There are all sorts of parties and events that we may be asked or volunteer to plan and host. Everything from a New Year's Eve party to a bridal shower requires quite a bit of planning. You have to get a guest list, send out invitations, and prepare food and drinks, but perhaps the most time consuming and expensive part of planning is handling the event decor. Decorating your home or yard to make it look special for the event might be difficult, but there are a few cheap and easy tricks you might follow.
First, you need serving dishes for all of the food you have prepared. If you aren't fortunate to have fancy glass party dishes handy somewhere, then you're looking at buying a completely new set. Instead of going out and buying expensive dishes that you'll probably only use every few years or so, head to the dollar store or look online for wholesale event decor. In these places, you can find dishes that look expensive like the glass ones, but are actually clear plastic. They provide the fancy look without the associated price tag, and nobody looks closely enough at serving plates to tell the difference.
Depending on the size of the event, you may need a centerpiece for several tables. Buying a completed floral arrangement can be expensive, but using water gems to make your own arrangement is a cheap and easy alternative. Water gems, or water gel beads, start out as small plastic beads that come in a variety of colors. Once they are added to water, they begin to soak it up and expand several times in size. Eventually, they grow to look like liquid marbles, and the best part is, they can be placed in a vase with flowers in place of water. These centerpieces will truly catch the guests' eyes.
There's nothing worse to overlook at an event than seating. When guests come to a party, they want a place to sit, but providing enough chairs for all the guests can be difficult, and bringing in mismatched table and folding chairs can spoil the look you're going for. Fortunately, you can rent cloth seat covers to class up any chairs. You can use all different styles of chairs that you've rounded up from friends and neighbors, and disguise them using these chair covers.
The most important aspect of throwing an event that is affordable is to not panic and buy expensive decorations you'll only use once. It is possible to save money on an event without compromising its overall decor.