16Yrs party - decoration ideas?

ellas9602

Hello
my DD will be 16 this week. On saturday I have agreed to allow a party using the garage, back garden and the kitchen only. we'll be clearing out the garage this week (into the shed)but it still has peeling paint and general tattiness everywhere.

I've seen some disco lights I'm going to get (£20 Argos)but what else can I do to make it look cool? could I cover the walls quickly with something? what decorations are no faff, cheap and effective?

Hope you can help

borokat

You could drape the walls with fabric, a bit like the inside of a marquee - try Primark for cheap sheets. You could get some other cheap fabric from a sari shop or similar to add colour. Won't it be a bit cold though, that's what I'd be more worried about than the decor.

daisiegg

Do kids still have posters these days? (says the ancient 24 yr old!) could you find somewhere that sells cheap posters and get some of bands etc that she likes? or borrow some from her friends? (although I suppose they might not be returned intact)

Could you cover one of the walls with some type of paper - even brown paper I suppose - and provide marker pens/glitter pens/etc and let them use it as a graffiti/doodling wall? Especially if there are lots of girls, they could write birthday messages to your daughter and she could cut out the particularly nice ones afterwards and keep them as a momento? you'd probably also get lots of big willies but that's ok...

I also like the fabric idea, it sounds neater than my idea.

Ask your daughter what she wants? If she's happy about having the party there I'm sure she isn't fretting too much about it being a state

Ooh and LOTS of fairylights if you can get hold of them (beg, borrow, steal, bring out the Christmas lights if they're not in the shape of Santas!) Teenagers love fairylights. Fact.

daska

TBH it probably doesn't matter, they'll turn the lights down (if they can) and give themselves migraines with just the flashy disco lights. I'd go with a big pot of black paint or a large roll of brown paper with as many fairy lights as you can muster, the cable type xmas lights are good at providing light without being too seasonal. Is she having a particular 'type' of party? Any theme at all? If the garage is a mess and her friends are arty you could ask on freecycle for the ends of paints and let them decorate it for you (you can always paint over the willies later LOL)

UKDebs

I like the idea of the doodling wall.

How about using your old, unwanted CDs (or get a load cheap from charity shops), thread them on silver ribbon and dangle them from the ceiling. They'll catch the disco lights nicely and might give a kind of "disco ball" effect.

Deb

ellas9602

Thanks for all suggestions. I have some brown paper rolls so will give that a go and some markers should make a fun keepsake..thanks for that. I've two sets of fairy lights and will try to get my mums too.
Borokat...she's had friends round in the garage before and what they do is 'mosh' - if anything they look a bit hot!
Thanks everyone

daska

Just spotted a thread on the Grabbit board for a 10 for £20 offer at Hawkins Bazaar. The Light Up illoom Balloons look perfect for you. It looks as if there's also a 10% off if you pay by paypal.

ellas9602

Aww Thanks Daska that's really thoughtful but I've already bought the disco lights (and a gazebo!) I CAN'T spend any more

shebangs

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mico62

Hubby set up a laptop and borrowed a data projector and surround sound for DDs 16th and nailed 8 x 12 ft of hardboard which he'd painted to the wall (but you could use a sheet) and they had a karaoke party then watched DVDs. It was bliss all the noise and mess was contained in the garage - they even chose to sleep in there.

The downside is it was such a great night they keep coming back