Best Party Decor Ever - Think Strategically!
For great party décor, you don’t have to work hard or spend a lot of money decorating every square inch of your venue. By thinking strategically you can utilize efficient decoration and focus those decorations in key areas that are sure to delight your guests from the moment they enter your party venue. Since Valentines day is upon us, we’re using Valentine’s decorations but these strategies and decorations can be applied to birthday parties, anniversaries, weddings – any party you’re planning.
Be Visual
A visual “Wow” effect as your guests enter a party room is a great way to get the party off to a great start. If the décor effect is bright, happy, and energetic the decor gives the signal to partygoers that they should be bright, happy, and energetic – everybody feeds on that energy and that makes for a great party.
Here’s five strategic Tips (and one bonus idea) to on how to build that great party visuals!
Use Balloons On The Ceiling!
What’s the greatest unused surface area of any room? The ceiling!
Balloons – not mylar balloons – cheap latex balloons & a can of helium go a long way. Visually speaking, balloons offer a lot of bang for the buck. Using a pin, you can also get an lot of audible bang for the buck too! But save that for after the party!
Added Fun: Place a trinket in the balloons before you blow them up and let your guests do the popping. The guest gets to keep the trinket from the balloon they popped. Not only is this fun but it gets your guest to do some of the cleaning up for you!
Use ribbon to tie on a heart, a small love bear, “X”s and “O”s, not only provides a convenient handle but provides a great floating effect while the balloons liven up the ceiling.
Balloons On The Wall (No Need For Helium)
What large surface area is always in one’s line of vision? Walls! That’s why we hang pictures on them and that’s why you should use walls to their best effect.
Stringing balloons together and hanging them on the wall. This calls attention to the primary area of activity.
Left - An effect of Champagne bubbles is created by mixing different size balloons and different color balloons. Since they start at the floor and move up it gives the impression of rising bubble – a real celebratory image!
On the right, twisting balloons are used to spell out “Love”. Could be a name, or Cupid, etc.
The Table Is The Star Of Any Sit-Down Party – Dress It Like One!
Tableware Fortunately, there is a lot of help from many stores of every kind. Plates, napkins, bowls, candy, is all out there but to make it look good you need to lay it out strategically.
Strategic Setup You may be using fine china or paper plates but dressing the table is a formula – A festive but not-too-busy tablecloth sets the stage. A taller center piece creates visual volume. Large doilies create a great focus on the place setting with the plate, and the cupcake creating kind of a bullseye. Place hearts or cupid arrows in the cups to enhance the “volume” effect and your guest get an eye-popping treat!
Fun Food If your table says “Wow!” don’t let your food say, “ho hum”. Dress it up. hese ladybug cupcakes are perfect! Toss on some loose trinkets and candy. Viola’!
Banners – Big, Beautiful & Easy:
Banners – Easy to find, make a big statement (literally and figuratively) and are not expensive. You can use them year after year and they are super-easy to hang because easy-remove sticker-hooks can support them!
Big Spaces
If you have a big, plain, dull multi-purpose sort of room don’t despair. Broad swaths of wrapping paper or colorful material can be draped across the ceiling. Decorate tables, add a focus area, and a few random decorations and even a White Castle venue looks scrumptious!
Bonus - Add A Gift/Decoration
If you’re a crafty type person create your own decoration that guests can take home as a gift. A canning jar, a small string of LED lights and a symbol of your love makes for romantic lighting and a take-a-long gift. If you’re not crafty try Etsy, DHGate, Pier One, or your favorite local gift shop.
Enjoy Your Party!
So stay away from fancy rental stores, crazy lights, ice sculptures and all the fancy, expensive bling you see in tv & movie parties. Use common decorations to focus in key areas and put your energy into having a good time at the party!
5 Super Fun, Super Easy Games for Valentine's Day Parties
From time immemorial young children have addressed cards with their friends names and dumped them into each other’s decorated-in-art-class Kleenex boxes. They get some candy and it’s done. A good time is had by all. But what if we wanted to host a Valentine’s day party? What then? Isn’t there something more beside Valentine’s Day card delivery? Yes there is! Here are five solid party games for families or events with kids toddler through 8 years. These games are tried, true, and easy-to-do:
Break-My-Heart Pinata
We are not earning points for originality here, but this is such a good choice for a party game we cannot leave it out! It’s a great game for all the reason’s pinata’s are always great:
- It involves getting candy
- It involves whacking something with a stick
- It’s appropriate for any age
- The rules are simple
- It’s inexpensive
- And it fits the theme perfectly
Instructions:
First, buy or make a heart-shaped pinata. (Duh!) Then hang it up somewhere where there is a little elbow-room. Hand the kids a stick (disguise it as an arrow), blind fold them (because love is blind) and let nature take it’s course!
In this game, a broken heart is a good thing!
Who Do You Love?
- Arrange chairs in a circle, seats are facing inside.
- The player who is “it” stands in the center of the circle, and the other kids sit in the chairs facing her.
- The “it” approaches one of the seated children and says, “Who do you love?”
- The player who is approached must come up with an answer, such as “I love everyone wearing pink” or “I love everyone who has a dog,” and then anyone wearing pink or who has a pet dog must stand up and scramble to find a new seat.
- Players cannot shift to the seat next to them, should it become vacant. They must move at least two chairs away from their original spot.
- In the meantime, “it” should try to sit down in one of the vacant chairs.
Once everyone finds a spot, the one player left standing becomes the new “it” and must then approach a seated player and ask, “Who do you love?”
Play until everyone wants to stop!
Sea Of Love – Parachute Game
You’ll need a play parachute or blanket for this game.
For 5 and under play the game this way:
- Place a treasure chest full of Valentine Party Treats, Heart Lollipops or some other Valentine’s Day themed treat on the floor under the parachute or blanket.
- Pick one child to be the “Diver”.
- While the other kids make waves with the parachute the “Diver” dives under the waves and retrieves a treat.
- The Diver then picks a replacement from the Wavers.
Each child gets a turn being a Diver until everyone has a piece of the treasure.
For older kids, 6 and up,
Place the candy on top of the parachute/blanket and as the waves mover the candy around the kids have to make waves with one hand while grabbing a piece of candy with their other hand.
Candy Hearts Bingo
- Print Out These Heart Bingo Cards from artsyfartsymamma.com on cardstock.
- Cut one set up to draw out of a bowl or bag.
- Then proceed like any bingo game.
You can use crayons or heart candies as markers!
Cupid Says… (Just like Simon Says)
- “Hugs” make an “O” shape with arms
- “Kisses” make a jumping-jack style X with whole body
- “Be Mine” Hands over Chest.
If Cupid doesn’t “say” then the kid is out, or just is called on it and play starts again.