A graduation party we attended had the cutest idea for decorating. The graduate was very athletic and had t-shirts from many activities she was involved in. Her t-shirts were hung on the fence like a clothes line in many sizes as she grew up. Lots of memories!
By Jeanne from Ohio
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Do you have a child graduating in 2006? A clever money-saving party tip is to buy leftover New Year's decorations...
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
After what will be five years of graduate school, I will finally earn my Master of Library Science degree next spring. I would like to host a graduation party to celebrate this achievement. I would like to tie in the idea of libraries and books as the main theme of the party. Does anyone have any ideas of how to do this in a fun, inexpensive way?
I'd make the cake a big book.
Stacks of books for centerpieces with vase of flowers/flower petals scattered around.Or scatter cards from a deck of Authors cards instead of flower petals. Invitations that look like library cards or overdue notices. Pictures of famous writers on the walls. Book bags as favors.
The book bags could be plain gift bags from the dollar store that you decorate. I assume you have lots of books, but if you don't want to use "good" books, get some from Freecycle or a thrift shop. Google "free printable invitations " to find templates to use. This is what I did back in the 80's when my husband got his MLS degree at the age of 45.
Congratulations on your achievement.
Here's a fun idea, it's an ice breaker if you have people that don't know each other. Take sticky name tags (the ones like Hi my name is...) and write a name of a book on each one (one for each person) as guests arrive stick one on their back, as the party progresses people ask questions about the name of the book that is on their back.
For an activity, have a table where guests can make their own books...makingbooks.com is one site (simple books geared toward children, but also towards adults for a quick activity), or check your public library for accordian books, etc. You have enough time to make samples, gather materials (check with old-time printers to see if they have leftover paper that they don't need, cardstock)and embellishments. Also, make bead and ribbon bookmarks. Print out quotes, snip into lines, and paste on paper or plastic glasses.
You can get an old librarian wooden file card holder or an old metal one. Clean it up really good and line it with tissue paper to match your decorations and leave some of the drawers unused, because the ones you use will have to stay open. Put different types of cookies or orderves in some of the drawers. Label the type of stuff in each drawer with the label on the front of the drawer. I know it would be difficult to use a full set of these card holders, but some of them come in small groups that stack...especially the metal ones.
you can paint it to match your stuff if you wish, or leave it the way it is for an antique look....
you can decorate with old books.
as a guest gift, have bookmarks made marking the occation, and for special people (such as those who have helped you through school like your parents or a special friend, teacher, or advisor) give them a book that reminds you of them or you think they would like with a letter inside thanking them.
You could also have a cake decorated in several ways with books on it.
Thank you all for the excellent ideas! I can't wait to use them for my party!
At my grocery store, they've got a machine that will print any picture on a sheet of rice paper. They put the rice paper onto a frosted cake, so the cake now holds the picture of whatever the original was. If your store does a similar service, give them your favorite book jacket and have them use that as the 'base', then add a line at the bottom with your name on it.
I will be graduating from college next year (I like to plan early). I am a non-traditional student and majoring in elementary education. I am trying to come up with ideas for my graduation party to help my husband. I don't like the normal grad party decorations from party supply stores.
Have a "Christmas in May" theme. Have your guests bring small classroom items to place on an artificial tree with lights etc. Your guests will want to bring you a gift anyway so why not make it practical things you can use in your classroom. You can never have too many post it notes.
If you wrap crayons or pencils around the outside of a jar or cup, they look really cute, and the containers can be used to hold plastic utensils on your table. You could also tape rulers together to make a napkin holder or a corral for paper plates. Also, you can visit a teacher's supply store for lots of cute paper decorations that you could use on bulletin boards later. (I think Wal-Mart has a lot of stuff like that, too.) You might also think about getting the flannel-backed plastic tablecloths that you could use in your classroom for parties.
How do u feel about apples as a centerpiece? You could mix real and fake and make a pyramid. For fun, I'd add little flags with excuses students give to teachers. Make your own with wooden or bamboo skewers cut in half and extra sticky post-it note pages. If its sitdown, u could make place markers with real apples. Stick a large paperclip in the stem end of each apple and put a small card with person's name in the paper clip. I like the previous poster's idea of a tree, but I would do a fall tree(when teachers strart work). Use a naked branch and attach silk fall leaves. Hang the supplies you use the most on it ie chalk, small blackboards, mini chalk erasers(or make these big ones) magnetic letters and numbers, etc. I know that seem strange for May, but it fits the theme to my mind. I would also add some mini clothes pins so it can be a money /gift certificate tree instead of other gifts. Get some small plastic or paper cups and some short pencils(try dollar store)Glue the pencils on the cups points up and bottoms level with cup bottom. Add some silk flowers that sort of go with teaching eg. forget-me-nots and fun stuff like a blank excuse note form(where u check off the answers) Actually that last one could be enlarged and printed on paper placemats or napkins. if you look around you can find min apples made of cedar wood(put a few in a sheer cloth bag and add to the cups. These could be made for each guest as a take-home thing.
