Inexpensive Balloon or Decoration Party Weights

Make your own table decoration weights. Image courtesy of http://www.awesomeevent.com/blog/category/cheap-balloon-weight-centerpieces/

Make your own table decoration weights. Image courtesy of http://www.awesomeevent.com/blog/category/cheap-balloon-weight-centerpieces/

With every party, aesthetics is important.Yet, paramount to most party planning – is cost. Each table should be decorated with a theme of colors and/or genre.Whether it is a Hawaiian Luau or a graduation party – an overall theme should exist.

Part of each table decoration often includes balloons or other lightweight decorations that need some kind of weight to keep them in place. Sure, you can purchase those balloon weights at your dollar store. But as the table count goes up, so does the cost.

Being the frugal gal, I thought of several ways to hold down the graduation caps for an upcoming graduation party. With 10+ tables to dress, I needed to consider what would travel easy and look good – even if the caps were lifted by curious guests.

Light Bulb Moment

For previous parties I’ve made my own weights using Plaster of Paris in a variety of containers: decorative Chinese food boxes, decorator cups, mini flower pots, etc. For this event, having to deal with the mess of preparing the mix along with the added drying time, just didn’t appeal to me.

This is when it struck – why not fill balloons with play sand or better yet – the more inexpensive counterpart – salt? It worked like a charm. It cost only $1.50 per 11 weights and it took less than an hour of working the salt into the balloons.

Since these were not going to be seen in generally, it was the easiest and most inexpensive solution.

Three items are needed to make balloon or table decoration weights. The cost for 11 weights: $1.50. Image courtesy of Debbie Morrow, all rights reserved.

Three items are needed to make balloon or table decoration weights. The cost for 11 weights: $1.50. Image courtesy of Debbie Morrow, all rights reserved.

Here’s what you’ll need: Continue reading

Last Minute, Quick New Year’s Eve Party Ideas

A quick last minute appetizer. Image courtesy of Weezerthewonderful at FlickrCC.

A quick last minute appetizer. Image courtesy of Weezerthewonderful at FlickrCC.

Not all of us are great planners. So  for those of us who decided to throw a last minute impromptu party, here are a few suggestions:

Keep It Simple Appetizers

  • Cheese/Crackers/Pepperoni Trays
  • Fruit trays – Grapes, Orange Slices, Melons, Kiwi, Strawberries
  • Cheese Ball and Crackers, Bagel Chips or Baguette Slices
  • Veggie Trays – Celery, Baby Carrots, Pepper and Cucumber Slices, and Broccoli or Cauliflower Crowns
  • Rye Bread Bowl – Dig out “bowl” in rye round bread. Break apart bread pieces and scatter around the bowl. Mix 16 oz. sour cream, 1-2 tsp. powdered beef bouillon and 1-2 Tbsp. dill weed for dip center.

Easy Oven Appetizers:

  • Bruschetta
  • Easy Potato Skins
  • Oven BBQ Chicken Wings – In a large foil turkey pan, place 5 pounds of frozen wings to 3 bottles of your favorite sauce and bake between an hour and an hour and a half covered in foil. Remove foil last 10-15 min. for crispier wings.

It doesn’t hurt to ask people to bring their own bottle, dish, dessert, or appetizer to pass.

For quick decorating tips, check out Easy Decorating Ideas for New Year’s Eve by Jan Peterson.

One more thing: Have the Happiest New Year Ever!

Twas the Night After Halloween…

Twas the night after Halloween and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…Because we were all so tired from celebrating! Here was the yard this year and a highlight of costumes at the Halloween Bash.

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Below are a few memorable costumes from our annual Morrow Halloween Bash. I’m sorry for so few. My photographer aka my husband was having such a great time he forgot his job for the night.

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Halloween Invitations to Die For

My Halloween Invite for 2013.

My Halloween Invite for 2013. Contact and location information was removed for privacy. TO VIEW IMAGE WITHOUT DISTORTION, PLEASE READ ON LAPTOP, PAD, OR DESKTOP.

Here is my latest Halloween invite for 2013. I absolutely love fortune teller themed everything, so here’s my tutorial:

Find a high definition(HD) image of a Ouija board – like this one or this one from ZombiePumpkins.com forum. Even a newbie can use Photoshop Elements/Paint/Word for this job. Don’t have Photoshop Elements? You can download a 30-day trial. Although you can do it entirely in Photoshop(or really in Paint), I’ll be speaking to those who aren’t Photoshop savvy and we’ll be using both.

Steps for Invites Continue reading

Halloween Planners…Start Your Engines!

The clock is ticking quickly toward Halloween. Make it quick Cinderella image courtesy of flickr.com.12215612@N06/2877261320.

The clock is ticking quickly toward Halloween. Make it quick Cinderella image courtesy of flickr.com.12215612@N06/2877261320.

From the date of this post, there are only 68 days until Halloween. That may seem like a lot of time. But for prop makers, crafters and party hosts, the timeline is even shorter.

Party hosts usually place their event the weekend before and crafters and yard haunters like to show off their efforts a least a month prior to the big day. Anything shorter would seem pale in comparison for all the effort put into their late-night prop making.

The flurry of activities between networking with other crafters can be exhilarating. From blogs, Pinterest, websites and forums, ideas begin to take form. Continue reading

An Ice Cream Social of a Different Kind

Image Anyone want Ice Cream courtesy of Flickr20826826@N00/115681904

Image: Anyone Want Ice Cream courtesy of Flickr20826826@N00/115681904

Looking for another reason to throw a summer party but don’t like to barbecue? Try an ice cream social of a different kind.

Ice cream socials have been the staple of community get-togethers since the invention of ice cream. They usually have a few flavors and toppings to please most people. To make your social a one-of-a kind memorable event, follow these suggestions: Continue reading

Unique Ice Cube Trays Inspire an Idea

Unique ice cube trays can easily be used with plaster. Image 02032012 courtesy of FlickrCC6895432155_92eacc0a63.

Unique ice cube trays can easily be used with plaster. Image 02032012 courtesy of FlickrCC6895432155_92eacc0a63.

As the frigid temperature hovers around my neighborhood, the last thing I want to think about is something cold. But theeverybesttop10.com has struck again with an interesting post: The World’s Top 10 Best Nerd Inspired ice cube moulds.

Not only do I wish to make those ice cubes (I guess I’m a nerd), I’d use the ice trays to make plaster shapes to paint. For pennies, one could have a cool collection of Star Wars miniatures and more!

Planning Your Fall Event

A Fall Favor Idea

Small pumpkin favors can work for weddings, kids parties, and other fall events. Photo courtesy of Debbie Morrow

Having a youngster means going to a plethora of birthday parties and getting those conventional favors most parents give out. You know the ones I’m talking about…the plastic kazoos, rings, bouncy balls, etc.

But there are only so many of those little trinkets a parent can take scattered in one household. So when my own child’s birthday party came around I wanted something different.

I thought, what would make me happy as a kid and a parent?

I bought these small pumpkins three for a dollar from a local farmer. I purchased the favor bags, ribbon, stickers, and markers at the dollar store.

Now not only did I have a favor that was appreciated by kids and parents alike, I had an activity of decorating pumpkins at the party.

I could see this working for other fall events or giveaways from businesses. Instead of stickers or markers within the bag, you could add business cards, a love poem with a bride and groom’s name for fall weddings, and more.