BonnerSprings.com

What started as a small, party-planning business out of a Shawnee home has evolved into a national and international business out of a Bonner Springs warehouse.

Bday Parties LLC has joined the Bonner Springs business community, and its owner, Amy Kremer, hopes it continues to grow and evolve. The business, which offers an online store of costumes and props for children’s theme parties, is at 12601 Kaw Drive, Suite D.

“I wanted to own my own business, and I wanted to do something that was fun, and I wanted to involve my kids somewhat,” Kremer said of how her idea for the business got started.

After a few years of being the one planning all the parties, Kremer decided to step back and let other people plan the party, and she would just provide the props. That’s when www.bdayparties.com got started.

The Web site offers a wide variety of Halloween costumes that would make any party more fun. Kremer said the biggest sellers were the Power Ranger and super hero costumes for the boys and the Disney princess and diva costumes for the girls. While the site specializes in children’s costumes, Kremer said there were some adult costumes available.

In addition to the costumes, the site offers party favors and accessories, such as wands, crowns, swords and pirate hooks, to give the parties a more authentic touch. Kremer has also posted plans she has created from her party-planning days on the Web site. They give suggestions for activities or games that go along with a certain theme.

While big, themed parties were never a part of her own childhood, Kremer said she wanted to start a business that would keep her entertained. She said her interest in costumes went back to learning how to sew at a young age.

In fact, Kremer hopes to soon expand the business so that it includes more of her own costume designs. She’s currently working on a line of headbands. These headbands have ears or horns attached to offer a simple costume for anyone looking for a quick solution.

For now, however, Kremer gets most of her merchandise during the after-season of Halloween. She buys by the truckload and gets many items that have been discontinued.

Since moving to her Bonner Springs location, Kremer has also added another aspect to her business. She now sells unstuffed toy animals online at bdaybears.com. These kits allow her customers to take part in the process of building their own stuffed animal.

Kremer said that side of her business was popular with charity organizations. She said she had sold to a lot of people who had stuffing parties and then donated their finished products to hospitals or fire departments.

Bday Parties and Bday Bears employs Kramer and a couple of part-time workers. The business does not offer an in-store shopping experience, but Kremer said she was willing to make appointments with area customers who wanted to take a closer look at her products. She can be contacted at (913) 961-1857 or parties@bdayparties.com.