ENTERTAINING PARTY ideas + decor

DIY Graduation Party Decor Ideas

craft projects for graduation or wedding party decor

A college graduate contacted me because he was looking for affordable and colorful party decorations and possibly a theme for their graduation party.

The graduates are multicultural so it may be a nice touch to add elements of several cultures. Instead of coming out with a party theme, I am sharing awesome DIY craft projects to decorate the party room. Each one can be reinterpreted to suit your style.

Chinese Lanterns

big lime chinese lanterns

Lanterns create a festive mood instantly. If you host a party in at an hotel, the ceilings are high and the room are vast. You will need plenty of large lanterns to create a statement. You can attach battery-operated light or flashlight inside if you wish to lit them.

Flite Design showcased the nice mauve and lime at the 2009 Soolip Wedding, an event that happened in Los Angeles on March 29. You will find more inspirations on the blog Junebug Weddings.

DIY Mobile Ideas

A cool idea is to attach each lantern to a bamboo stick and spread them in a vase like flowers. I spotted that idea last year on Project Wedding.

Vary the sizes and colors of origami cranes. These origami mobiles were made for Yuli + Keith’s wedding. The Great Catch picture net is also from their wedding. Check out Oh, Hello friend for more stunning uses of origami cranes.

replace flower centerpieces with bird mobiles

The bird mobile is a good symbol of the life transition that occurs after graduation. Spool Sewing offered the bird pattern for free. Look for the bins with fabric scraps at fabric stores; you will save a lot of money.

Message in a Bottle Game

You can ask everyone to answer the same question before the party. Print each answer on a piece of paper to create unique message in a bottle. Spread the messages in a bottle on each table. Let people freely open the message through the night and guess who is the author of each question.

Make sure the paper is easy to remove. The paper should be almost as high as the bottle and use 2 to 3 tapes to firmly keep the roll small. Get inspired by the Send Help Project invitations featured on NOTCOT.

The idea when you wish to design a party is to find your starting point and from that, to devise the whole theme. Have fun at your graduation party!

CREDITS:
+ mauve and lime lanterns by Flite DesignVia Junebug Wedding
+ Origami cranes and great catch images: Yuli + Keith’s wedding photographed by Robert Sukrachand – right reserved
+ Send Help Project invitations via NOTCOT
+ Lime Big Chinese Lanterns on Project Wedding
+ Three Little Birds by Spool Sewing – image on Flickr
+ Bird Mobile done by Homemade with Jill

  • Andrew Jo
    March 31, 2009 at 19:10

    Looks so great, the color tone is just perfect with the lighting and all. This is a truly fabulous Graduation Dinner decoration.

  • Dennis
    May 1, 2009 at 15:05

    How about games?Do you have any idea about any games in such graduation dinner?
    Thank you!

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    August 15, 2009 at 11:30

    […] Its provides lots of color choices. You could look for the same vibe for art prints. Remember the bird mobile designed by spool that I featured last Spring. It would be an awesome idea with these […]

  • Karen
    August 31, 2009 at 22:38

    how can I make those centerpieces i like the green paper lanterns but what about the metal or what it is the thins below the lanterns?

  • Sandra Office Furniture
    October 2, 2009 at 02:12

    I just love those lanterns, and they make a really stunning alternate to lighting and candles for a party, they just add a different feel and mood. Were does one find these lanterns???

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  • Sarah C
    September 13, 2012 at 22:04

    I love the lanterns! I have included this photo in an green/gold inspiration board in a recent post on my blog tobemrscollier.blogspot.com!

  • June Micco
    April 13, 2013 at 07:57

    I really like those lanterns, they create quite an atmosphere! Maybe a bit tricky to arrange (to make them really shine), but totally worth it. Nice one.