Graduations might look a little different right now, but that doesn't mean we can't still celebrate our graduates! A Drive-By Graduation Party is a safe way to maintain social distance, while still showering the grad with all of the festive fanfare that this major milestone deserves. From yard decorations and a DIY Drive-By Graduation Card Box to a fun photo booth and super cute favor ideas, we've done all the work to help you throw your grad an amazing graduation party. Get the details to start planning your fabulous graduation party below!
Kick off the fun with custom Drive-By Graduation Party Invitations! These invitations are part of our free Drive-By Graduation Party Printable Collection and can be personalized with your own details. Simply download the PDF, then click in the text boxes to add your own info. The bottom line can be customized to say whatever you'd like. This would be a great place to encourage folks to make posters or decorate their cars for the grad, which makes the drive-by parade even more festive and fun!
Now it's time to make this celebration look like a party! We wanted to give the guests a little something for stopping by, so we set up a Party Favor Table at the end of the driveway. To add a pop of color (and because it's never really a party without balloons), we set up Graduation Balloon Centerpieces on both sides of the favor table. The balloons move easily, so tying them to your table with fishing line will help keep them secure. You could also place something weighted on the base, then cover with Honeycomb Decorations.
A framed Printable Graduation Favor Sign serves as the perfect anchor for the our Party Favor Table. Black Buffet Risers are awesome for adding height and visual interest, and make a great display base for your party favors. Flowers in Clear Bulb Shape Bud Vases fill in the bare areas between the favors and add a touch of happy to the table.
Keeping safety in mind, all of our favors were individually packaged. We wore food-safe gloves to pack mini doughnuts inside Congrats Grad Party Paper Treat Bags, then sealed them shut with the included graduation cap stickers.
Cupcakes were topped with Congrats Girl Grad Party Picks, then tucked inside Medium Clear Cellophane Gift Bags. We attached Printable Thank You Tags to Congrats Girl Graduation Party Paper Cups, stuffed them with white crinkle paper, then placed a cupcake inside each cup to make an adorable on-the-go favor.
We also stuffed some of the Medium Clear Cellophane Gift Bags with confetti popcorn. We tied a Personalized Graduation Favor Tag to each bag, then attached a Fiesta Tassel Earring to mimic a graduation tassel!
For the graduation girl and her family, we made sure to provide Congrats Girl Paper Dessert Plates and Congrats Girl Luncheon Napkins so they could enjoy some treats, too!
Since the guests mostly just drive by and don't get out of their cars, we wanted an easy way for them to deliver cards for the grad. We found this Letters to Santa Mailbox and realized that it was the perfect height for dropping cards into from a car window! We wrapped it in Fadeless® Yellow Art Paper, added a Printable "Cards for the Grad" Sign, then jazzed it up with Congrats Girl Paper Fans, a Graduation Mortarboard Honeycomb Centerpiece and some more Pink Honeycomb Decorations. At the end of the party, the access door easily opens to retrieve all of the cards that were dropped inside. Get the step-by-step instructions for making this DIY Drive-By Graduation Card Box here.
Photos of the grad are one of the best parts of a graduation party, so we didn't want to leave out that opportunity for the guests. We attached a Personalized Photo Frame Prop Yard Sign to some wooden stakes and displayed it in the yard by the street, along with some fun Congrats Grad Photo Stick Props and Fringe Boas. As guests drove by, they could snap pictures of the grad in the photo booth, or hop out of their cars for a quick photo op with the graduate.
A Pink Congrats Grad Letters Yard Sign and Pennant Flags served as the big finale for our yard decor and really brought the "wow" factor to the celebration.The letters are big, bright, and so exciting for the guests to see as they pull up to the party!
The Congrats Girl Car Decorating Kit is not only a fun reference for guests that want to decorate their cars, but it's also a fun kit to use to decorate your own car and drive the graduate around the neighborhood for a little graduation parade! See all of the car decorating kit options here!
As the guests arrived, we took advantage of photo ops, made good use of the DIY Drive-By Graduation Card Box, and handed out lots of yummy treats to thank guests for coming by.
And of course, we divulged in a few yummy treats of our own.
I hope these ideas have inspired you to celebrate your own graduate this year. Have fun, and congratulations graduates! :)
