Graduation season is upon us, which means it's time to start thinking about how you're going to celebrate your graduate! This pastel graduation party strays from the traditional trend of using school colors in the decor, and embraces a more modern, feminine style. From a show-stopping backdrop to fabulous favors, this party has all of the inspiration you need to host a graduation celebration that your graduate and guests will adore! You can also use these super fun Pastel Party Printables to help decorate and all more color to the party.
The focal point of this stylish graduation party is the stunning pastel rainbow backdrop. Would you believe that it's created out of simple plastic tablecloths?!! Not only does this decor idea make a tremendous statement, it is incredibly easy to put together and very affordable! Get the step-by-step instructions by clicking over to our DIY Pastel Graduation Party Backdrop.
The dessert table decor was kept simple so that it would complement the backdrop nicely. As a twist on traditional school pennants, we created our own more modern version using papers from the Pastel Cardstock Variety Pack. We showcased our "Hooray Grad" pennants by staking them inside Wide White Ceramic Vases with Gold Trim filled with simple floral arrangements.
A soft pastel buttercream-frosted cake mimicked the rainbow backdrop and served as the anchor on the dessert table. We used the same pastel cardstock that we used on the pennants above to create a cake bunting for the cake. We simply strung triangles together using Gold Baker's Twine, then tied each end to gold Graduation Cap Charms. We then hot glued the charms onto Gold Foil Striped Paper Straws and inserted them into the cake.
These adorable little favors just may be my favorite element of this entire graduation party. Aren't they so cute?!! To make them, we filled small clear favor boxes with Large Shimmer Pink Gumballs. We then cut squares and strips out of white cardstock, glued the strip ends together to create a circle, and glued the squares on top of the circles. We threaded Gold Baker's Twine through a button hole and glued them together. We tied Rainbow Faux Leather Tassels to the other end of the twine to form a graduation cap tassel, then secured the buttons to the center of the "caps" with glue. Each graduation cap was secured onto the tops of the clear boxes to create a super cute take-home gift.
Of course the guests needed a drink to wash down their cake, and we wanted to come up with something that would go well with our theme and colors. We came across this Cream Soda recipe and made our own versions of it to match our decor. We painted the bases of Clear Champagne Flutes with gold spray paint and used them to display our colorful cream sodas. A Gold Foil Striped Paper Straw tucked inside each flute completed the look.
To add dimension to the backdrop, we jazzed up the floor in front of the dessert table with colorful, coordinating goodies. We thought it would be a cool nod to the early school years to create a paper chain like we used to make in kindergarten and incorporate that into our decor. We used the same pastel cardstock that we used for the pennant banners and cake bunting, as well as some patterned paper from this Pastel Paper Pack to create a long chain. We displayed it at the foot of the backdrop, trying to make sure to line up the colors. We also added some Diamond Tissue Hanging Decorations in light blue, mint, lilac, light pink, and white for a festive, yet feminine look.
The paper chain idea was carried over to the bar cart to help tie the party space together. The bar cart held our necessities for the party: Pastel Color Hexagonal Dessert Paper Plates, Pastel Color Luncheon Napkins, and Premium Metallic Gold Cutlery. The plates and napkins both come in assorted pastel shades and match the party decor perfectly! We also used the bar cart to hold a card box where the guests could leave cards for the graduate.
The bar cart was a great place to display additional cream sodas and colorful pastel candies like Unicorn Poop Candy Fun Packs. We emptied each bag of Unicorn Poop into Mini Clear Appetizer Plastic Bowls for a pretty presentation.
I hope you've been inspired to create a pastel graduation party of your own for your soon-to-be graduate! Remember to check out our DIY Pastel Graduation Party Backdrop for the simple steps to getting your decor started. Enjoy your party, and congrats to your grad!
