Every end is a new beginning, so there’s no better way to signify graduation than throwing a party for the latest graduate in the family! They only graduate from school at least once, so it’s such a significant milestone that you and your family must celebrate. Throughout the years that they’ve been in school, they’ve become steadfast and hardworking, so they deserve to signify a great end to their school life. Now, it’s time to celebrate one of their significant life accomplishments. Before they go on and continue with the next stage of their lives, throw them a party first! Gather all their classmates and school friends, and get crazy with your graduation party theme.
If you want to throw a fantastic graduation party for your newly graduated loved one, here are some cool ideas you can consider:
Ideas for Decorations
1. Rose gold backdrop
You can’t have a fantastic party without a bright and incredible backdrop! If your celebrant’s dearest friends are more into pretty colors, you can host a graduation party with a rose gold backdrop, which is the most appealing color. You can even buy a rose gold backdrop set that is already complete with some foil balloons for that sparkly and trendy background for their photos!
2. Graduation party tablecloth
Even table covers can make a massive difference for your party as they can help set the mood for your party. You can make your grad party look festive with a colorful graduation party table cover. As they come in different colors, you can show some school spirit by choosing one that’s the same as their school or university!
3. Wood pallet wall backdrop
If you’re planning an outdoor party in your backyard or garden, it’s your best option to add natural elements to your party decorations. You can reuse a wood pallet and decorate it with balloons. If you get some oversized pallets, you can even make them stand like a wall. Just make sure that when adding some balloons at the topmost part, you will not be blocked by the heads of your guests so that it would look great for pictures!
4. Outdoor graduation banners
If you’re decorating for the party, you can start with the outdoors of your home! Even from the outside, you can welcome them with an awesome congratulatory hanging banner. You can attach this banner to both sides of your front door or hang it from your porch ceiling. Either way, having a banner adds a classy and festive look to your house party.
5. Photo highlights
If your celebrant’s group of friends likes posting cute pics on Instagram, you can make them squeal with delight if they see some cool yet personal decorations. If you have a photo highlight display in the background, it can add a personal touch to your party. You can search and collate for fun pictures with your loved one from Facebook or their phone’s gallery and print them out. You can start with photos from freshman year until the last days before their graduation so you can bring out the best nostalgia effect. You can set the images up on a twine string with wooden clothespins. What’s incredible about this is that it can serve as a wall banner. Even after the party, you can give this to them as a souvenir!
6. Flowers in a mason jar
If you want to add cute touches to your party, you can get some mason jars and fill them with simple flowers. You can get your flowers from your backyard or the supermarket if you have the money. Flowers can look effortless, but they can elevate your table set-up’s look!
7. Tassel garland
Without some touches of the graduation theme, your party can look like a celebratory one without any goal. However, you know you’re celebrating their graduation, so you can add some tassels to be inclined with your theme. A tassel garland may look basic, but it can also significantly impact any party venue. You can use this decor to decorate your fireplace mantel, buffet table, or buffet wall.
8. “Bright future” drink straws
Graduating means finishing school, so your celebrant’s already a step ahead for a brighter tomorrow. You can also incorporate this optimism in little details of your party, like the drink straws. Instead of having graduation caps, drink straws can be decorated with shades and light bulbs, which symbolize a bright future. This is such a fun way to decorate your beverage bar!
Ideas for Food and Drinks
1. Diploma-designed food
You can celebrate their success by preparing edible diplomas! These can be foods that are rolled and decorated with a tie to make them look like actual diplomas. Aside from simply serving food on rolls like a burrito, soft taco, or any lunch rolls, here are some cool ideas:
1. Choco hazelnut rolls – This is a chocolate-filled dessert from puff pastry sheets, chocolate spread, and sliced almonds. With some spread on one side of a pastry sheet, you can roll it like a diploma, bake it, and put a ribbon on it.
2. Grilled cheese rolls – This is a grilled cheese sandwich in a roll style by flattening white bread slices, then placing a piece of cheddar cheese on top. You can roll and cook in a skillet with butter and tie them up like a diploma.
3. Wafer rolls – This is a chocolate wafer stick where you can use gummy strips like a ribbon to tie it up.
2. Cookies and baked goods
You can set up a table with sweet and crunchy baked goods such as chocolate chips, peanut butter, snickerdoodles, and sugar cookies! The goodies take center stage when you serve them in white trays. You can use mini chalkboards to label every type of cookie. If you want to go extra, make special cookies to give away and wrap them in cookie bags.
3. Graduation peanut butter push up pops
Since they’re ending a milestone in their lives, you can have a throwback to their childhood by serving them some push pops. If you remember the famous push up pops from childhood, you can make your guests reminisce about this food. You can create an upscale spin with chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream, or other chocolate-flavored goodies. You can make the “graduation cap” tassel by adding a hefty button sprinkle in the middle of the goodies and using gummy spaghetti as a rope draped along one side.
4. Rustic drink station
After graduating, they must be old enough to enjoy drinks at a house party. If you’re hosting your party in your backyard or any outdoor venue, you can make it fun by setting up a rustic drink station. To make your party venue look rustic, you can have a few wooden crates and galvanized drink buckets and incredibly stack them. You can serve your water, soda, and beer bottles at this station!
5. Graduation candy buffet
All adults and kids have some liking towards candies, so you can encourage your guests to not stop loving them after graduation before their ‘adulting’ stage. You can serve candy as a crowd-pleaser or set up a candy buffet with a chalkboard lettering saying “A Sweet Ending to a New Beginning.” It’s a fun way to end graduation with puns that everyone will admire!
6. Donut wall
Donut walls can uniquely appeal to your party, especially when guests like sweets. Donut wall stands are relatively easy to set up, so you can display your donuts in a way that your guests can’t resist them! You can even have donuts in colors that match your theme.
Ideas for Keepsakes and Favors
1. Adventure book scrapbook
If you’re into scrapbooking, you can post many awesome group photos of your loved ones and their friends. When you make a scrapbook out of it, you can let them sign it at the party as if it’s a yearbook. Once graduation is over, the friend groups will part ways. It’s best to keep their memory of them fresh and authentic by making a scrapbook and getting your guests to sign it with a message at the party.
2. Signature guest book board
If you want to know who has gone to your party, you can have everyone sign and write a little message on this board. Instead of having a typical guest book, you can also have them sign on a panel to hang up this frame. This can help put a memoir for everyone who celebrated the graduation party with your loved one.
3. Graduation card-shaped box
Before they part ways, you can ask the groups to write a letter or a message to your loved one or fellow friends. You can have them drop your notes in this graduation card-shaped box. Although texting and instant messaging are great, there’s always something special and sentimental about handwritten cards.
4. Graduation cap mason jars
To send off your guests, you can give your graduation party favors instead of using not-so-eco-friendly goodie bags. You can give out awesome mason jars topped with a graduation cap! You can fill mason jars with candy, cookies, or other baked goods and make your guests take them home. To attract the party favors to the theme, you can decorate the lid using some black cards around the sides. When you top it off with a square piece of black card, this can make it look like a graduation cap. You can add some tassels using twine and yellow paper cutouts to finish it!
School life has not been easy, so make it memorable with this party! Share this special milestone with the ones you love using these cool party ideas.