I love to use "frugal" decorating... I think people appreciate it more too. Here are a few ideas...
1. Music: A couple of boom boxes, or a portable stereo, play the music the couple enjoys the most. Or, big band era, 50's, something fun but not annoying.
2. Luminaries for the walk: Spray paint sturdy lunch bags gold and then use stakes, and string Christmas lights inside them. Or, cut a hole in the bottom of the bags stick the light bulbs inside and hang them upside down like Chinese lanterns.
3. I think the little tulle bag of candy is a good idea definitely cheaper...
4. Pictures: If you wanted to have pictures of the couple, why not enlist someone from the family to create a collage from their marriage to show off. Maybe a poster size or an 8 x 10 to sit on the sign-in table.
5. Sign-in table: Get one of those $4.00 round tables from Wal-Mart and a nice starched white sheet to table cloth. You could get the glass for on top and put pictures under the glass. A single taper candle and a bud vase with a single rose.
You could create a small heritage scrapbook with a picture on one side and on the other side your guest can sign and say a little something about that specific picture. (by the way, I made one for my parents and it was great. They really loved to look back on it.)
6. Cake table: Again, use one of those round tables from Wal-Mart. Starched tablecloth or sheet. If you're using the glass, then you can place pictures on the perimeter of the cake. I think a gold tablecloth with a lacy topper would be pretty.
7. Candles: Take some old jars fill half-way with colored sand, insert small votive candles inside. You can easily color playground sand with food coloring. Fill a gallon sized Ziploc bag with sand and add a few drops of food coloring, seal bag real good, and squish... it's a lot of fun too. Tie some pretty lace or ribbon with a little card at the top of the jars. Later, you can raffle them off as door prizes.
8. Colors: I think it's real important to another color too. Purple is a great compliment to the gold. It will look very pretty in photographs. See if you can get a large purple flat sheet, hang it behind where the couple are sitting and affix a big 50 on it. You could probably print them out on the computer using sturdy cardstock for the numbers and double-faced tape. It will also give a nice backdrop for the photos.
9. Table setting: Have you tried the "dollar store" for your plates and silverware? Sometimes, if you call there they can hold it for you. Try imaginative napkin folding; you can do these ahead of time. That is always a big eye catcher. I can scan some instructional pictures for you if you would like.
10. Checklist: Put together 3 checklists for yourself. Do Ahead OF Time, Who You Call and Time To Go...
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
We are having a teen banquet, the theme is, "I Want That Mountain."
Any ideas? Especially looking for an idea on centerpieces.
By kimberly from TX
A mountain is often covered in pine trees and clipping some branches to make a center piece should be easy enough if you hit the woods with some clippers! Maybe do some pine cones and some raffia tufts, bare twigs covered in clear glitter, a few branches with the blue berries would be cool. I would stay away from red ribbon as this says Christmas and not rustic mountain top.
We are in the process of planning our end of year banquet for my daughter's high school marching band. The theme has to be related to electricity somehow. I need to make up centerpieces relative to this theme. This is a tough one! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. This is my daughter's senior year, and we want the banquet to be special for all of the kids.
Ok -- this might sound crazy, but I did this for my brother's electrician's union banquet recently -- I got old appliances -- lamps, toasters, etc and arranged the cords around them and then arranged fake flowers or even real flowers in foam stuck in the sockets. We used real flowers and put them in little bud vases and placed them in the toaster holes and wet foam in the lamp sockets -- remember these were all unuseable and my brother took the cords apart to ensure that no "accidents" happened.
You could use electrical wire to make "flowers" by shaping the wire and then put them in vases.
how about making electricity pylons out of metal wire and decorating with flowers?
Maybe something with lightbulbs and the phrase, "Band - A Bright Idea!"
Get a metal pot for a vase and use strong wire, maybe even a old coat hanger and push one end in the base and attach light bulbs, light switches to the end to make a flower type arrangement. Also cut out a lighting bolt on cardboard and cover with aluminum foil and add to arrangement.
Let me know if this help and what you ended up doing.
Good Luck!
Walmart has those globe things pretty cheap.
The one that lok like lightning coming to your hand when you touch them. The kids would love it, and it's interactive. You could draw for them as door prizes at the end of the event.
Thanks so much for all of your input. We have the first meeting of the banquet decorating committee tomorrow morning - and I will be taking all of your ideas with me!!
We are planning a fashion show and luncheon at my church at the end of September and I need to know what kind of inexpensive centerpieces we could make for the tables. The title of the fashion show is In Living Color and we are doing a specific color for each scene.
Get colourful candles and put them on AOL CD's (shiny side up!).
For centerpieces, I have cut (depending on size you want) heavy cardboard into round circles, arrange clip type clothes pins around and glue on, spray paint desired color, cut another cardboard circle smaller, arrange more pins around it and glue to larger circle. Paint smaller one in contrasting color. Weave decorative ribbon under pins. Glue candle ring in center and add candle. I have done these for xmas and used green and red paint and gold ribbon and used blue and silver for wedding with flowers in the center. Also pretty for kitchens and place plastic fruits and veggies in center..
I would go with candles in glass containers placed on material cut in sqs. with pinking shears. I would buy red, yellow, blue, green material and then put a different color on each table with the candle. 1/3 yd of material would make 3 - 12" sqs.
