In the Good Old Summertime: Paper Crafted Summer Parties
15 July 2009
Author: Elizabeth Barboza
Ah, in the good old summertime. Days are longer, a feeling of relaxation permeates the air and people gravitate outside to bask in the sunshine and warm temperatures. For these reasons, there is no better time to have a party. The summer months are a perfect opportunity to relax and celebrate with family and friends. But how do you throw fabulous summer parties without spoiling the great characteristics of summer? How do you keep yourself from being locked inside and stressed beyond measure with mounds of party preparations? You take to your paper crafting supplies, that’s how! Your stash of paper, ribbon, die cuts and stickers can go a long way to make party planning a breeze. Read on to discover two party prep suggestions that can help you achieve a fun and memorable get together.
First, use the type of party you are hosting to determine the theme of your projects. When you think of a summertime lobster fest, pictures of red checkered tablecloths, plastic bibs, yellow corn, steaming pots and bright silver crackers all come to mind. Each of these images can translate into a party project. Craft the invitation to mimic a lobster claw, complete with a hinged opening as in the example above. Tie plastic bibs together with ribbon and hang up as a quick and easy garland. Back printed menus with red checkered patterned paper and tie to small silver buckets filled with moistened wipes and crackers. And for a simple parting gift, decorate containers of hand wipes with patterned paper, stickers and die cut shapes. Guests will love having this reminder of the fun times and good food you shared.
Second, decide on a few elements and colors to carry throughout your projects and décor. A repeating element can be a sticker, a stamped shape, patterned paper or even a style choice such as polka dots. Choosing a few main colors to work with will also make sure your party projects coordinate and relate to one another. By narrowing your element and color choices, you automatically curb prep time by eliminating distracting options. Returning to the lobster fest example, you may decide to carry stamped tickets throughout your party pieces. Slip two tickets into the invitation, use another set on the menu and even more on the party favor tag. And just as the ticket image finds itself as a part of the décor, red, orange and yellow should also be found on each party item. Both the tickets and colors will ensure that your paper crafting projects all work together to emphasize your party theme.
By determining a theme and focusing on a few colors and elements to carry through all coordinating projects, you can handcraft your own summer parties with ease.