Grotto Help!

murie

what about parasol bases dotted around at strategic points with poles cut to the height of the room- as long as you use enough bases and make sure they are weighted (ask around for parents to donate theirs for the occasion but marked as to whose they are) then you could perhaps drape material and lights over them? Again Christmas trees or ivy etc wound round the poles would soften the look and hopeful deter children from touching. To keep costs down you could also use twigs sprayed white or silver at a low level in post filled with soil and covered in felt snow of the sort you can buy in poundshops.

murie

something like this over white background (sheeting) will help disguise plain walls and will look twinkly with lights etc (ooh_ I'm on a roll now!)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUALITY-SHIMMER-FOIL-DOOR-CURTAIN-COVER-PARTY-DECORATION-METALLIC-91CM-X-182CM-/190865206986?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Make_up_Cosmetics_Concealer_PP&var=&hash=item2c7073eeca

Willowpop

Okey dokey...I have a plan I think.
I am gonna get a cheap gazebo. .not a pop up one...and cut part of the legs off so it's shorter.
That way I have the structure I need and can make walls for it either out of sheeting or something more solid.
I like the door shimmery things and the scene setters so will have a think about them and will hunt down some red noodles for the candy canes.
I like the red carpet idea so will source some of that too.
Any further ideas then please keep them coming....nothing here is set in stone!
Thanks for all the input so far, I really appreciate it.:T

vickyholly

they had some of the swimming noodles in the pound shop and 99p shop during the summer, dont know if they still have them now

Willowpop

vickyholly wrote: »

they had some of the swimming noodles in the pound shop and 99p shop during the summer, dont know if they still have them now

Great minds think alike...they had them in mine too, but they don't now - I checked today! Ebay I think...

jlh7

What about making some bunting using red/ green/ white paper? Would be cheap and quick - bunting livens up any space!

bethl79

We used a gazebo last year. We pinned up the scene setters on the inside and put up fairy lights and a small Christmas tree. A high backed chair with a red velvet throw over the top for santa to sit on.

On the outside, we bought loads of white fleecey material (I think we got it from the 99p shop in the Christmas section) and draped it over the top of the gazebo with some hanging down to look like snow. It looked great, really effective.

bethl79

jlh7 wrote: »

What about making some bunting using red/ green/ white paper? Would be cheap and quick - bunting livens up any space!

Great idea we might steal that

Paper chain snowflakes decorated with glitter would look cute too.

sethsgran

Willowpop wrote: »

I really love the look of this...I just need to work out what to hang the material from.the ceiling is a false tiled one so it won't hold anything...I was hoping the gazebo would fit so we could line it with material or make solid walls for it, but no.
Love the design of the one in your link though.

Is the frame work for the ceiling tiles metal, if so can you see the metal. Supermarkets use really strong magnets with hooks on them. Then when they hang the signs they are hooked over using nylon thread. Could you use magnets with hooks to put a strong nylon thread across the area you need to cover then hang a lightweight fabric over the wire. A bit like a washing line! Check out places you could use the magnets, they are so strong. My husband sometimes does surveys in supermarkets and he was given a couple of the magnets. Why not ask your supermarket if they could lend you some. Ours came from a Morrisons store.

sethsgran

Like these but probably cheaper on eBay.

http://www.magnets2buy.com/acatalog/magnets-with-hook.html