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"Colorful, cute, and affordable kids&amp;#039; birthday party decorations, with no commercial tie-in: That was our shopping mission. Here&amp;#039;s just a small sampling of the festive bounty we found. My younger son just turned seven, and for the first time in years, we didn&amp;#039;t host a birthday party at our house. (Evidently, at seven, it&amp;#039;s much cooler to play laser tag with a few friends than to play pin-the-S-on-Superman, like a lowly six-year-old.) I have to admit that despite the relief of not having to plan another little boy birthday party\u2014or clean up after the inevitable cake-fueled testosterone tornado\u2014it also felt kind of odd not to be scheduling time to assemble paper Darth Vader masks or cover Percy Jackson lighting bolts with tin foil, or stuff gift bags full of rocket balloons. But it did leave me with some time to think about the party that might have been, and to wonder if one could easily plan a more tasteful, less commercially skewed kid&amp;#039;s party than has been our habit. I did a little digging on toy and party supply websites, and while I found vast amounts of garish movie- and TV-tie-in merchandise available, i also found a lot of cute, colorful, inexpensive decorations that made me wish I had a party to plan (hint: type &amp;quot;designer&amp;quot; into the search bar on the retailers&amp;#039; home page\u2014you&amp;#039;ll turn up some surprisingly elegant goods). Here are just a few favorites.  1. These plates are bright and bold enough for a kid&amp;#039;s party, but chic enough that leftovers could be repurposed for adults. The Big Day Happy Birthday Lunch Plates, $1.89 for 8; Party City.  2. This is actually a table number\u2014the kind you use at a big party or a wedding. But I think it would be a great, simple centerpiece for small tables at a child&amp;#039;s birthday party: Just choose the colors of your theme and the birthday girl or boy&amp;#039;s age for the number. Tall Table Number, approximately $6 each, depending on style and quantity; ForYourParty.com.  3. Remember how exciting it used to be to see the numbes on your cake go up each year? This candle is so much cuter than the usual number-shaped versions available at the grocery store, and no more expensive. Party On Celebration 7 Candle, $2.50; Plates and Napkins.  4. I&amp;#039;ll admit I ususally string up paper streamers every year, but this bunting is a much more attractive (and greener) choice. It&amp;#039;s not cheap, but you can reuse it year after year and even throw in the washing machine if necessary. Chocolate Tangerine Bunting, $36 for 12&amp;#039;; ACME Party Box Company.  5. Instead of Spider Man or Dora balloons, why not opt for something classic and simple, like these Big Polka Dots Qualatex Balloons, $9 for pack of 25; Party at Lewis.  6. Kids love seeing their own name, and stickers like these are an easy way to add a personal touch to a gift bag or a thank-you note envelope. Tugboat Monogram Stickers; $3 for $12; Party in a Box.  7. Fun family tradition and brilliant centerpiece: Birthday rings let you add decorations, numbers and candles as your child grows. Spiel und Holz Birthday Ring and Table Decorations, $1.80 to $43; The Wooden Wagon. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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