I'm loving some of these ideas. Especially the pencils around a cup, I've seen pictures of colored pencils done that way and it is really cute and cheerful. Keep the ideas coming. I really appreciate it.
How about making a bulletin board of yourself? I am a substitute teacher. Today the teacher herself was the student of the month. She had photos of herself along with a questionaire. She had it on the bulletin board where the students were once students of the month. Don't forget you will need books to fill your classroom. For a game maybe the adults would have to guess to figure out what book goes along with story line, or compete who can read the best story.
My brother-in-law and I are graduating from the same college this May and are combining our graduation parties into one. He is a business major and I am a psychology major. We are on a budget and looking for suggestions.
By Trisha from MO
Can't you just have a get together with family and friends, instead of having a theme of some kind. The parties I have been to, people just have age together and visit. But then on the other hand the people that I know don't have graduation parties.
My son is graduating. We are serving BBQ and I'm looking for decorating ideas.
By Pam from Atlanta, GA
This will be my 4 th grad party this year, and actually found this web site looking for different ideas, but we have done our grad parties at the park and several as a open house in our back yard, as we will again this year. My daughter has requested sumo wrestling, and since we have done the bbq, sanwiches, taco bar, ect... in the past. I am thinking a baked potato bar with ceasar salad and cake will do this year, but as far as finding deals for our bbq we got burgers at cash and carry, a box of 40 CHEAP! My husband was afraid they would shrink alot so I bought the small regular buns and they actually didn't shrink much and were very good.
My daughter wanted charcoal (not our regular grill) and since this was a open house we set the food up in our "cabana" you know the ones that us lucky Washingtonians get to set up for 3 mos out of the year! He grilled the burgers and we put them in a chaffing pan so he wouldn't be cooking on and off all day, I was happy to find out that they stayed warm and good not tough, as for decorations, I recently went to a dollar tree and was surprised how much fun grad things they have, lawn signs, balloons, plates etc... all with either grad or 2010 them, I usually get enough plates and small napkins for the cake table, and get the cheaper napkins and plates for the meal
I also try to use the school colors in the decorations with balloons and table clothes, I know that the safeway here in snohomish county is selling their 1/2 sheet grad cakes for the price of a 1/4 sheet, so $17 and we always have 50 to 100 and this has been plenty as far as fruit and veggies, I have gone to costco, sams and the grocerie outlet. Good luck and congrats!!
We always do a backyard BBQ theme and have done the same one with all 4 of ours and it is always fun. We keep it easy and grill outside and set up a stand and incorporate either their high school or future college name and everyone goes there to get their meats and then have a buffet table for the sides. For our daughter who was going to DePaul Univ., we did a Depaul Dugout and decorated it with the school colors and made a sign on the computer.
A great idea to have at a graduation party is to present the book (by Dr. Seuss) titled "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"...(this is actually the #1 recommended book gift to give). The idea is to have all the guests attending sign the pages as a keepsake for the graduate (no matter the age). The #2 book of choice is "The Meaning of Life", colorful green frog on the cover. Having frog bookmarks to pass out to the guests as a thank you.
Another idea is to create a slide-show on the computer highlighting favorite photo shots of grad with family, friends, or doing their activities. Can play it at the party and also email it to all guests to enjoy, it's timeless. Be sure to include captions and capture all moods.
We're having a open house for my daughter's graduation this June. She wants to have a Fairy theme for her party. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to decorate for the party? We'll be having it outside in our back yard. We'll be renting a tent for the party. We're having a taco bar for the food. Please help.
Highschool grad?
NO Tinkerbell then......
Check out Amy Brown"s website. She is a artist that does "adult" type fairy art.
Perhaps you can import some pics to use on posters, invitations, etc.
I think of ribbon poles and something along the lines of Renissance period decor.
Nobody has ever said you HAVE to incorporate the food into the party theme, but Mexico uses a lot of red, orange, yellow, bright green and white.
Small strands of white lights encased in any color Tulle or nylon net can be hung, canopy-like from the center of the tent outward and down the tent legs. Just cut strips of tulle and wrap the strand inside. Very pretty esp. at night.
Your daughter is my hero! My best friend and I are doing the same thing for our graduation! We thought we were the only people above ten who liked fairies! For our party we are going to cover everything in glitter and make food that has some form of fairy theme. We are also forcing everyone to dress up as a fairy or extreamly fancy. We are also using a book called "Are There Faeries at the Bottom of Your Garden?" by Betsy Williams. That's the reason we even came up with the idea for our party.
