What are some creative, simple, and inexpensive decorating ideas?

Question

I am hosting a pre-Thanksgiving party for about 50-100 people. They are all Graduate students, Faculty and their families. I am looking for some great decorating ideas, that are creative, simple and inexpensive. What are some ideas? Table decorations are needed as well as general decorations. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Go pick some fall plants - some sumac, dry grass, branches with red leaves on them, whatever strikes your fancy.

Plunk them into hollowed little pumpkins or gourds for centrepieces. You can dress them up by tying a ribbon around the plants to hold them together. You can do the same with mini-pumpkins for votive or other candles - cut a hole and plunk the candle inside the pumpkin. I personally think, though, that buying a couple of nice tapers and setting them on cheap candle stands looks classier.

You should try your local dollar store. Mine sells glass vases, decent looking plastic and fabric foliage, and jacquard-style table runners. They also sell tapers for 2-4 for a dollar, and candleholders starting at 40 cents each.

Answer 2

You don't say how much time or money you have to spend on doing these "simple" things before your party, nor what you might already have on-hand to work with, so some of these ideas might not work for you.

If you're not too handy or crafty stick w/ really simple things like buying solid, autumn colored runners & napkins in 2 or 3 different colors (burnt orange, lime green & chocolate brown for instance) & using them as table linens. Then go to Big Lots or a dollar store & pick up some plain glass hurricanes along with some Fall dried floral stems & a few colorful Fall blooms. Bundle the stems with a rubber band, then place inside the hurricane for a centerpiece. (Alternatively, if you have your own garden, or a friend who gardens, they may be able to supply you with some attractive Fall branches & flowers to use. If you do use live flowers, do be sure they are de-bugged first, then you'll have to either use floral oasis soaked in water & cut to size to place inside the base of the hurricanes & place the hurricanes on a plate or saucer, or a small vase that will fit inside the base of the hurricane, so the live flowers will have a source of water. It would be best, also, if the live flowers were arranged a day, or at least 8 hours before the event, so they would have time to relax to their final state instead of drooping later into some food.)

If you don't want to buy new candles, but have some that are white or Fall colored, buy some construction paper in colors to match your linens. Cut the construction paper in strips that will allow the candle to burn down a couple inches before reaching the paper (on an 8" taper the strip would be 5" wide) & as long as the circumference of the candle + 1/2 inch. Draw, stamp or stencil on the paper a design of your choosing that fits the occasion, using gold, copper, brown or some such color of ink or paint. Once the design has dried, put a bit of double-sided tape on the 1/2 inch overlap & wrap the decorated "wrapper" around the candle. For added security, push a straight pin into the 1/2 inch overlap seam. If this is too much to do, then just buy some pins with decorative heads & stick them into your candles to dress them up for the holiday. Try to use colors to match your linens or in keeping with the Fall theme.

To put Fall colors in the rest of your decor, add some throw pillows, shawls or fabric throws in the same colors as your linens to chairs, sofas & loveseats; or, purchase some inexpensive furniture slipcovers at a discount store.

Of course, hang a festive wreath on your door & possibly add a holiday doormat to welcome your guests. You could repeat the same wreaths in smaller sizes around the room(s) you'll be entertaining in.

If its an evening party, you could also put out paper bag luminaries along your front walk leading to your door. Just put enough sand in the bottom of a lunchbag sized paper bag so its about 1/2" deep, then set a tealight candle snugly into the sand. If your guests are to arrive before it gets too dark, this idea is one you might delay until they are leaving, then have someone go outside when the first guest starts to take their leave & light the candles. If you have the time, you could also decorate the bags to match your interior decor - but that's up to you.

Do all, or just a few of these things & your party will have the festive holiday look you are looking for.

Above all else, though, have FUN !!

Answer 3

At first it sounded intimidating; putting on a party for 50-100 people on a budget. But after I started researching it, it sounds like fun! In fact, if you organized a committee and delegated some of the fun, you might be amazed by how your labor and financial resources will multiply.

Some ideas and pictures are at the referenced web sites.

Good luck, and most importantly have a good time.

Answer 4

Fall leaves, cornucopias with small pumpkins or gourds, lots of spice type candles, apples and nuts in wooden bowls, apples used for candle holders, apples, nuts and leaves in crystal bowls, corn husk dolls, Indian corn, mums in pottery vases, burlap for table runners, pottery in fall colors for serving bowls, small bowls of candy corn to eat or caramel apples or apples with caramel dip, peanuts in the shell or bowls of mixed nuts with nut crackers.