Easy DIY Party Decor

What makes a great party? Food, drink, music, people, décor…..and presents!

I love walking into a party and seeing the gift table! There’s something magical in knowing that someone is being celebrated, and that each gift was chosen with thoughtfulness.  I like to guess at what might be hidden away in each gift box and bag…and have to stop myself from giving each gift a ‘shake’ (anyone besides me still do this?)

And there are so many ways to decorate a beautiful gift table! Gifts should be displayed as part of the party décor. Especially when they are wrapped beautifully and sustainably! And you don’t have to break the bank, or create waste in the process.

 

BIrthday Party

 

I find there are two main components to creating a gift table that can help set the atmosphere or anchor a party theme: Wall décor and Table décor.

Wall décor is anything you can hang on the wall, to provide visual effect and help define a space. You can even hang items from the ceiling to create a faux wall!

Table décor items can be both decorative and provide function, like a bird cage or a lantern used as a card box. You can create height and dimension with fun items you have around the house that may fit your theme. Books and toys for a baby shower gift table work well to create height. A cake or cupcake stand, upside down vase or wooden crates (rustic themed wedding?) can be used as ways to display items and add dimension to your table.

 

Wedding Decor, Bridal shower, DIY wedding decor, tissue paper flowers, Engagement party

Bridal Shower/Wedding decor

 

Here are some simple, DIY decorations that can make a gift table POP for any occasion!

 

Wall Décor:

 

Garlands & Banners

  • Garlands can add texture, visual depth and colour to a wall! Try making a DIY garland out of paper streamers, paper cut outs, tissue paper, etc. You can also create your own banner signs with paperboard cutouts and stencils. https://pin.it/CvVYd6O  https://pin.it/5221LoS

 

Tissue Paper Flowers

Wedding Decor Bridal Shower Tissue Paper Flowers 

Picture Frame or hoop wreaths

  • The coolest way to use an old picture frame! Remove the glass, and add florals, greenery, paper garlands or whatever you’d like to drape around the edges of the frame. Hang the frame with clear fishing wire and you have an instant photo booth backdrop, sign, or beautiful backdrop! You can create beautiful hoop wreaths with fresh greenery and florals. Check out these tutorials: https://pin.it/5s2VLAC https://pin.it/3OazGwk  

  

Photographs

  • Create a cool photo wall! Hang some jute rope, twine or clear wire and clip your photos to the string with clothes hangers, colourful paperclips, or metallic clips. There are infinite ways to create a photo wall! Get some inspo here: https://pin.it/2L38wou https://pin.it/5dU7d2N

 

Linens, drapes or fabric backdrop

  • A super cute way to reuse/repurpose left over fabric, linens, drapes etc.

https://pin.it/6Tt99gC https://pin.it/4uCypO8

 

Vintage China plates 

Or use paper plates to create a colourful backdrop for a kid's birthday party. Fun DIY here https://pin.it/6fVLMCe

 

Balloon walls are very popular right now, and although they look super cool, they are not considered eco friendly decorating. Even biodegradable latex balloons can take years to biodegrade, and are treated with chemical preservatives that pollute our water system and soils. Not to mention the havoc balloons wreak on our oceans and marine life. And the helium that makes those balloons float? Not a sustainable resource unfortunately. Sorry to burst your balloon...

But there are fun alternatives to balloons that kids can enjoy just as much! Like blowing bubbles! I've never met a kid who doesn't go bananas over bubble blowing. An electric bubble machine can turn an ordinary room or backyard into a magical wonderland! Or use paper streamers and paper kites, spinning paper garden wheels or tissue paper pom poms. 

My girls LOVE balloons, but I like to choose decor options that are either reusable or recyclable. My little girl turned 5 trecently, so I had to come up with something equally as enticing this year to replace them. Nemaya loved her paper streamer "wall" that I made. I taped paper streamers to the ceiling and then turned on a portable fan. The streamers blew around and it was fun for the girls to run through! No one mentioned balloons...

 

 

A paper streamer maze through the house would be fun! Get your kids to help you! My girls loved ripping the masking tape and cutting the streamers.

 

Table Décor:

 

Linens

  • Think about draping them around the table in a scrunched up, uneven way. This helps create texture and depth.

 

Card holder

  • From lanterns, birdcages, wooden crates, glass terrariums, vintage flour jars, oversized mason jars, wooden and ceramic bowls…the sky is the limit with this one! Choose basically any item that can hold cards, and suits your décor.

Sign

  • Mark the occasion with a title, people’s names, whimsical saying or funny joke!

 

Candles

  • A classic décor item. Mix and match modern with vintage (raid your grandma’s china closet!)

 

Flowers

  • Another classic décor item that brings freshness, liveliness and colour to any event. But you don’t have to buy them from an expensive florist! I love to take green clippings from the lake around my house, my backyard, friend’s backyards etc. If flowers are your thing, hit the florist! But if you love any kind of fresh greenery (in season), go for a walk and see what you find!

Baby Shower Decor

 

Baby Shower

 

The gift table can also double as the cake table (or whatever dessert is being served). Food is always visually appealing! Match your décor colours to your dessert, or use your dessert to compliment the theme of the gift table (bunny cupcakes for a woodlands-animal themed baby shower, a rich red velvet cake at a vintage themed wedding, etc). 

Check out some of the ways I styled the Nemylu photoshoot for our Nemylu.com launch recently! I handmade as many decorations as I could, gathered & borrowed the rest from my house and my mom’s, and found second hand furniture from Facebook Marketplace. And it was FUN! More fun than hitting the dollar store with 2 kids in tow who want EVERYTHING they see. They must get it from their mom...

 Baby Shower Nursery Decor

 

I hope I've inspired you to create a gorgeous gift table at your next event! And please share it with us on Instagram @nemylu. We always love to be inspired!

 

Happy gifting!

Bridal Shower Engagement Party

 

October 06, 2021 — NemyLu Giftware Inc CA Admin

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