Graduation Party Inspiration

Custom Inspiration Board - by Celebrations at Home

Susan's daughter is about to graduate high school and will be heading to LSU in the Fall. She wants a graduation party using purple & green, with spots of yellow, to reflect the college colors. She also needed direction for food with a Louisiana flair.

Create an outdoor party atmosphere with balloons & hanging lanterns from trees, garden hooks, and at the entrance. Cover the tables with purple and/or green linens, and top with the alternate colored runner. For centerpieces, stack a few school books(from thrift stores) and then add extras like graduation cap, rolled paper (diploma), framed picture of the guest of honor at different ages, and flowers in julep cups. Make each table a little different. You could also use books you already have and cover them with colored paper in your color scheme.

Bring the yellow in with flowers in silver-tone julep cups. Put them on the dining tables, food buffet tables, and any other areas you need color. Also add a penant to some floral arrangements by simply cutting triangles from felt fabric and hot glue to dowels...all readily available from the craft store.

Roll napkins to look like diplomas and tie with yellow ribbon or a tassle from the fabric store.

Hang a custom graduation banner from Etsy. The one shown is made with old high school pictures from the 60's.

For the dessert table, make a statement with flowers from the South, such as purple hydrangeas, wisteria, or verbena. Use a combination of purple, green, and yellow candies, and provide clear bags to fill, with custom stickers.

Food is Southern with a Louisiana twist. Jambalaya, fried chicken, shrimp po boys, sweet potato fries served in paper cones, and Louisiana-style potato salad.

Label each food item using these fleur de lis holders. You can even spray paint them yellow for added color.

Serve lemonade and sweet tea.

Set up an area where friends and family can write well-wishes, words of advice, or other sentiments for the guest of honor. They can be rolled into "diplomas", tied with ribbon, and dropped into a basket to be read later.

I love the idea of the large chalk board on wheels for photo opportunities!

Sources:

Plaid Table, yellow flowers, back yard with hanging lanterns, books centerpiece, cap & diploma centerpiece, LSU flag, napkins rolled like diplomas (from Celebrate Spring magazine), lemonade, flowers with penants (unknown source);

Purple & yellow candy buffet, hanging flowers, purple & green candies, lanterns on hooks, banner, chalkboard, fleur de lis holders, julep cup centerpieces,

Food:

graduations cap candies, fleur de lis cake balls, potato salad, jambalaya, sweet potato fries, LSU cupcakes, shrimp po boys.