My baby sister Ronnie graduated from Penn State University a few weeks ago and my parents threw her a graduation party…naturally, I helped with the decorations :-) I wanted to do more than just Penn State’s colors of blue and white, so I went with navy blue, white, and coral as an accent color. I am just loving that combination of colors, and it’s so trendy right now!
I already showed you the Dr. Seuss Graduation Gift I made for her – that was one of the centerpieces on the table along with her cap, commencement program, and a graduation photo of her at the Lion Shrine.
I took advantage of a sunny afternoon to sit on the deck and paint these mason jars in navy blue, white, and coral. They were really mindless and easy – I started with a layer of chalkboard paint (though I don’t think that’s really necessary – next time I’ll skip that step), then did several coats of color with a foam brush. I used an emery board to file away some of the color (especially on the raised text) and give it a distressed look. These are really easy to do for any kind of party!
I bought a few bouquets from Trader Joe’s to divide up and make the flower arrangements. Aren’t they lovely? Fresh flowers are a quick and easy way to pretty-up a table for any kind of gathering!
Of course, I put my trusty Silhouette Portrait to work. I cut out circles from card stock and sewed them together to make a simple paper circle garland. It was a great festive touch!
I also threw together a last minute banner with the leftover card stock – I was literally cutting and gluing the morning-of, before we left for commencement!
I also made a burlap table runner (using the cut-straight-lines-on-burlap-with-no-fraying trick), and used a freezer paper stencil (cut with my Silhouette) to paint a Penn State logo on it.
(I think I’ll get lots of use out of this table runner during football season!)
It was a lovely afternoon of celebrating Ronnie’s accomplishments together with good friends and family – and delicious food!
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Lovely! I am a PSU grad, too, so I especially appreciate this. You did a great job. Love your table runner.
What a great idea to use a color scheme as the theme for a graduation party. Love it. Pinning it now! (I am stopping by from the Project Inspire{d} link up.)
This is so cute; I really like the colors you used. Thanks for sharing. :)
-Lauren
Wow! I am a PSU grad (2 years ago) and I wish you did my decorations!!! This looks awesome, especially the burlap runner. Congrats to Ronnie!!! WE ARE!
GORGEOUS party! I love all the details and the colors. Thanks so much for sharing it at Project Inspire{d}!
I love how you pulled all of this together Meredith. The coral accent is so pretty. I think my favorite piece has to be the table runner though, especially since it can be used again and again!
What a fabulous looking party! Love the colours and especially those mason jars! Would love for you to share it at our link party on my blog please :) Hope you have a great week!
Congratulations to Ronnie on her graduation! Your attention to detail with the decorations is truly inspiring. The color combination of navy blue, white, and coral sounds beautiful and trendy. The mason jars and flower arrangements add a nice touch to the celebration. Using your Silhouette Portrait for the garland and banner is so creative! Wishing Ronnie all the best in her future endeavors.