Beyond Balloons: Decorating With Nature, Candy, and Toys

For a child’s party, why not choose something a little offbeat and fun when it comes time to select decorations for a party?  Some exciting choices may be in your own back yard, kitchen or play room.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Nature

It is simple to find the perfect building blocks for your get together’s decor in a yard or local park.  Whether you’re hosting a chic party with natural elements included for contrast or a gathering with a rustic theme, the foundation materials can be the same.  Pine cones can be left plain and wired into a hanging ball, then paired with colored paper puffs or lanterns.  They could be spray painted and strung on a garland with a ribbon that matches your theme, or you could add glitter and hang them from a chandelier.

Found materials like branches can be placed in vases either plain or painted, with banners strung between.  They could be hung with photographs of the person being celebrated, or they could hold favor bags.      Fall leaves could be hot glued over papier-mâché numbers or letters to add an unexpected and specific detail to your event’s decor.

One easy way to add rustic touches to a more formal gathering is to paint acorns silver and place them among greenery in a centerpiece or along a table as a runner.  Birch rounds beneath silver bowls on a buffet provide great contrast.  And growing grass or clover ahead of time in tiny pots and then concealing the pots in a more formal vessel would give a natural feel while conveying elegance.

Candy

Candy used as a decorating element will lend excitement and fun to almost any child’s party.  Having candy displayed in glass jars, vases or bottles at varying heights adds color and drama to a table.  Whether it is intended to be consumed over the course of the party or if children are given sacks at the event’s conclusion to scoop their favorites as party favors, having a candy buffet is a sure to please the eye and the palate. 

Another way to incorporate candy into your event is to string it onto garlands.  Slung across doors, hanging vertically from the ceiling, or draped from a bannister, having that line of candy is an inexpensive way to add a visually interesting touch.  Heaping candy in a vase and then nestling a votive holder with candle inside is another fun way to add candy to your decor.  Glueing treats onto a wreath or a topiary gives you a way to display candy outside your door to set the sweets theme before your guests even step into the party.

Candy can also be used in play as a party activity.  Decorating gingerbread men by choosing from a variety of candy in bowls will delight children in a wide age range.  Candy can be used as markers during a game of Bingo, which would truly test a player’s commitment to winning versus simply eating the markers.  There’s also the classic game of guessing how many candies are in a jar, with the winner taking the jar home with them.

Toys

If your child has chosen a theme for their party, chances are there are plenty of toys around the house using that same theme.  Why not incorporate some of what you have into your party’s decor?  Figurines can be grouped to decorate a mantel or used on a buffet.  After being well and truly cleaned, they might even make their way onto the top of a cake.  Toys can be used in activities such as the musical game of Pass The (Bear/Crown/what have you).  They can be used for photo props and hung as decorations. 

Using items from around the house is a choice that can save money and feel less wasteful, since you can compost, eat or use the decorations after the party.  The sky is the limit once you start looking around at what you already have.
-------------------------------------------------------
Ask The Party Planner is a biweekly blog written by Laura Floyd, owner of Laura Floyd Events, LLC (www.LauraFloydEvents.com).