Rustic Glam Graduation Party Decor

My daughter’s high school graduation party was a great opportunity to try out some DIY party decorations.  These ideas would work equally well for a casual wedding, shower or anniversary party!  Here’s a run down of what we did:

Giant Balloons & Tassel Garlands

I love these giant, 3 foot round balloons.  I got them from Walmart.com and rented a small helium tank (which filled 5) from Party City.

We made our weatherproof tassel garlands from plastic tablecloths.  I will share a tutorial on how to make them in another post.

We also used the tassels to decorate the beverage stations and gift station.

Wood Lawn Signs

We made some cute wooden signs to designate the lawn game area, the photo booth station and the bubble station.

These were simply stained pieces of scrap wood on which my daughter did some modern calligraphy using leftover exterior white paint.

Bubble Station

This was a fun idea for the little ones…a plastic dispenser filled with bubble juice.  We made a few bubble wands out pipe cleaners and put out a supply of pipe cleaners for those who wanted to make their own.  The rustic tabletop attached to a tree stump was a last minute creation by hubby.

Photo Booth

The photo booth consisted of a frame tied to the trees, along with a bucket of photo props. I got the props from Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon….about $4.

Card Suitcase & Well Wishes Station

To corral the cards and gifts, we used a small vintage suitcase.  We printed out some letters on card stock to spell “cards” and glittered them for a touch of glam.  We asked our guests to impart some words of wisdom for Elizabeth and put them in a “well wishes” jar.  This also gave the early arrivers something to do while we scrambled to add the finishing touches!

Photo Display

For a photo display, we used an old door, screwed to a tree, just in case the wind kicked up.  We tried to find photos of Elizabeth through the years that also included some of our guests.

Lights, Lights, Lights!

Lights really add to the ambiance of an event.  In addition to clear string lights in the patio area, we wrapped three tree trunks with white Christmas lights.  The trees framed the firepit area.

I found these cool battery operated wicker globe lights at Pier One.  They were nice under the umbrellas.  Hubby drilled a couple of holes in the wooden umbrella frame to keep them from sliding.

We made some homemade bug repellent using essential oils and put it in sweet mason jars topped with a floating candle.  They kept the bugs away and added to the ambiance.  I will share my recipe in an upcoming post!

Flowers

Flowers are a no brainer…they always make a party special. My dear friend Teri,who has amazing flowers, let me raid her gardens early Saturday morning. I made a bee line for her orange and peach blooms in roses and daylilies to add a pop of color to our mostly neutral decor. Teri advised putting a little bleach and a little Sprite or 7-up in the water.  I did this and we enjoyed the flowers for days!

While the party turned out lovely, I will treasure the week of crafting and decorating with my almost grownup daughters.

My daughter Meredith, and her friend Ingrid on the left, also helped out as servers during the party.  I couldn’t have managed without them! Oh, and Jack thought everyone needed a glow stick necklace.😎