ADD COLOR! A colorful backdrop will draw people to your table and have them smiling! This gorgeous dessert table from realsimple.com was given extra flare by using tissue fans of varying sizes and colors. Check out these from Craftmusou on Etsy - five 10" pieces for $8. This beautiful ombre paper chain was made by floridianweddings, an inexpensive DIY project and super easy! Cut strips of colored paper of the same size, take the first one and roll it so the two ends meet, attach with tape, staple or glue. Then take the next, wrap it through the first, attach the ends so it makes an enclosed circle, repeat until you reach the length you want!
ADD HEIGHT! Instead of placing all of your platters on one level, try adding height to make your table more interesting. Place a few dishes on pedestal cake stands, like this one on Amazon. To add a third level, you could use overturned crates or decorative boxes and place platters on top of them. I found this set of three wood crates on Amazon for $32. For an inexpensive DIY project, wrap a sturdy box in gift wrapping or scrapbook paper, bonus if it matches your theme!
ADD CUTE NAMES! When you're throwing a themed party there will always be creative names you can attach to your food, you may have to do some serious brainstorming though! Your guests will have so much fun reading them and it really adds a unique touch to a theme that may have been done many times before. The Pirates Gold is a stack of cheddar cheese cubes and Ariel's Dinglehoppers, from Catch my Party, are dessert squares stuck on tiny forks, so cute!
ADD A TABLE RUNNER! You can add to your theme by creating a unique table runner. The faux grass runner is from Project Nursery. I did something similar for Brooklyn's Alice in Wonderland party. I bought 5 grass mats that connect to each other, the great thing about these is you can break them up and use them as place mats. I found them at Heart to Heart - $7.50 for one 10x10 square. The train tracks idea is so easy and takes very little time. On a plain colored table cloth, add electrical tape down the length and then across to create tracks!
ADD TABLE SKIRTING! When you spend so much time and energy making your tabletop perfect, you don't want to leave the bottom bare! For a summer party, especially a luau theme, a grass skirt is a nice touch. This one from Amazon is $16. For a fancy party, a tulle skirt is perfect! They are rather expensive to buy so if you can sew (unlike me!) you could make one yourself, just buy colored tulle. I love this one from BaileyHadaParty on Etsy $67.
I hope these gave you some inspiration for your next party! Happy Planning!
I hope these gave you some inspiration for your next party! Happy Planning!