Creating a Party Design Board

To help visualize how all the elements for a party will come together, create a “Party Design Board.” Much like an interior designer’s sample board, you’ll need a 2 x 3 foot corkboard, two pieces of ribbon the length of the board diagonally, and push pins.

The first layer on the Party Design Board includes samples of things having to do with your Theme, Mood, and Colors, and Decorations and Ambiance. These elements of a successful party from the heart set the background—the tone, foundation, and backdrop—for your celebration. Using my Mad Hatter’s Tea Party as an example, I placed the special party napkin I’ve chosen in the middle of the board because it provides my color scheme quite nicely. Adding a photo of the scene-setter backdrop I’ll be using, a sample of the Astroturf, and maybe an artificial flower or two illustrates how I plan to transform my party room into an indoor garden.

The second layer divides your board into four triangular sections. These four sections represent the four remaining elements of a successful party: Invitations, Food and Beverage, Activities, and Special Touches. Make a giant “x” with the two pieces of ribbon by pinning one end of the ribbon in the upper left corner and bring it down to the lower right corner, and pin it. Repeat the process on the other side, bringing the second piece of ribbon from the upper right corner down to the lower left corner and secure with push pins.

The top quarter is for invitation items, such as paper materials, ribbon, stickers, and any other embellishments you plan to use, or simply attach a completed invitation.

The bottom quarter is for food and beverage items, such as a recipe card, photo of a special dish or serving piece, and/or a menu for the party.

The left quarter is the activities section. This is where you work out how to get your guests engaged in something, be it entertainment, games, or good conversation. I attached my music playlist, a list of skits for guests to perform for prizes, a sample riddle card to help them find their hidden prizes, and the teacup-shaped gift box I plan to wrap their prizes in.

Finally, the right quarter is the special touches section. Here, you place samples of items that add heart and meaning to your celebration; making it a gathering people will remember for a lifetime. For example, I added a photo of my whimsical party favor, a sample of the favor packaging, and a clever thank you note.

The Party Design Board is a valuable tool or exercise that allows you to “test” the materials you’re thinking of using to see if you’ve created a cohesive party plan. Once your board looks like fun, it’s time to get to work!

Just remember...when you think party, think easy...think fun!