Original Party/Wedding Ideas

laurathree

Hey guys!

New poster, long time observer of the forum! Finally popping my posting cherry.

I was just wondering if anyone had any really good exampled of money saving tips for parties and weddings and the like that they have seen done or have done themselves that they'd like to share. A friend and I are obsessed with organising things (I don't know why, we're just weird) but we found there was nowhere online with a really good bank of ideas for that sort of thing. So we've started a blog - threesaparty.wordpress.com (fear not, mods - we don't sell a sausage and make no money from the site at all! :A) and we're just doing little bits and bobs to help people have a good time on a tight budget.

We're thinking original party favours, themes that can be done on a shoestring (I've just written a short piece on a pound shop party!) gifts etc - anything that saves a bit of moolah really. We're planning an expedition to some charity shops on the weekend for inspiration - a lesson I think it is important for everyone in the world to learn is absolutely ANYTHING can be made into a centrepiece!

Also - my friend has a beautiful, beautiful tiered garden (which she never, ever normally uses! It's criminal) so to actually put our money-saving party skills to the test we're planning a "Midsummer NIght's Dream" garden party. Anyone have any moneysaving ideas for that one?! We're going to do a diary of prep or something I think - should be fun!


Any ideas at all - much appreciated guys!

TillyTrippit

We went to a very posh and expensive wedding a few years ago at which a florist had charged a fortune for table decorations that were a thin circle of pot pourri broken now and then by a nightlight on a little plastic dish. In the centre were little glass bowls with coloured water, glitter and a couple of floating candles - it looked stunning and had cost a huge amount per table. We reckoned with pound shops we could have replicated the look for far less than a fiver!!
In the garden, when we have summer barbecues we dot nighlights in jam jars around the edges of the borders and amongst the shrubs and big plants - really cheap and makes it all so very magical when the light fades.
hth
Tilly

laurathree

TillyTrippit wrote: »

In the garden, when we have summer barbecues we dot nighlights in jam jars around the edges of the borders and amongst the shrubs and big plants - really cheap and makes it all so very magical when the light fades.
hth
Tilly

Brilliant ideas - the tea lights are one I'm planning to use myself. Myself and a friend are organising a Midsummer nIght's dream themed party and have been saving glass jars of all shapes and sizes for just that!

laurathree

No ideas at all?!

**confuzzled**

Hi not got many ideas tbh:o Just popping in to say I looked at your blog and wanted to tell you its great:D
Although a wedding I went to recently did 10p mix(I was amazed to find you can still get them!) as a wedding favour, only 10p per person and very much appreciated by all:D
Also the jam jar & tealight idea and we tend to have a few bbqs in summer and instead of BYOB we do BYOM(meat) esp. now prices have gone up!!

Can't think of any more at the moment but I'm sure a quick word with my Nan and I'll be able to help a bit more;):D

Ooo and if you hear of any ideas for outdoor parties in Feb that don't cost a fortune, let me know:rolleyes::D

celyn90

Over the past few years I've done all sorts of wedding favors (it's not my day job, I'm just easily roped into horrible repetative craft tasks!)

I've done: love heart sweets in clear resin, pressed flowers in frames, small bits of artwork, lavender bags, candles, beaded jewellery, flowers in silver, silver paste and polymer clay, tiny cupcakes (never ever again!), cookies (not as bad as the freaking cupcakes, but not easy!) and handmade chocolates. I'm currently making tiny cupcakes out of japanese paper clay.

10p mix is a great idea Much more fun than sugared almonds

You can paint designs on sugared almonds individually with food dye. I would not recommend it. :rotfl:

The last party I had in my house was a craft party, where I just invited a load of people round and we all sat round and made things from my stash of craft stuff. I was most impressed by people's efforts We also do games nights every other week, where a bunch of us get together and play something like Carcassonne.

Paper mache pinata's are great fun and fairly easy to make even for adults

You can also through "out of season" parties - I've been to a Christmas party in summer (useful if you stash cheap crakcers in the Jan sales) for example and a beach party in winter. Colour themes are popular too Then you can be really inventive by just making all the food the same colour and asking people to wear something of that colour.

laurathree

Thanks guys - those are some awesome ideas! The 10p mix is excellent - and what an excuse to get some of your own! We're currently having a plan of a Midsummer Night's Dream party to prove it can be done on a budget, and we're collecting glass jars agogo for tealights! We're going to tie tissue paper around the edges for different coloured lights (no paper anywhere near the actual flames, of course!)

As for the Feb party - I'm sure we can scout something out! Tell me a little bit more about the party?

b4be

you could as an idea with your jamjar/tealighty thingy's ,to add a coloured theme , paint them with gitter glue , add some twinkle , and/or then layer fine crepe paper over the glue , still adding colour and glitz ,but letting the light still shine thru, layer it from top to bottom like pink edding to blue ...

as a long time crafter ( ONLY 36:eek: ) i love using whatevers to hand and being creative , i make clear polymer stamps and wedding invitation , but i love designing most of all ,show me something and i'll make something out of it , only trouble is sometimes the ideas dont stop and keep me awake at night

b4be

or :rolleyes: a few meters of long beaded fringe or decorative broad lace trim , for a few quid a meter , even better a job lot bargain on ebay , a few quid for a loads of meters :cool: and then just wrap it round the neck of the jars , beads hang down , just match to your theme using different colours , the lace comes half way down the jar , secured at the top with a bow
perfect for wedding , ie ivory lace and gold bow , white lace lilac bow ,

tint the inside with a liquid glass paint , thin it down , swirl it round empty to the next jar and repeat ........ voila ....coloured jars

rub a bit of floral essence on the inside rim of the jar ...... lovely scent at your occassion

stick peel offs on the outside , loads of styles available for different themes

i think id better stop before i go loopy with the ideas:eek:

and ive never made a jamjar tealite in my life :rotfl:

b4be

last one ....it will drive me loopy if i dont write it down

do you know the spun sugar techique , using sugar melted and dripped of a untensil ................


well , holding the jar in one hand , use some gold or siver , or pearlised stained glass edging paint , the stuff you paint on the design with , before you do the coloured glass bits ,

make sure its a squezzy bottle thin tipped applicater , if not decant it , then just do twist the jar , crisscrossing , from bottom to top as you squeeze , until you get the effect you like

right thats it , i must not think about jamjars , i must not think about jamjars.....on repeat for the rest of the day :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

b4be

another idea for cheap wedding/party decoration....

fishing gut ....£1 in most pound shops
fake rose petals of your choice of colour .......£1-2 per box
box 0f large beads/pearls to match............few quid depending where you get them
and some strong quick drying glue ...no more than a few quid too ,

cut gut in long lenghts then thread on bead and glue , leaving a space of a few inches , thread on a petal and glue , just repeat ,

youll have lovely dainty garland , for decorating ,can be used anywhere , wedding table , bannisters , gazeboo , garden fences , around cakes etc , oh and for the top of the cake , just use long pins with beads/pearls and petal to make a spray bouquet on top

and you can even wrap them around jamjars :eek:

oh no what have you done to me ...........help:j

its the attack of the jamjars ............run:rotfl: