50Th Birthday Suggestions

Updated on October 06, 2008
D.C. asks from Texas City, TX
22 answers

My sister will soon celebrate her 50th birthday and she has invited the entire family and a few of her friends to meet at a restaurant for lunch. I had intended on paying her back and doing something fun/embarrassing (like she just did for my 40th), but since it will be at a restaurant, I am not sure what I should do now. I don't want to do anything too embarrassing, probably just something with some photos and funny gag gifts. Any ideas on how I can share some of her old photos in a creative way?

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L.H.

answers from Killeen on

Hi Diana,,,
I did a lrg frame multi slot frame and mating for my mom on her 75 th it was a hit
good luck L.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.R.

answers from Houston on

You could design one of these cute Family Folds (accordion-type card) and place them as table center pieces around the room.
http://www.heritagemakers.com/index.cfm?event=products.cards
You can make some funny and some sentimental...
A.

1 mom found this helpful

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K.H.

answers from Killeen on

My aunts..all 10 of them have a family running joke...it started when the oldest turned 50 (maybe 40)...they have a "black box" it has all the old people stuff...hemroid cream, purple shirt, over the hill pills, over the hill anything, centrum silver...lots more stuff. anyways every year when one of the sisters has a birthday it is always fun to see if they will inherit "The Box" whom ever gets it has to keep it til the next birthday, and must add one item to it pertaining to old age.
it has been a lot of fun for every one and not to terribly embarrassing.
Good luck ...have fun

1 mom found this helpful
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S.C.

answers from College Station on

Wow! So many fun and cute ideas from everyone. Well hopefully I can add one too! If your looking for a center piece something cute, sentimental and has a little humor and can fit on a resturant table you can get a little christmas tree from Michaels or Hobby Lobby get one of their discount coupons to use on it and decorate it with memorabilia, you can even spray paint the tree the color of your choice, just make sure you spread the limbs of the tree out real good so it can get an even coat and dry good. Get some material put around the bottom and put little presents of all kinds and there is nothing like a cute funny topper to put on top. If needing more ideas go to the craft store Michaels or Hobby Lobby and just speak with one of the department managers they will give you gobbs of ideas to go with an existing project or help you create one. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

L.H.

answers from Austin on

I'm about to celebrate my 50th too so have thought about it a lot. One thing a friend did that was really cute and really brought out the point of just how MUCH 50 years are (or 50 of ANYthing) was to present the birthday girl with 50 individidually wrapped gifts (gags and others---you could make many of the gifts be photos in frames or little photo books etc)....if she's known for being late for everthing, a large cheap watch....things like that, but wrap them all the same and mark them with the numbers 1-50. and every time she opens one count it and say, "wow, number 16---50 sure is a LOT"

I know it sounds silly but it was a lot of fun choosing the gifts and opening them and everyone really did exclaim over just how BIG a pile of 50 little things can be.

L.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.G.

answers from San Angelo on

You could make small photo albums with copies of those pictures with your funny comments about them as favors to those who attend the party.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from Houston on

Try the internet for '50th Birthday Party ideas'...I bet alot of interesting sites will pop up. Snapfish and Shutterfly are also two good 'picture' sources for ideas.
Good luck..My sister will be turning 60 next year...so thanks for a heads up for me and my planning.

1 mom found this helpful
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O.C.

answers from Austin on

HI Diane,

Contact;
Trish Beach
Your Local City
District Ambassador
###-###-####
As owner and Creative Facilitator of Gabby's Crafts Focus Board Workshops, Trish can show you how the use of a Focus Board can bring your marketing goals to life.

She is great , she is my friend and does great with this things.

thanks
Oly

1 mom found this helpful
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L.R.

answers from Houston on

Hi Diana,

My husband and I hosted a 65th birthday party for my mother-in-law. We reserved a room in a local restaurant and decorated it before she arrived. I asked my mother-in-law's sister to help by lending me old photos beginning from birth on up. My husband and I also borrowed some of her favorite photos while she was away on vacation and returned them before she returned. I then scanned the pictures, touched them up and then had them printed. We printed most of the photos as 4 x 6s, but enlarged a few of the most special photos. We placed many of the photos in the middle of the tables. We had the tables arranged in a "U" shape to ensure that we had enough seats and that everyone could visit.

The response was fabulous. Everyone (especially my mother and father-in-law) enjoyed strolling down memory lane while looking at the pictures. It was wonderful to see so many of the guests spend time reminiscing with my mother and father-in-law while looking at the pictures. We choose a few special pictures (baby, graduation, wedding, family gatherings) to display and used acrylic frames to display in front of her and my father-in-law.

As her sister, I am sure that you have a few of your own “funny” photos of your sister that you could use to repay a bit of embarrassment to her.

Everyone enjoyed the party and the time spend remembering the good old days.

I hope this helps give you some ideas. Enjoy.

