Hanging Streamers

• Crepe paper streamers are commonly used in birthday party decor and can be bought for cheap at your local dollar store. Select two complementary colors of streamers and twist them together to create a three-dimensional color effect. Create a center focus in the room by hanging streamers in each corner of the ceiling. Have them meet in the center for a tent effect. Hang streamers around door frames, down staircases and from chandeliers and lighting fixtures. Cut streamers into medium-sized strips and hang them from the ceiling so they hang loose from above.
  
  

Different Types of Streamers

• Metallic streamers make it a classy birthday bash.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Typically, crepe streamers are used in birthday parties, but other varieties do exist if you want something more elegant or that better matches the theme of the party. Foil streamers are metallic and shiny so they reflect the light around them. Some streamers also have textures and patterns printed on them, or say Happy Birthday. Streamers come in a variety of designs, including circles, stars and holiday shapes. Streamers are made to go across rooms or hang from objects, while others are more like beaded curtains that hang from the ceiling or over a door or window.
  
  

Making Your Own Streamers

• Create your own streamers to add a homemade touch to your party. The only thing you need to do to create streamers is to string decorative objects together. The possibilities are endless. Cut out circle or star shapes from card stock, glue foil to them and string the shapes together for a shiny streamer. Glue clip art from your computer to card stock for a patterned streamer. Use crafting paper in a solid color and a complementary pattern to create triangle-shaped flag streamers. If you can string it together, it can be made into a streamer.
  
  

Using Streamers in New Ways

• Use streamers in different ways to add more color and festivity to your party. Gather crepe paper streamers together to create rosettes and starburst shapes to decorate the walls and tables. Tie streamers together into bows to decorate birthday presents. If you are throwing a surprise party, throw rolls of crepe paper streamers in the air when the birthday boy arrives for a more festive surprise. Use streamers in party games, such as the finish line for a relay race or as a substitution for a limbo stick.