Have about 12 tables for a "pot luck" parish luncheon to decorate. This is my first time volunteering to do this - I need some ideas - please!
For my church's Mother daughter banquet they used bushes of BRIGHT silk Gerbra daisies in a pot with bright pink,yellow,orange and lime green tissue around it and tied with a raffia bow.Each table had one of the different colors for the plastic tablecloth. And down the tables,they had the daisies (clipped to a single flower) and stuck in a REAL apple in colors of green and yellow,and a small raffia bow tied on the stem of the flower.It was SO bright and colorful and really not too expensive.I'd say the flowers and supplies came from Walmart. This would be a really IMPRESSIVE way to decorate with color.
Our school is having a spaghetti night dinner to raise funds for our 5th grade end of year activities. We will be using red and white check table cloths. I am in charge of the centerpieces and they will be raffled off at the end of the night. We cannot use wine/liquor bottles or candles. Any suggestions?
By calliemom from San Francisco, CA
I am looking for helpful ideas for decorating a Cattleman's banquet. Most of the guest will be ranchers and farmers. I am having a hard time trying to come up with ideas for decorations that are not too "cutesy" or childlike. I have a sophisticated affair in mind but I can't think of any decorations that I could use.
Could you use barbed wire and horseshoes somehow with a "fake" sunflower in a vase in the center? A friend of mine has a post with a welcome sign on it, sunflowers vining on it. Barbed wire made into a circle and hung on the welcome sign and the horseshoe at the base of the post. Very "country"ish. Just an idea.
What about going to a local chocolate shop and asking if they can make a mold of a horseshoe and use that as the centerpieces and/or a tiny one for each farmer/rancher at the table? My sister-in-law was in charge of decorations for a curling event and they had little curling rocks made up for each person at the table the night of the banquet.
centerpieces of sunflowers, cat tails, grasses, in a canning jar, with a bandana tied in a bow?
For decorations...could you find an old fence? Cut them off, attach them to a new base and bring them to the hall to put into an area, with some straw bales and other farming/ranching items? Maybe a bale rack? Or put that just outside the hall.
I am having a bowling banquet and need decoration ideas. Could anyone help?
Thank You,
rplaner from Moore, Oklahoma
I need help with ideas for a 5th grade banquet (theme and decorations).
Marsha from Valrico, FL
What time of the year is the banquet? And school mascot?
More information may help us help you!!!
a catalog that may give you some ideas---go to www.orientaltrading.com----check out their website and ask for a catalog----they have lots of neat ideas for any theme or time of year and the prices don't seem that bad
My high school is having our annual FFA banquet in May and i'm in charge of the decorations. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for centerpieces, table clothes, etc. The colors are blue and gold.
I found great blue and gold plates, cups,trays, chargers, bowls, garland, napkins, centerpieces and balloons at a very reasonable price at our Dollar Stores.
Also try Oriental Trading.
I need ideas for inexpensive centerpieces for a Boys/Girls Club awards banquet that will allow us to incorporate all club colors: royal blue, white, lime green, orange, pink, and purple! Yikes!
By Marie W
We are a financial service firm and bought a table at our Chamber of Commerce banquet. We need an idea to decorate our table. Any ideas? Please help!
By Kady from TX
I am looking for some ideas to help decorate at our annual Mothers of Multiples banquet. We have a very limited budget, and will have just finished hosting a statewide Mothers of Multiples convention where the theme is to "pamper yourself". It would be nice to expand on that or go in a different direction. Thank you so much!
My homemade soaps are wonderful. Or you can make your own :) I make lots - not expensive. Contact me if you like and we can talk :)
How about homemade soaps and face mask - I make these myself - they are very reasonable and my garden club loves them :)
Anyone have ideas for neat, inexpensive centerpieces, and other ideas for activities, entertainment, and decors?
Thanks : )
By Towanda
I need fun things to do at an end of year, high school orchestra banquet. I am planning dinner at a restaurant; just need ideas to make the dinner fun and memorable. Please help!
not sure how old you are but do you remember "lets make a deal"? at the end of the show the host would ask audience members for odd objects, 3safety pins, 1 postage stamp etc. 5 hair pins, If your guests are sitting at small tables 8/10 people make teams , start asking for items, give them a little time between items then go to the next item, not too much time , the team with the most items win? its fun plus it makes people talk to others
I need an idea to decorate banquet tables. The theme is "Hope on the Horizon". Ideas?
This is a page about marching band centerpiece ideas. Part of planning for a school banquet is creating the table centerpieces to reflect the group being honored.
There are numerous ideas you can begin with when deciding on the best centerpieces for your athletic banquet tables. This is a page about high school football banquet centerpieces.
Planning an athletic banquet includes the decorations, such as centerpieces and more. It is fun to have your decorations reflect the reason for the event. This is a page about high school track banquet decorations.
This special day to honor grandparents is celebrated on the Sunday after Labor Day in the U.S. This page contains ideas for Grandparents' Day table decorations.
This is a page about fireman's banquet decorations. Decorating for a fireman's banquet can be great fun and help make this event honoring these first responders memorable.
This page contains basketball awards banquet decoration ideas. It's fun to find an inexpensive, meaningful decorations for your player's event.
This is a page about athletic banquet centerpiece ideas. One of the considerations when planning an athletic banquet is the table centerpieces.