L. :)

1 mom found this helpful
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S.W.

answers from Houston on

Watch "Ace of Cakes" food network channel I think. They had a 5oth Anniversary cake that was decorated like a present. They cut out a piece the size of a digital picture frame and inserted the fame into the cake. However, the client changed the fame and it was one that ran on electric, but they hid the cords very good. Anyway, it was full of pictures from youth until present. You can make that cake your self or use a card board box from the post office I know they have square boxed different sizes (free). You order them free from usps.com site. Cut out a place for the picture frame, you may need to put something in the box a little heavy so the box does not tip over. Then wrap the box in birthday paper, and that will be the center piece. Have a small table just for the box.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.H.

answers from Houston on

Are you good with computers? If so, scan pictures into a slideshow and set up a laptop or even a desktop with a large monitor and let this show during the dinner. Make with photos of all ages with family and friends and have others submit pictures to add. Also, comments and/or stories from the past 50 years would add to it.

Marie

1 mom found this helpful
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J.H.

answers from Houston on

Several years ago my the ladies at my chursh had a luncheon and asked everyone to submit a childhood picture.The pictures were than arranged into a placemat, taken to a copy place and had enough made for everyone. We than tried to match the picture with the now adult. Since this is your sisters birthday, you could do the same only with pictures of just her growing up (what's funnier than a grammer school picture)?
It shouldn't cose too much to make the placemats at Kinkos. Also, if you have the extra money, a half dollar of her birth year would be a nice memento. You'ed have to get it at the coin shop, but they're not all that expensive, and she'ed really like it. You can even get a little display easel at Hobby Lobby.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.R.

answers from Austin on

Hi Diana,

I recently turned 50 and so did about 5 of my friends so I have lots of ideas. You might get some pretty sheets of paper and give one to each guest. Have them write down something they love about your sister or a funny memory they have of her. Put those in an album with lots of photographs. We also did personalized wine labels. You can get them on the internet at jimludy.com. You can take the best photograph and have a mug made for her or a t shirt. I did that on my computer. You can also have a photograph made on the top of the cake. Have everyone make a toast at the party. Have lots of fun-you're a good sister!

D.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.L.

answers from Houston on

I love these kinds of parties. If u r planning something special for the bday person, such as a trip, new resolution to health, etc, this can become the theme. Also, take a great photo from the past, even a baby photo of the bday person, and blow it up to poster size. Have everyone attending the party sign the poster with special messages.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.L.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi Diana!
I'm a creative memories consultant and can help you make fun keepsakes with you photos (scrapbooks, cards, etc). You can contact me at ____@____.com fun with the party!

1 mom found this helpful
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R.P.

answers from Houston on

have a "50s" or "grease" theme party where everyone dresses up in 50s outfits and you play 50s music and everyone speak in era slang. it could be a lot of fun, stand out, be "embarrassing" in a good way, and memorable. and for sharing photos in a creative way, have place cards with their names and a small note on the back of each photo. gag gifts could be 50s era items. maybe find out about a toy or game she always wanted as a little girl and see if you can buy one for her. maybe you can use monopoly $50 bills as place cards. maybe write something corny on the cake like "fifty is nifty"

1 mom found this helpful
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C.P.

answers from Houston on

Not sure about the photos, but you could have some close friends and family members write a very short or long poem about a memory they have with her. We did this for my dad, and some got more creative than others. It was really funny!!

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S.M.

answers from Killeen on

I was exercising before I turned 50, and I told everyone I wanted to be "fit and fabulous" at 50! So, my friends ran with it, and when my husband gave me a Surprise birthday party, all of my grown-up pictures had my head on the bodies of "women bodybuilders", bikini and all!!! There was even a life-sized styrofoam poster made the same way!! I WAS embarressed, but I was amazed at the uniqueness of it all! They, also, had baby and childhood pics on a poster, and on the tables. The whole theme was "FIt and Fabulous at Fifty"!!
I'll be careful what I say next time!

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J.K.

answers from Houston on

Yeah, my parents did this for me and it was super embarrasing! With the restaurant's help, they had placemat's made of tons of embarrasing pics and had them at every table in the place!! Like 5 or 6 pics and just all made into paper placemats and then also like poster sized pics hanginf in certain windows!! it was hilarious, but so embarrasing!!!

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C.C.

answers from San Antonio on

You can always put the photos on a large sheet in a collage format and laminate it and make place mats out of them. You will have to make enough copies of the photos for each person.
Good luck!

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H.P.

answers from Houston on

Will you guys be dining in a private room? If so, then you can go ahead with your original plans. If possible, get there early and post pictures on the walls. They should be large enough to get everyone's attention but just small enough that they can't make them out until they approach the wall. It's subtle, and she'll just pass out once she realizes what they are.

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D.H.

answers from College Station on

When my boss had his birthday at a resturant his wife had hired someone to come dressed as a police officer and come in to arrest him. The story was he had a warrant out for his arrest because of unpaid parking tickets. The "officer" saw the truck in the lot outside and ran the plates, and came in to "arrest" him. My boss really fell for it, and the whole thing happened in front of friends and collegues. It was memorable. That was more than 10 years ago.

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