Friday, October 18, 2013

PPP Day 18: Trending Now

  


      We've talked about the basics of parties, and listed those elements here. However, parties are just like fashion- there are the classic pieces that form the basis of your wardrobe (or structure of your party) and then there are the fun, trendy pieces that add pop and make a statement. You can definitely stick with the classics and have a fabulous party, but if you are looking for that extra something, here are some things you might consider:



1. Photo booths: Or at the very least, photo props. I did photo booths for my 80's party and for my sister's wedding. They were both so much fun! It is a fabulous way to capture all the guests on camera. At both I used the same basic formula: a white sheet backdrop (I hung it on my rolling wardrobe rack for my party, and for the wedding we put it on a rope.), a basketful of stick props: glasses, mustaches, etc. (I purchased party store items for my party, for the wedding we used pre-made ones from Walmart) and a camera! Since the wedding was a much bigger deal, my sister's sweet friend manned a DSLR. For my party, I simply left my point and shoot on the prop table! I decorated both "booths" with simple banners to add a special touch. The set up doesn't look like much, but it inspires some very memorable photos! For the "Mustache Bash" I just threw sticky dollar store mustaches on skewers and we still got some great pictures.


2. Candy buffets/bars: I did these for the Superhero shower, the Hungry Caterpillar shower, and the wedding. They are sooo fun! I love collecting candies in the right colors, to match the theme. The book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" inspired the buffet for that party, and I chose superhero style candies for that shower. For the wedding it was all about red and aqua sweets! These are fun because they can be small and inexpensive or as grand as you like! I wouldn't do less than about four types of candy, but that can be as cheap as $5-$7 for something that serves as both decor and food! You can even offer bags and it will do triple duty as a take-home favor. That's a bargain!

3. Pennant banners: This is not just a trend for parties, it is all over home decor! I have done more of these than I can count. They are so simple, but they are high impact for cheap. You really won't spend more than about $2-$3 for matching scrapbook paper and a little ribbon to hang it on. If you aren't one for winging it, I have a template for triangles pinned here.



4. Pom-poms: I made yarn poms for the "Perfect Timing" shower, and tissue ones for the "Tiny" shower. I would love to do these cake topper ones! They are another super versatile party decoration- you can put them on sticks, hang them from the ceiling, put them on presents, anything you can think of-you can even make them into a garland. They are cheap and both styles are easy to make, just google it. I make the yarn ones by wrapping them around my hand!

There are plenty more trends that you can find if you spend more than 10 minutes on Pinterest, but these are some of my favorites because they are low-cost but high impact. Adding just one of these elements to your basic party will make a big difference. Sometimes it is fun to be a trend-follower!

This is Day 18 of "31 Days of Perfect Party Planning". See the rest of the series here.

2 comments:

  1. Clare,

    Your ideas are great! I loved what you shared on my blog about using brown kraft paper to wrap presents. Have a great weekend! :-)

    ~Sarah

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by! I think your party fits exactly with my philosophy on parties- full of love and fun, not worrying about meeting unattainable standards.:)

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