DIY: Party Decor!

We absolutely love hosting! Whether it be a dinner party, drinks with the girls, an afternoon tea or an actual event both of us will be the first to volunteer our homes. This past Mother’s Day I (Jessica) wanted to host our mom and Oma and my mother-in-law for a high tea! We were late to the party in booking an actual high tea reservation so we, of course, jumped at the chance to put it on oursleves!

Once that was settled, we knew decor was a MUST. I knew we had to have a statement piece, I made these green foam ‘MOM’ party letters for the end of the table. Elysia made the heart banners, and I made the “custom” table runner. I say custom because technically it is – I made it specifically for this theme and event using…. get ready for it… wrapping paper!! That’s the beauty of all this DIY party decor – you can make it exactly how you want to fit any theme!

Here’s a step by step guide on how to make your own custom party decor!

Scalloped-edge Wrapping Paper Table Runner:

Here’s what you’ll need: Wrapping paper, a marker or pen and scissors.

Total completion time: 5 minutes

Step 1: Choose your wrapping paper. Now this is the toughest part of this project… choosing the paper [insert laugh track here]. It is simple don’t get me wrong, but if you’re indecisive like me and love allllll your options, things can get a little confusing. I bought my wrapping paper (and 5 others) from HomeSense!

Step 2: Cut your wrapping paper to size. I left about a foot on each end of the table. Start
by rolling out your paper on the table, print side down white side up. Then make a mark when you think it’s long enough. Do the same thing for the width. I made my runner about a foot and a half wide. Just eyeball this step – mark it up to the size you think would look best on your table!

Step 3: Scallop the ends (optional). I decided to scallop the ends of my runner to match the scalloped edges on my paper placemats (from Jilly’s Boutique). I traced the edges of my placemat onto the edge of the runner for consistency, but you can just free hand them too on the backside.

Paper heart banner:

Here’s what you’ll need: Cardstock, a paper punch, thread, and a sewing machine.

Total completion time: 1-1.5 hours

Step 1: Choose your paper: I bought scrapbooking card-stock from Michaels for this project. I knew that Jessica had a tropical theme in mind for the decor so I purchased a variety pack of paper in lovely tropical prints.

Step 2: Punch your paper. I bought a heart-shaped paper punch, also from Michaels, for this project. Remember, this banner is double sided so you will need to punch double the hearts. Tip: if you want to make bigger hearts or another shape you can always make your own stencil and cut them out by hand.

Step 3: Place two hearts together to make one (awww). Remember, back sides facing each other so the printed sides are facing outwards.

Step 4: String them together. Use your sewing machine to sew the hearts together to create the banner. I fed my hearts through the sewing machine fairly close together, but you can also leave a bit of space in between them – it all depends on the look you’re going for. Tip #1: Be sure to leave enough thread on both ends so you have enough slack to hang them! Tip #2: Enlist a helper… if your helper happens to be a cat you should add an additional 30 minutes on to the completion time as they will love chasing their newly crafted toy around 😉

Step 5: You should have left approximately 6″ of thread at each end of the banner after sewing the hearts together. Tape up the ends to your wall or ceiling using masking tape or painters tape.

Voila! An inexpensive accessory to add a little love to your party decor. These can easily be reused for a bridal shower, baby shower, or birthday party!

These two DIY ideas are inexpensive and fun to make! This is a great way to add themed party decor to your next event without having to spend way too much money on ready-made items from the store.

Have fun crafting, we sure did!

Until our next post,
Jessica and Elysia ❤