Graduation centerpiece ideas?

[elgerber]

Hi,

My ds is graduating this year, and his open house will be in July. I need to get some cute, but very budget, centerpiece ideas for the tables. I am not very crafty, so any ideas would be great. I went to a party last year, and loved hers, but unfortunately I forgot what they looked like. I remember they were in an ice cream sundae glass, and maybe some curly ribbon and marbles?
All help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!

 

[NYEmomma]

TBH, the most budget-friendly centerpieces I've done have been flowers. You can get small, cheap bud vases from the dollar store or a craft supplier and I LOVE those bright, flourescent-colored daisies that it seems like every grocery store has. 3 or 4 will fit into each little vase & a bouquet of a dozen are only like $4 around here.

EDIT: Crap, didn't notice you said DS... he probably wouldn't be that keen on flowers, huh? Lol

 

[kimkoz]

I personally like photos and personalized items. Gives me something to look at and remember when.

Maybe have different themed tables - If your son is involved in sports maybe place a football next to his framed pic.. Or maybe you have a nice pic from vacation.. Place the pic down with shells around it... Any school spirit items like a mini megaphone with some balloons coming out. Or you can just use pictures at each table. Cheap frames at $ store. Put them up using small bozes and colored linen napkins so they stand out more.. maybe get candy that is the color of his school. You could do a college theme table with something with the new colors.
I like something different for each table, sometimes makes it fun and gets people moving around and checking them all out.

 

[kimkoz]

or if you can bake - maybe make some cute cookies themed out of HS letters or college mascot.. Assortment of desserts. Its always nice having something to nibble on.

 

[Promomx2]

How about his school photos throughout the years. Our local grocery store did my dd's cake and I put her kindergarden pix next to her graduation pix.

 

[brymolmom]

I personally don't think they are necessary if you're looking for VERY budget - I would forego them entirely.

But if you are truly into them - how about balloons? If you get a dozen or so 'graduation' helium balloons you can likely get them at the Dollar store for a buck each. To 'secure' them to the center of the table - you can either do make your own weights (with bright wrapping paper wrapped around something heavy - rocks from your garden perhaps) OR if you want to spend a bit more - how about getting a bunch of wooden or plastic 1's (from a craft store perhaps) or you could even use a candle '11' if you want - and just tie the balloon onto that and put it in the center of the table.

 

[Lucille1963]

What about small stacks of schoolbooks and copies of old school pictures?

 

[dakcp2001]

Get one of those little helium tanks and a bag of balloons. That way you can fill em up at the party site and don't have to worry about stuffing the balloons in your car. Buy a bag of m&ms or jelly beans and some mylar shiny paper stuff. Make little pouches of the candy to weight down the balloon bunches on each table. Pretty and easy.

Or go to the dollar store or Christmans Tree shops get a pretty glass or vase and put a flameless candle in the center of each table. Then sprinkle graduation confetti around it.

 

[semo233]

Take a look at what you already have.....glass bowls, glass vases, glass trifle dishes, etc. and fill them with school colors out of M&M's, super balls, hard candies, marbles, etc. You could even tie school color ballons to them. Visit your local dollar store and see what you can get.

 

[beansmom]

What about small stacks of schoolbooks and copies of old school pictures?

my thoughts, too...it would be very cute.

 

[ENSOCK]

I am already planning for next year.
Our school mascot is a gator. I am going to get some small floating gators, that I plan on floating in glass bowls. Spreading small candies around the out side. If not then I will make a bunch of mini cupcakes, place into the shape of a gator and place in the center. that way they can be eaten and no clean up for me!

 

[disneychic2]

One year I did the small dishes of flowers that I picked from around my house. One year I did those picture holders that are like paper clips on the ends that held three photos each. I like the school color m&m idea too. Good luck!

 

[looo33]

We're doing bowls of M&M's......one bowl with Red and Black to represent high school and one with Green and yellow to represent her college's colors. hen we're going to sprinkle some graduation themed confetti on the tables.

 

[elgerber]

Thanks for all the ideas so far!!!!!!!!

 

[csharpwv]

Here is a GREAT idea and it's REALLY cheap!

Instead of using a plastic table cover - use paper, and put small juice glasses of crayons on the tables - and to get everyone started, write Congratulations, or his name, or Class of 2011, and other similar things - plus you could print photos of your son through the years, and use a glue stick to glue them to the tables. You could also use curling ribbon on the tables, and graduation themed confetti along with the white paper table covers and crayons to allow people to leave messages, white stories, draw pictures - etc etc

You could really theme it to the school colors - and the paper should be really inexpensive!

You could have less than $6.00 invested in each table!

It could REALLY look festive if done right!

 

[disneymomto5]

This is what I did for my two sons and got alot of positive response. I took a flower pot, spray painted it white and stuck a picture of each school year on a popsicle stick. I think put sand in the pot and arranged the pictures in it. It was really cute.

 

[Weluvdisny]

Great ideas! My son is graduating this year also and I'm going to do the candy buffet but I'm stuck on what to do for the centerpieces.

I really like the idea of the picture in a flower pot or just pictures in a frame.

Keep 'em coming!!

 

[bigfish2215]

A few months ago DD turned 16. Her centerpieces were cheep!! Went to the dollar store and got balloon weights. They have a cement base and wire that you can bend with some spikey shiney stuff. I took pictures and paper clipped them to the wire. You can bend it anyway you want and put the picture high or low. If I can figure out how to post a picture of what they looked like I will.
Congrats to your Son!!