My Top 5 Party Must-Haves

Parties are the best, aren't they? And, I will find any excuse to have one. I love to throw them for friends, my boo thing (that would be my dog), and myself, of course! Parties are a way for me to be creative. It is such a fun outlet.

On the other hand, parties can be pretty stressful. Especially if you are a last minute girl like me! Planning them usually takes quite a bit of time. However, if I have my basic party essentials, it makes it that much easier… and faster. Long story short, I get to party much quicker!

So, below is a list of my Top 5 absolute must-haves. A lot of them may be pretty trendy right now, but until something changes in today's current style, I have them and will continue to use them until they are worn out. Then, I’ll buy them all over again.

1.     Tassel garlands

I don’t know who invented these things, but thank you to whomever did! Who would have guessed that such a simple DIY could make a party so festive, shiny, and wonderful? All you need to do is grab some gift tissue paper in your party’s color scheme and some baker’s twine, and you have an eye-catching party decoration. You can always buy your own tassel garland, but because of its popularity these days, they’re getting quite expensive!

Currently, I have 2 different colors of this stuff. One is light pink, white, and gold Mylar. The other is black, white, and gold Mylar. I bit the bullet and bought these because I knew I would use these colors the most. But, I think I could tackle making my own one day. I’ll keep you posted!

You can use them almost anywhere. I typically hang them from curtain rods, but I have also seem them adorning dessert tables or drink stations. They can even be seen hanging from balloons.

Tassel Garland from Etsy Shop, BringYourOwnCake

2.     Milk Glass Cake Stand

From the time I was in high school, I have enjoyed the look of milk glass. I would rummage through

antique shops to find the perfect pieces. I bought trays and vases, but when I came across a cake

stand, I was the happiest person you had probably ever seen.

The milk glass cake stand is just there to be plain and hold your cake. But, it does it in such a beautiful way. Not only do I put my cakes on the stand, I put my cupcakes, cookies, and even flowers on top, too. It just gives everything that little bit of Southern charm. 

Milk glass is not cheap though. Google it and see what I am talking about. Some of them can be as high as $65 or more. If you have the money, then I urge you to buy it! But, seriously consider going to your local thrift shop or antique store. It is amazing what you will find there. And, the prices can be amazing, too!

White Milk Glass Cake Stand

3.     Enormous Balloons

It might be the five-year-old in me, but I still love balloons. I need them in my life. Every time I look at them, I just feel better about the world.

However, giant, 36-inch balloons make me feel like I live in paradise. They are so large and round and awesome. They look good at your entryway to let people know they are about to walk into the BEST PARTY EV-ER. They look good next to that chubby, wittle baby eating their first bit of sugar in one whole year. Shoot, they look good hanging out next to a hot dog bar, for goodness sake.

I usually pick mine up at Shop Sweet Lulu, and they’ll run you about $5, but even as a teacher, I’m completely okay with that.

 

36” Round Balloon

4. White tablecloths

I’m a huge fan of white fabric. It is so clean and makes such a pretty backdrop for literally everything. I use it all over the house, from my window treatments to the comforter on our bed.  

White tablecloths are used for the exact same thing in my parties. They are so simple; yet make such a grand statement.

Put it on a dessert table, and then pile on your colorful decorations and treats. Then, stand back and take lots of pictures because it’s going to look incredible.

Another reason I personally use white tablecloths is because our dining table is a dark-stained acacia wood. That doesn’t necessarily match a party that I want to be light and bright. So, throwing on the white tablecloth quickly does the trick.

They are not expensive at all. I got mine from H&M for about $17.99. Not bad. Not bad at all.

H&M Cotton Tablecloth 

5. Striped Paper Straws

(Even my manly, gotta-go-fishin'-every-weekend husband agrees with this one, so you know they're good!)

There aren’t enough words to describe how much I love these things. The first time I bought them was for our wedding reception so many years ago. The bartender put them in the champagne flutes, and although I didn’t drink my champs from the straw, it just made the glass so darn cute. 

Now, it doesn’t matter what kind of party I am having (Halloween, birthday, Valentine’s Day, even school parties) I will pick up a pack or two. Why you ask? Well, first of all, they are pretty inexpensive. The Target dollar section usually has them in packs of 20. And, it’s the Target dollar section… And, two, you can get them in whatever color suits your fancy. 

Keep in mind that after a while they get a little weird. They are made of paper; so sitting in a beverage for a long time doesn’t really make them useable. But, they are still on my top 5 list of things to keep on hand. So, get them.

Spritz Paper Straws

So, those are my Top 5 list of must-haves for my parties. Did I leave something off? Let me know below what you need in order to have a fabulous fete!!!