Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts

Monday, June 10, 2013

Picnic Party Decorations

So next I'm going to start on the decor, and how I picnic-a-fied this party. I'm going to let you in on all my little secrets, and how you can copy them.


Tablecloths:


Wanna know how much each of those tablecloths cost?
$1!

The yellow and white one came from the $1 bins in Target. It's paper
The pink and white came from Biglots, it's plastic. 

The two pitchers on the floor used to lemonade and tea: $1 each, dollar tree

Instantly things look more like a picnic when you have gingham going on.

I also had a polka dot table cloth that was just left over fabric I used to cover a table. 


Baskets:





All four baskets: GOODWILL $1.91 each

The huge picnic basket with the rolled up towels and blankets in it I bought years ago and have used as a trust picnic basket since. When the party was planned for outside there was a "Grab a Sheet and Take a Seat" sign that went with that picnic basket, but as it was inside most everyone sat in chairs and couches and a few just hovered standing up instead. 

The basket on the polka dot table was filled with plates, forks, spoons, knives, and napkins for everyone to start off the "picnic" feel, and the green plastic bucket next to it (purchased for $1 at dollar tree) was filled with ice for drinks. 

The blue basket I stuffed with tissue paper and veggie chips that I bought by the case at Sams for $8 for 24 bags. Nobody ate all of them, and I get to eat them myself. I hadn't bought them specifically for the party, but I had a huge box of them and dumped them in the basket.

The final basket was a beautiful (broken) picnic basket. It had a front latch but nothing for it to latch onto up top and no handles for carrying. I took from my home:
wired gingham ribbon, high tension beading floss, and a hot glue gun and made my own handles for it. For the full description of how I made the basket whole again check out my "Present" post.

Pictures






The two puzzle piece framed pics were simply pictures of the bride and groom that were cute, and I had them printed at Walgreens as 5x7s. Walgreens is an amazing place to get pictures for things because they often have the 99 cent print sale. Even printing at home when you factor in the amount of ink and paper you're using, you can't beat that deal. So both of the 5x7s were $1.50 each, and then I got all of the 4x6 prints for the bulletin board at 99 cents a print. Those were really the most expensive buy, but I had wanted to make that board for her. I spent about $25 on photo printing. I will detail the making of the board in the "Presents" post.

But as far as the making of the two 5x7 photos: I simply took the puzzle pieces I had cut out of scrapbook pages that looked like vintage valentine cards and layered them around the photographs securing with hot glue. Then the oversized clothes pins were $1 each from the bargain bins in Michaels. 


I also printed a on cardstock: Write your well wishes and marriage advice for the happy couple's scrapbook and used the three pages of cabbage roses for people to write on. I framed the words with Ivy for both her ivy wedding theme and the picnic theme. 

Also on the gingham table: bridal shower bingo. For 10 cards it was $2 at Michael's in the bridal aisle. It had one page that was filled out, and the rest I had to fill in with sharpie on gifts I assumed she would be getting (by checking her registry). It was a cute and easy game, and the prize was a "manicure kit" that actually came from dollar tree. $1, and I already had the bag it came in. 


Finally the gift and card Table:





I used the same website as before:
http://www.weddingchicks.com/freebies/invitation-suites/free-printable-ombre-wedding-invitations/

I just used the "favor" setting instead of invitation setting

My inspiration for the card box:
http://pinterest.com/pin/141089400799102266/

I used an old suitcase that was my grandmother's that I've had for years. 



And then outside (even though it rained on them) I put signs to lead the way:
I bought three signs from dollar tree ($3 total) that had stakes in them
Then I hot glued poster paper to them (1 pink above, 1 green, and one green with a pink border) that all said "Bridal Shower". 
2 pieces of poster paper from dollar tree $2
Sign total $5

So let's tally up what the decorations cost:
Tablecloths: $2
Baskets: $7
Pictures (self framed) $3
Shower Game: $2
Gift / Card Area: $0

Grand Total for decorations: $19


Not bad, Eh?


How to plan an amazing bridal shower a a fixed budget!

So this is probably going to be a multi-part post where I explain step by step all the things I did to plan my bestie's wedding shower on a VERY fixed budget!

Before I begin I will tell you I decided to do a "picnic" theme, and they have a thing for puzzles so puzzle pieces were incorporated as well. It was originally planned for outside, but because of rain, it had to be moved inside.

Picnic inspiration:
http://pinterest.com/pin/141089400799077789/

I will start by showing you how it all turned out:

5x7 Picture of the bride and groom framed by scapbook paper puzzle piece frame on giant clothes pin, Bridal Shower Bingo cards, Scrapbook paper for writing well-wishes, handmade bulletin board with pics of the bride and groom and their friends,  on gingham table cloth

Close up of the "write your well wishes" sign held up by oversized clip and His and Hers glasses "lips" and "mustache"

Up close of the picture with the frame I made

The other pic of with the frame and the glasses again

Food: basket of veggie chips, veggie tray, strawberries filled with cheesecake filling, plain strawberries, pepperoni, wheat thins

stuffed strawberries


Veggie tray & Pimento cheese sandwiches


Cute basket from goodwill for cutlery, margarita glasses with shower mints, cut up limes and lemons for drinks, ice bucket

Aliya (the bride) made the cupcakes because her family owns a bakery. The "groom" cupcakes were chocolate with cream cheese icing, the "bride" were mango with buttercream and a sugar heart for the bodice, the "bridesmaids" were strawberry with strawberry icing and pink sugar heart

Friends in attendance from left to right starting in the back (the two hugging) Jacqui, Caleb (bride's brother), Aliya (the bride), Me, (front row) Jill, Nadia, (dude in chair) Derek, (dog) Bailey

And this was my gift to her an upcycled picnic basket filled with goodies and a hanger that says "Mrs. Johnson" her new last name.


Now, You're all saying "wow, that didn't look like a very fixed budget," but would you be floored to find out everything cost me less than $150? Watch and learn. I will show you how I did all of it for a fraction of what you'd think I put into it. 


Just look at the individual posts for how I did everything step by step!


The breakdown of costs in approximations:
Invitations $25
Decorations $19
Food $25
Presents: $58

Grand Total:
$127