I’m a planner. I just can’t help it. You know the type, always waiting for a birthday, graduation or any excuse to celebrate. Just give me my rubber stamps, pretty cardstock and two weeks notice and I’ll create the perfect gathering. Creating a unique party doesn’t have to be complicated. Use interesting materials like funky tins and fun stickers and add your own style to the event.
The first step in this process is deciding what type of party fits in your budget. There is no sense in trying to create a five-star party on limited budget. My budget was definitely a picnic budget. Even picnics can be wonderful.
Next select your presentation. What will hold everything together? While planning this party I saw the cutest flip-flop stickers. I could have easily used those as the starting point for the party. Invitations would have been written on flip-flop. Find something fun and let your imagination run wild.
In the end I fell hopelessly in love with the duo cardstock from American Crafts. One side is a fun bubble print and the other is the coordinating solid cardstock. I selected stickers and fibers to match the solid cardstock. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Don’t be intimidated by the use of the tin. I bought the tins at a craft store on sale for $.50 each. I spray painted it with a paint specially designed for metal. The color was great and the paint was very smooth.
The original collage on the front of the tin was boring until I added the wave sticker. Wow! This sticker really gave the collage impact. I decided to carry that wave throughout my decorations. Even the menu, which is a bit more formal, was improved by the wave. The funky wave helped add a little style to the stuffy menu.
Everyone loves a little snack for the ride home. This party favor is a simple way to send a treat home at the end of the party. The bags are filled with tropical flavored jellybeans. Don’t forget a little note so your guests know the bags are for them. Using the alphabet stamps, you can even personalize each treat.
I have been told this is a particularly southern habit, but we always send thank you notes to the folks who are kind enough to bring hostess gifts. When this thank you note arrives in the mail, your guest is sure to remember a lovely evening by the shore.
And if you are planning a birthday party, remember to design thank you notes that coordinate with the party theme. Create the note cards at the same time as the invitations; you will have your thank you notes out in record time.
Why not plan a party of your own in August? Remember, you don’t have to live near the ocean to have a beach party. And don’t let you kids talk you into using playground sand to create a fake beach. You will never get all the sand out of your carpet. Trust me.
