Step Away from the Party Aisle. Step Away from the Party Aisle
If you’ve ever strolled down the party section of your favorite store, then you know what you will fin, a wide array of characters staring back at you from every cup, plate, & napkin. If you ask me, it’s a little overwhelming, and can be a bit tacky, oh yeah not to mention crazy expensive. It's gonna be ok, just ignore it and keep walking until you come across the solid/pattered party ware section. You can trust me on this one, A plain plate or a polka-dotted napkin is just as useful, probably cheaper– and a whole lot classier and stylish! Many stores and online sites, such as Etsy, offer a huge variety of printable or ready- made “character-inspired” sets that coordinate with just about any theme imaginable. If you get a little crafty, you can do alot with a simple idea.
Keep it Simple
Keep it simple and keep it subtle. If you can simplify all of your decorations, not only will all of your party prep be easier, but it also makes your party a whole heck of a lot cheaper. Instead of plastering every inch of your event space with tacky pre-purchased character products, let a few well thought out specific pieces be the focal points. Less is more when it comes to party decor.
Incorporate Character-Inspired Colors & Patterns
Every beloved character has very recognizable visual aspects to them – that is part of what makes them so popular with children. So lets take a minute and examine your child’s favorite character closely. Try and be more broad and abstract. Is there a color scheme, pattern or texture that instantly distinguishes that particular character from the rest? Great! Lets start there. See if you can come up with 3-4 colors, patterns or textures that represent the character and incorporate them into your decor.
Use Related Motif
So if you’re not going to be using character image, then what are you going to use? That's simple, lets think about an item or visual that relates back to the character. Instead of using Elsa & Anna clip art, use snow flakes, reindeer, scandanavian rosemaling. Rather than Minons everywhere, perhaps yellow hard hats could be an element carried throughout the party. It can really help to brainstorm several ideas and come up with a few things that might work, and then you can decide which one or two elements you like the best so that everything is cohesive.
Use an Unexpected Color Scheme
What i love most about ditching the tacky store-bought party goods is you now have the freedom to use any color scheme you want. If your doing a halloween party, you could use classic orange and black, but inject it with bright pink and gold, to give it your own spin. Not only does this give your party a very high-end feel to it, but just about everything can be reused over and over again.
Change Up the Style
Usually, the items you will find in the party aisle are all pretty much generic. Companies will take the same basic designs and just insert the different characters and a different color pallet. Unfortunately, not a ton of room for stylistic interpretation, or creativity. Luckily, in step one we decided to skip the party aisle and go for something a lot more interesting.
Another benefit to using customized party decor is the ability to change up the style to make it suit your taste. Do you like a vintage vibe, use vintage elements and what i call a sorbet pallet. or maybe you like a rustic vibe try using chalkboard signs and a darker more subdued pallet. if you can add your personal style to it, your party is sure to be a success.
When revamping a theme to suit your personal style, there really are no limits other then your imagination. Your party can take on a preppy, bohemian, vintage, rustic, or modern feel regardless of the characters or theme. another good trick is to have your party be inspired by a favorite clothing designer. It’s completely up to you.
Use Items You Have
Last but not least,and we touched on this the other day, take a look around your house. Chances are if it's your childs favorite character, then just maybe, perhaps you have a few toys or figurines of that beloved character that you can easily incorporate into your party decorations. This can be a very budget-friendly way to sneak that character into the party in a few more places and your child will most likely be thrilled to see their favorite toys being showcased as a part of the party.
If you’ve ever strolled down the party section of your favorite store, then you know what you will fin, a wide array of characters staring back at you from every cup, plate, & napkin. If you ask me, it’s a little overwhelming, and can be a bit tacky, oh yeah not to mention crazy expensive. It's gonna be ok, just ignore it and keep walking until you come across the solid/pattered party ware section. You can trust me on this one, A plain plate or a polka-dotted napkin is just as useful, probably cheaper– and a whole lot classier and stylish! Many stores and online sites, such as Etsy, offer a huge variety of printable or ready- made “character-inspired” sets that coordinate with just about any theme imaginable. If you get a little crafty, you can do alot with a simple idea.
Keep it Simple
Keep it simple and keep it subtle. If you can simplify all of your decorations, not only will all of your party prep be easier, but it also makes your party a whole heck of a lot cheaper. Instead of plastering every inch of your event space with tacky pre-purchased character products, let a few well thought out specific pieces be the focal points. Less is more when it comes to party decor.
Incorporate Character-Inspired Colors & Patterns
Every beloved character has very recognizable visual aspects to them – that is part of what makes them so popular with children. So lets take a minute and examine your child’s favorite character closely. Try and be more broad and abstract. Is there a color scheme, pattern or texture that instantly distinguishes that particular character from the rest? Great! Lets start there. See if you can come up with 3-4 colors, patterns or textures that represent the character and incorporate them into your decor.
Use Related Motif
So if you’re not going to be using character image, then what are you going to use? That's simple, lets think about an item or visual that relates back to the character. Instead of using Elsa & Anna clip art, use snow flakes, reindeer, scandanavian rosemaling. Rather than Minons everywhere, perhaps yellow hard hats could be an element carried throughout the party. It can really help to brainstorm several ideas and come up with a few things that might work, and then you can decide which one or two elements you like the best so that everything is cohesive.
Use an Unexpected Color Scheme
What i love most about ditching the tacky store-bought party goods is you now have the freedom to use any color scheme you want. If your doing a halloween party, you could use classic orange and black, but inject it with bright pink and gold, to give it your own spin. Not only does this give your party a very high-end feel to it, but just about everything can be reused over and over again.
Change Up the Style
Usually, the items you will find in the party aisle are all pretty much generic. Companies will take the same basic designs and just insert the different characters and a different color pallet. Unfortunately, not a ton of room for stylistic interpretation, or creativity. Luckily, in step one we decided to skip the party aisle and go for something a lot more interesting.
Another benefit to using customized party decor is the ability to change up the style to make it suit your taste. Do you like a vintage vibe, use vintage elements and what i call a sorbet pallet. or maybe you like a rustic vibe try using chalkboard signs and a darker more subdued pallet. if you can add your personal style to it, your party is sure to be a success.
When revamping a theme to suit your personal style, there really are no limits other then your imagination. Your party can take on a preppy, bohemian, vintage, rustic, or modern feel regardless of the characters or theme. another good trick is to have your party be inspired by a favorite clothing designer. It’s completely up to you.
Use Items You Have
Last but not least,and we touched on this the other day, take a look around your house. Chances are if it's your childs favorite character, then just maybe, perhaps you have a few toys or figurines of that beloved character that you can easily incorporate into your party decorations. This can be a very budget-friendly way to sneak that character into the party in a few more places and your child will most likely be thrilled to see their favorite toys being showcased as a part of the party.