I have a graduation lunch to organise. Will the combination of the following colours be suitable: black, white, and silver?
By Nkefi R
I am giving my daughter a college graduation party and I need help. The party is June 4, so I only have 6 weeks to get it together. I have rented our local hall to have the party at and the invitations have been ordered. There will be any where between 100 to 200 guests.
I am checking into what the cost is for a live band and for a DJ. That is all I have so far. I want to give her a nice party, however I am not rich, so I have to spend wisely. Can you give me some decorating ideals and types of food to serve for a lot of people, that is easy to prepare. I would also appreciate any other ideas anyone has that would make this a fun and memorable party. Thanks Bunches!
By 1 proud mommy from Eureka, CA
My son is graduating from high school, so we're planning a graduation party. Does anyone have ideas for an easy, inexpensive punch that would be either black or gold colored?
By LeaAnn from Mitchell, SD
Planning an outside party for a physician's assistant graduate in August. (in Texas) I have a pool and big backyard with trees. I haven't decided on menu for sure, I can cook smoked brisket and chicken ahead of time and I have a margarita machine. There will probably be about 50 people. Any "special" ideas from anyone out there?
By bonita from TX
Hi Bonita, Once I read your question, my mind started spinning with ideas. What a fun profession theme to throw a party for! I would for sure make it fun by sticking to the "medical theme" Maybe BBQ "ribs" and BBQ chicken "Thighs". How about sending the invitations on RX prescription sheets?You can make your own and just print them out on a computer. You can purchase a whole box of clear rubber gloves (not powder coated) at WalMart in the pharmacy section and fill them with snacks such as peanuts or pretzels.
You can also get paper surgical masks and footsies that you can do something with. How about the game "Operation"? just put it on one of the tables which would go with the theme and I bet you will find several people actually playing it throughout the day! You can also find plastic doctor kits in the toy section at Dollar Tree(or other dollar stores) that you can use in different ways.
How about thermometers on a "heart" shaped cake instead of candles? Maybe a group of you can chip in and buy the guest of honor a nice stethoscope for a gift?I was in the medical field for years and a good stethoscope is your best friend. Good luck and I'm sure your party will be a lot of fun! One more idea(see? my mind is running rapid!) Start saving empty aspirin bottles. Wash and dry.Poke holes in cap and use them for salt and pepper shakers on the tables?
Any suggestions for an outdoor party celebrating 2 sisters,- 1 graduating high school and the other graduating college?
By Elaine D.
My daughter is graduating in May with her Masters degree to be a CPA. I asked her what kind of theme she would like (I know she would think the graduation theme would not be for her (she's weird) She has a GPA of 4.0. She said jokingly she wanted a drunken theme. Of course, she knew I couldn't possibly come up with any ideas. She's right! Anyone have any ideas on this kind of theme. The beer and liquor will be flowing. I have arranged no one will drive that night. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
By Merci B from New Orleans, LA
I need ideas on how to host a college graduation party for my husband who will graduate in May with an Electrical Engineering degree. Any ideas on themes and favors will be greatly appreciated. The venue has been selected as well as the food and beverage. What does a host do in such celebrations? I want him and our guests to have fun.
By Lisa from CC, TX
Just had a thought, go to Radio Shack and choose a pretty large kit. Use the ingredients to decorate and have a table where the item can be assembled. See if they can get it done before the party is over, and don't lose the instructions!
Good luck and congrats to your grad!
I am looking for ides for a college graduation party for a travel major? Any ideas on centerpieces for a college graduate?
By Momma C
Thanks to those of you who sent suggestions for my son's graduation venue. We're decided to rent a hall and now we were wondering if we could incorporate a "Las Vegas" theme, although his major is chemistry. We were thinking of things such as wheel of fortune and chug a lug dice for pretend money. Instead of a universal favor, the top money holder will choose from the favors displayed, the one with the next amount, etc. Any ideas? Thanks.
By Mike's Mom from Boston, MA
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I'm planning my first graduation party for 2 daughters. One will be a college graduate and the other a high school graduate. I need ideas.
We are planning a high school graduation party. I need some ideas for food and drinks that are easy and won't break the bank since I am on a budget.
I am planning a group graduation party for me and my friends. We are all graduating from university under the Business Information System discipline. The idea is to have a BBQ at a farm. My friends and I are all party animals and are over 21. Please help.
It seems to be happening more and more that graduation parties are being held in parks and are potluck style. This could be done for any type of party or reception.
My wonderful son is graduating from college in May with a major in chemistry. I'm puzzled as to how to prepare if I have a party at home.
I'm 19 years old and I'm planning my own college graduation party in April. I have no idea where to start.
We will be throwing my daughter a graduation party and I would like ideas on food, decorations, and entertainment for everyone. I really need help planning on food for at least 50 people. Thank you.
