Anyhoo, back to the new school. Moving to a new area means she's the new girl but it also means I'm the new girl. I attended my first Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting and was volunTOLD to provide centerpieces for an event. I played it cool because it's something I can do with my eyes closed as you guys already know. No worries. I almost, however, slapped somebody when they proceeded to tell me about Dollar Tree vases, decor, and other items.
*clutches pearls in shock*
ARE THEY SERIOUS?! Do they not know who I am? Have they not heard how I work? Were they not aware that I -- hol' up. That's right. THEY don't know ME. *exhales and counts 100* Calm down, Tabitha. They don't know you. They don't know what you do. I responded to their Dollar Tree suggestions with a simple, "I'm familiar. VERY familiar actually." In the case of the Fall Festival, I was tasked with helping with setup... the PTA President wanted to leverage my decorating expertise. I had to use what I had to make things pop. These ideas would work well with theme- and/or decor-appropriate items. I was pleased with how they turned out and surprised that many people asked about the ideas.
1. Plate Feature Wall
The plate wall was one of my favorite decor elements. It was so unique.
The festival was hosted from the school gym. Stations were positioned throughout and the PTA President provided bins of re-usable decor from previous festivals. We were out of wall decor with a few stations left. I found three (3) packs of holiday plates and, while they were all different, I had an idea to make them pop.
I wanted to create a layered plate wall and it was so easy! I started with the left side by taping a plate to the wall and then taping two plates close to it. I layered the plates by adding a few overlapping (taping some plates on top of the others).
It created a fabulous focal point and the possibilities for this idea are endless!
How cool would they look over a food buffet? Or the utensil area? Or for specific themes? So simple, so fun and oh-so chic!
2. Guess How Many Jars
I love the guessing jar games. It's fun for any event and I'm always game to take my chances on a guess. It's so much fun! I was asked to make three candy jars for the guessing table. These jars were located on the same table as the baby photo guessing game.
These guessing jars were my first 'show and prove' moment with the PTA. I needed them to be fabulous and to exceed everyone's expectations; these babies were going to set the tone for my reputation with the other PTA moms. Don't judge me, just go with it.
I bought the large terrarium jars from Michael's, I filled them with candies and I used Dollar Tree costume pieces (witch and pirate hats) and pumpkin decorating kits to complete the looks.
The witch was filled with Mike&Ike candies, the pumpkin was filled with candy corn, and the pirate was filled with gummy worms. The Dollar Tree pumpkin kits (a felt kit and a sticker kit) brought the faces to life. Each jar was valued at more than $20 and they were a huge hit! Imagine the possibilities with this activity for every event, especially as a centerpiece idea for Thanksgiving!
3. Mini Pumpkins
Pumpkins are my favorite item to decorate with during the fall months.
Much like I did when we finished the artwork and painted pumpkins for the Pumpkin Toss station, pumpkins just make me smile. While I can appreciate the traditional look of the large orange pumpkins, there's something about a group of mini pumpkins that makes me smile. I especially love the white pumpkins. In most cases, they can be found at local grocery stores priced at around $1 for each. I sprinkled a few throughout the house and they make my heart super happy.
I wanted to incorporate a few mini pumpkins into the centerpiece but they weren't in the budget for the school's fall festival. Instead, I just enjoy the ones I have around the house. They keep for a long time!
Islander tip: buy them in September and keep them until it's time to put up the Christmas decor. Oh, speaking of Christmas. Did you realize it's like next month?! OMG!
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