imagined! Here's what we did and how to recreate it if you'd like.

pink tribal rug | air mattresses* | white mesh canopies

*other options linked at the end

I kept waffling between building a magical fort (think the one in The Holiday but bigger) and using canopies. At the end of the day, canopies just seemed easier and more straightforward. I ended up getting 8 mesh canopies with the cutest lace trim on top- FYI I had to cut the opening but NBD. I hung them with command hooks and embellished them with ribbon (Genevieve's idea♥).

canopies

The air mattresses are now half of what I paid and such a steal! They're the perfect size for kids and younger teens- though I can easily fit on them too. We've since used them for sibling and cousin sleepovers and find them to be super convenient! Even though they're more narrow than a twin, this twin sheet set fit on them just fine. (If the air mattress is sold out, this one is the same brand, slightly wider, and on serious sale).

mattresses (or alternative) | acrylic bin (or these) | throw blanket | pillow

I shopped Five Below to grab cute pillows, throws, and favors. The throws are SO cozy and my kids loved them. They're made of fleece and despite the low price are really great!

pillow

At the last minute, I pulled out my Cricut and personalized the girls' favors. They came out so cute! They held cozy socks, a sheet mask, an adorable sugar cookie, and a face wash headband. The headbands are adorable but be warned- they're on the small side. The acrylic baskets were the perfect size but I was short one so I grabbed this one from Target. If I'd had time to order, these are perfect!

bin

Since we were planning to swap Nadia's rug out anyway, we lugged it downstairs to create a pretty 'base' for the set up. Not gonna lie- It felt over the top but I'm so glad we did it! It really brightened the space!

A DIY Sleepover Set-Up for a 13th Birthday- an alternative to teepees!

Here are the other details:

A Preppy 13th Party and a Fun DIY Sleepover Idea!

balloons: pastel green | pink | yellow | fringe | HBD banner

beautiful cookies by my friend Ashley Coomes

I adored these fun smiley face plates! Grab them here!

So here's what happened after the party- I sold the entire set up! I sold it for nearly half of what I paid making the total about 1/3 of what I would have spent if I'd rented. The key to selling it is to have good pictures!

Genevieve was so grateful! Per usual, DIY is more work (we moved the furniture into the garage the day prior), but it was 100% worth it!

For activities, the girls pretty much kept themselves entertained. They jumped on the trampoline, swung on the swing set, watched movies, did a virtual scavenger hunt, and chatted the night away. Fun was had by all!