Birthday Party Decorating
Blue Skyy
There are so many different message boards that are topic specific, so I ended up here. Wines and Spirits didn't seem like the right category! I need some decorating advice for a 25th birthday party. I don't know if balloons and streamers are appropriate for that particular age group. Does anyone have suggestions how to decorate for an in home surprise party?
catwoman708
Unless you are going for a very elegant, sophisticated look, then balloons and streamers are almost always appropriate for a birthday party, even adults. Especially for a surprise party with a fun crowd of casual friends. You might even pass out some silly noisemakers for the big entrance too!For a casual atmosphere, I'd just pick a color combination or "theme", like a Hawaiian luau, a country/western barbeque, sports theme for a guy, or "princess" theme for a female, or margaritas and Mexican food. Go to a party supply store for ideas. They have party decorations, paper goods, tablecloths, invitations, and all things party in theme designs or solid colors for matching or coordinating looks. Off the top of my head, these are the quickest examples I could think of:For a woman: Winter Wonderland/Fairy princess theme: Clear plastic plates, cups & "champagne" glasses, forks, and contrasting tablecloths, plates, and paper doilies in white and silver. For table decorations you can light white candles in glass, crystal, or silver toned candle holders, or use floating candles in glass bowls or martini glasses (be cautious of fire hazards), put white silk flower garlands vined along tables with either fake pearl beads or clear plastic beads intertwined. You can either hang paper "snowflakes" or have the birthday girl wear a princess tiara and a wand (makes for cute photo ops even for adults). You can serve champagne punch or sparkling wine, white wine, to go with your planned menu. You could also do the same thing using silver and pink, silver and white, purple and silver, etc...For a man:A country/western barbecue theme with red and blue bandanas for napkins, or you can even get bandana themed paper napkins, plates, red and white checked tablecloths, and just use red and blue plastic cups (you'll have beer, right?), mason jars to hold silverware (or to drink out of), decorations of raffia (straw ribbon), old cowboy hats or old cowboy boots, bales of hay to sit on (covered with a checked tablecloth or horse blanket). you can put wildflowers (real or silk) in containers such as mason jars, children's cowboy boots, or cowboy hats. To go elegant and sophisticated you might could use all black and white, ask guest to wear black and/or white, but avoid paper decorations and supplies if possible. Instead go with maybe white cloth table cloths, black dishes and accessories, decorate with while candles, white christmas lights, silk or real greenery and white flowers (roses, lilies, calla lilies, or something elegant), and real silverware, perhaps trot out Grandma's silver tea and coffee service that otherwise goes unused. Have champagne, wine, finger foods, you know, like a fancy cocktail party.I once did a man's party (they had just moved to a farm in the country) in a John Deere theme (green and yellow tractors). We used green and yellow paper supplies, and for decorations we put toy tractors, tonka toys, toy farm animals, mini bales of hay, wildflowers in mason jars, and old fashioned lanterns on the tables, stuffed "scarecrow farmers" sitting on bales of hay (it was an outdoor picnic), and served beer iced down in plain galvanized buckets and wash tubs. I've done the Hawaiian theme too. Table centerpieces of fresh pineapples, fruit, coconuts, and leis, and those funky straw hats, and asked everyone to wear tropical shirts and leis, and used some big tropical scarves as table cloths (they were actually sarong type swim suit cover-ups), and used beach towels to put over benches, tables, chairs, whatever, and large canopy beach umbrellas. Sorry, this may be way more than you wanted to know.
xodar
Nice job again catwoman. What do you do for a living?
catwoman708
Blue Skyy, did that give you any ideas or point you in the right direction?Thanks Xodar, I have several part-time jobs. I'm a secretary/office mgr/personal assistant/rental property manager for the owner of a small family business. I'm becoming more of a caregiver for my aging parents, family chauffeur, and do floral arrangements and occasional decorating as a volunteer and hobby. Doesn't pay much, but leaves me available to take care of family.
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