Party Trends

I love the philosophy of famous event planner Colin Cowie whose motto is:
Be inspired. Have fun. Enjoy the journey. Instead of being overwhelmed
by the details of the perfectly styled party, I prefer playing up a single
element that lets me be creative without making me crazy. Here are a few
of the party trends I love right now.

Trend #1: Milk Bottles & Jars

Studio 5 host Brooke Walker says everything looks better in a mason jar.
And she is right! Serving strawberry milk in a mini milk bottle will garner
all kinds of compliments from your guests. The mini milk bottles are
available at Zurchers for about $3.50 a bottle.

With a little acrylic paint and some imagination, you can turn baby food
jars, glass soda bottles, pickle jars, mason jars or any glass container into a
sweet little centerpiece or take-home favor.

· Create your own milk glass by squirting acrylic paint into your jar. Roll
around until the inside of the jar is covered in paint. Dry jar upside down
overnight to let the excess paint drip out and then dry right side up for
another 24 hours.

· Add initials or an expression to your jar by applying raised Thicker
stickers (by American Crafts). Spray the jar with primer, followed by two
coats of spray paint. Let dry and peel off stickers.

· Glass jars make great favors. Simply remove the labeling with a little
Goo Gone and add an expression with a rub on transfer. Fill with your
favorite candy.

· Personalize jars by printing guests’ names in a fabulous font. Tape the
piece of paper with the name to the inside of the jar and trace the letters
using an oil-based paint pen. Remove the paper from inside the jar.

Trend #2: Stripey Straws

Orson Gygi has a great selection of colorful striped straws and while they
can stand on their own, they make great cake toppers. Tie a ribbon to the
top, add a “Happy Birthday” flag or even create tissue paper flames for the
look of a candle.

Trend #3: Cute Cutlery

Stripes, chevron, polka-dots … cute cutlery adds fun flair to your table.
The wooden spoons that were only available on Etsy are now at Zurchers.
Yay!

Trend #4: Balloons

· Bits of ribbon, lace, trim, tinsel and crepe paper make stunning
streamers.

· Love the look of balloons tied to mason jars.

· Hanging balloons upside down creates a whole new look.

Trend #5: Dot Garlands

Paper punched circles make for simple, sweet garlands, but the most
ingenious idea I’ve seen comes from Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day.
Check out her tutorial for these cute crepe paper garlands. The folded
sheets of crepe paper are available at Zurchers.