Friday, March 30, 2012

Purchases - party supplies

Paper + watercolor + envelopes for invitations

purchases - invites

Gold fringe (self explanatory) + paper lanterns + crepe paper (already had hot glue) + cocktail napkins

party supplies!

Baby jungle cats (8)

baby jungle cats

Bridal festivities are definitely a chance to go all out, but I like to focus on a few key details and let it be. The best part about small parties is that you can spend time on small things. Hand painting + adding backing + adding dots + lining envelopes? I would not have been able to do this (or enjoy it) for our 100+ wedding invitations. For 15 invitations, it's a pleasure.

Likewise, making 5 lanterns was do-able, but if you're considering this on a larger scale, plan ahead accordingly and enlist help. I have the tutorial ready, so that will be up soon, promise.

I relied heavily on the gold fringe to set the mood, which really made it a good bargain and I think that could easily be used for a wedding decoration. The most important thing we found was getting the edges trimmed exactly. If they are wonky, the whole thing starts to look cheap quickly.

Everything else I used at the shower was something I already owned. I had the glass globes (to be fair, they were an incredibly impulsive holiday purchase and this is the first time I've used them). I was planning on using a cream colored tablecloth for the welcome table and at the last minute realized I'd ripped it terribly awhile ago. I dug through my fabric stash and found a piece of pink and cream striped fabric and then just tucked it so that the selvedge was the only edge that showed. It ended up looking better than my original idea. Oh, and that was my dresser pretending to be a table under it.

The weirdest decorations were the random cat pictures that we framed and scattered all over the house. It was subtle enough that some people thought we were just oddly obsessed with cats (um, we are not), but it was funny as everyone slowly figured it out. And so I guess I have to add our last party purchase ....

cat fancy
{cat fancy - totally worth it}

13 comments:

  1. May I ask what type of watercolor paper you used? When I try to use it in a similar way, it tends to buckle. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll try to get a little post up with the details. I used watercolor post cards, which were nice and thick but I'll need to check the weight on the package. After they had dried I pressed them under heavy books for a couple days to make sure they were as flat as possible.

      Delete
  2. i am still not allowed to put pictures of cats up in our house. "we will not be Those People," joe says.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Framed photos of cats. That is hilarious.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is amazing! Can we see pics of the shower? I love the cat idea! Sarina @ lowtidehightide.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks like a great party - love all the little details like the random cats and gold fringing, oh and the drink too, will definitely give that a try.
    Lotts x

    ReplyDelete
  6. I second the question about the watercolor paper. Also, what type of printer did you use/how do you feed the paper through a printer (or was the text stamped)? I imagine the watercolor paper is quite thick. And finally, my friends and I decorated the walls of an apartment with pages from a puppy (or i think it was puppy + kitty friends) calendar for a surprise party. Glad to know we aren't the only ones who do this haha.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll try to do a quick post on the invites - they were a lot of fun to make! I used watercolor paper post cards, and I'll check the weight on those so I can give you more details.

      Delete
  7. Love everything you did! Did you hang the fringe on a dowel? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nope - we just attached it directly to the wall. Very easy!

      Delete
  8. oh how i love to plan and organize parties! Your ideas are incredibly grandiose!


    It would be absolutely great, if you could take a second, for watching my blog - and maybe follow me! Thanks!xo
    louiselittlesecrets.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Selection of party supplies ranging from decorations for classic party themes, I really like this

    ReplyDelete

Trying captchas this time - better or worse than having to log in to comment? Let me know! Sorry for all the hoops but the spam has been terrible lately!