Focus Your Decorating Efforts (and then Be Done!)

Most of us don’t have time to decorate every square inch of our homes or backyards for a party. Luckily, you can still create a big impact by focusing your design and styling efforts on just one space. Having just one area to focus all your party decor ideas on helps with lowering the party-planning overwhelm so you can actually enjoy the celebration.

My favorite place to focus your decorating energy is on a tablescape. Just one well-designed table can make a huge difference to your event decor!

There are three key elements to designing a tablescape:

Items to display on the table. Include food vessel elements such as cake stands, jars, bowls and serving plates, items that create height and lift items off the table (such as different-sized crates, trays, wooden blocks, clear blocks, etc.), and of course, food like desserts and appetizers.
A table backdrop to help convey the party color palette and theme
Decor elements like tablecloths, runners, decorations, props and flowers

*For this post I am going to focus on one element in creating a focal point to your party: a backdrop idea to your main party table or dessert table.

You probably already planned to have food, serving plates and tablecloths. But what about your table backdrop? This is one element of party decor that makes a huge difference! Here’s how you can make an easy DIY table backdrop for the focal point of your party.

Materials:

Two 4-packs of party fans (for a total of 8 fans)
A variety of banners and garlands:
A letter garland banner (you can create your own word or phase), we used this gold glitter letter garland kit
3 additional banners or garlands. You could pair a pendant garland with a couple of themed shape banners that matches your party decor, like the gold fabric pendant garland I used and the cactus banners I used in the image below. Get creative — the possibilities are endless! If you’re stuck for ideas, visit our shop for fun options.
Gaffer tape (found on Amazon) and scotch tape

Instructions:

1. First off, you need to choose a place for your main party table. To find your party space’s focal point, stand at the main entrance and look into the space. Where does your eye go to first? If the decorated tablescape can go near that focal point, it will inspire your guests from the moment they walk in!

You should also try to choose a spot with a wall behind it so that styling your backdrop is easy peasy. A fence works, too, if your party is outdoors — just look for something you can use tape on to hold up your backdrop.

To learn more about setting up your party space, download my week-by-week party plan and checklist by signing up for my newsletters below.

2. To start, create the word phase with the letter garland banner. As an example, we’ll use the phrase, “Wild and Free” (from our Cactus Birthday Bundle). Using a letter banner announces your party theme, let’s guests know exactly what the party is all about and leaves no room for theme confusion, even if you’re throwing a unique party theme. Even more reason to use a letter banner!

3. Now it’s time to start hanging things! Gather up your four banners/garlands (one letter banner and three other garlands) and 8 party fans in two colors. First, find the center of the wall where your table will be centered and tape the fans halfway up the wall in a horizontal position using the Gaffer tape making loops of tape so the tape sticks to both the fans and the wall. You can also use the string provided on the fans by weaving scotch tape through the string loop so it holds on one side of the string. I’ve tried both ways and found the Gaffer tape holds much better. Mix up the sizes of the fans for balance, like I did in the main image above.

4. Next, grab the letter banner you created and hang it in the middle of the fans like I did in the main image above. The ends of the letter banner can extend across all the fans. Tape each end of the banner string to the wall with scotch tape or Gaffer tape for extra hold if needed.

5. Next, grab the smaller of the banners you selected and hang it to one side of the fans.

6. Hang your third banner below the smallest banner.

7. Last, hang your forth banner below. See image below.

Adding multiple banners and garlands to one of the sides creates an anchor to your main backdrop of fans and your letter banner, creating not only a bold design impact but continues to convey and inspire the party theme.

Done and done: your easy peasy fun backdrop is complete! Just add food, decor and party props to complete your tablescape and create a beautiful focal point for your party.

Take the stress out of party planning!

Celebrations should be a time of joy and happiness, not stress and overwhelm! When we choose to plan with focus and intention to what our schedules will allow we open the space for stress free party planning. Narrowing down what you can do with the time you have can make a big and impressive impact since all your effort is precisely focused on decorating one area and not scattered on styling multiple sections that won't get done. Focusing on one decorated party area will help you make your event both stylish and stress-free so you can get back to enjoying the planning process and party.

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Happy celebrating!