Congrats Grad!

Helloooo everyone!  

Elizabeth here with this week’s crafting journal entry and I'm super excited because it's my very first one! So wish me luck ; ) ...

Two weeks ago we had the pleasure of celebrating my son’s graduation from high school and much to the boy’s protest, his dad and I threw a party to honor him and his accomplishment.

OK wait ... truth time ... the party ... it was really for me ... for me and all the fun Pinterest ideas I had been pinning for the last six months. Graduation? ... it was just an excuse : ).

But before I go any farther, I must give a shout out to my friend Jane.  She is my creative accomplice in all my party crimes. Thank you Jane for your help in pulling this special day off!  Couldn’t have done it without ya and wouldn’t have wanted to either!  OK, mushy stuff taken care of ... now ... on to the details!

Party guests were first greeted by a balloon lined walk. Golf tees made the execution of this detail easy. The wind, not so much. 

To lessen prep-time, I beefed up a pre-made sign for the front door ... also known as the “making things work at 3AM the night before so that I can catch a few hours of sleep” scenario.

The guest book table showcased a picture of the graduate, a discount-store card box and a fabric banner with matching tablecloth.  In lieu of a traditional guest book, I created a photo book (from one of those on-line sites) featuring school pictures from all thirteen years. Many guests not only signed the book, but also left sweet messages of congratulations or “I remember when ...” stories.  I know the graduate will cherish this book for years to come ... well, that is if I ever let him have it for keeps : ).

  

This console table got a few quick and easy framed art pieces that I whipped up using scraps of pattern paper and glitter cardstock. A few senior pictures and a stuffed tiger (the school’s mascot) complete the décor and add a touch of whimsy.

I love to seasonally accessorize the tops of the bookshelves in my family room.  The bookshelves are large though and therefore require big decorative pieces.  One of my favorite ways to fill and balance the space is to use ginormous paper mache letters.  I can customize their color with spray paint and can spell whatever word or words my budget will allow. Budget saver tip: choose words with the same letters ... GRAD ... DAD ... MAD ... you get the idea : ).

The other set of bookshelves got topped with dollar store frames filled with a hand-cut message, vinyl numbers applied to a black canvas (yes, it came black ... no painting required) and my leftover spring branches that I was too lazy to take down and find a home for.  

And ... just to be sure that the graduate was amply embarrassed, I made sure to display each of his school pictures (the good, the bad and the awkwardly gawky) across both bookshelves.  Converting them all to black and white kept the display from being too busy and camouflaged the grainy quality of the digitally scanned photos.

                  

The mantle focused on printables ... my newest most favorite decorative tool.  What I have spent recently on printer ink and white cardstock could be enough to put a dent ... I mean small nick (juuust in case the hubs is reading this) ... in the national debt.  LOL.

I got the subway art here and the light bulb graphic here. The chalkboard background came from here and the decorative wording from this post. This chalkboard print was my very first to design from scratch and I have to say ... I’m addicted ... so don’t be surprised if you see more of them in later posts ... fair warning : ).

The kitchen didn’t require much décor since the food took center stage and was pretty enough. The honeycomb balls and pom poms did however act as a kind of chandelier, filling in that large void of space above the island ... big impact for a few dollars and a few hours. Installation tip: use open paper clips to hang the poms from your kitchen light fixture.

One of my most favorite party decorations sat on the cake table.  It was a picture I took of my son on his very last day of school holding a picture of himself on his very first day of kindergarten. Heavy sigh and sniff, sniff.

 

Now, I will admit it.  I did take the easy way out with the cake ... yes, that is a Costco cake you see in the picture. I did however try to redeem myself by making a super adorable banner for it ... so when you judge, remember that and not the lack of a homemade confection.  

So there you have it ... a Congrats Grad! party. I hope you've found some inspiration for your next shindig whether it’s for a graduation, an anniversary or even a birthday ... there are plenty of adaptable ideas ... but maybe I am a bit biased : ).