Graduation Centerpiece ideas needed!

[abitjaded]

All you clever folks, I need help. I am in charge of buying and decorating for four graduations for a year round school. Two kindergarten class groups, from 24-75 kids (probably 350 total attendees). And the fifth grade, 30-90 kids per group, plus an average of two adults per kid (at least 400). I have about eight buffet tables to decorate. The dates extend over three weeks so all the stuff has to "keep". The school colors are silver and dark blue, mascot is an Eagle. Got some good deals at Party City on table cloths in silver and blue and some star shaped blue confetti. But the graduation centerpiece stuff is way pricey. Five bucks for a garland, a couple bucks for cheesy graduation cut-outs.

Last year I managed to get a bunch of plastic glittered silver top hats for $1.25 each, turned them upside down and put silver and blue mylar sheets in them and plopped in garden plants like blue petunias from K-Mart. Stuck in a few metallic picks of blue and silver. Cheap. The teachers wanted the same this year but the cheapest I can find the hats this year is five bucks a piece. Ouch. This is a public school with a limited budget.

Anyone have any great ideas for fast, simple, cheap decorations?

And somehow this ended up in the wrong place, sorry meant to put it in arts and crafts.

Carla

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Hi Carla,

I have 4 years before I have to do this for my oldest stepson..but than we have 3 graduating every year after that.. so I would like to re use some items.. I agree garland is pretty expensive.. I had a friend that pulled her school colors (red & black) out of her Christmas garland.. She had red garland and used her computer and printed out the graduation year in black and attached them after she cut them out onto the garland w/ fishing line..

I also found this link of graduation cap laterns... maybe for the centerpieces you could use this..
http://www.orientaltrading.com/otcw...tchallpartial&Ne=3&Ntt=graduation&N=7&Ntk=all

I was thinking maybe you could make a template of them and use card stock to make them... and than put the flowers and metallic picks in there. Just an idea...
If you would use this idea you could always toss glitter and confetti around the centerpieces to add a little more depth to them on the table.

Hope it helped a little... Which this is inspiration to me..to get my ideas together for the next 4 years...
Good luck!!!

 

[ksjayhawks]

I was at our Hobby Lobby today and with the 4th of July stuff they had white plastic hats--straw hat look. They were only 99 cents. Maybe you could use them and spiff them up. They were on the small islands up front.