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For many graduating from high school, college, and beyond, graduation will be a diploma sent in the mail. Gone is the pomp and circumstance we have all grown to love and expect as we approach the end of our senior year, whether a senior in high school, a senior in college, or getting a post-graduate degree or other degree.
Graduation – the culmination of hard work and the excitement of what the future may bring, bound together with friends and family – at its root, is an award ceremony where everyone who participates wins. A cultural rite of passage, many grads are now left without a feeling of closure.
So as your grad’s family, what can you do to make the day special, especially in a stay-at-home environment? Here are a few tips for throwing the perfect graduation party…
Tip #1 – Set the mood for your graduation party
If you have space outdoors, create an area for the ceremony. You don’t have to build a “stage” (unless you are handy and have the tools) but create a backdrop from things you have around the home. While you don’t need an old projector to watch old home movies, the photo above of a backyard movie night has a couple of great ideas.
For example, create a “backdrop” for your ceremony by stringing a white bedsheet between two trees. Or dust off your old Girl Scout or Boy Scout skills and make a free-standing one by lashing together branches with rope and stringing lights around the frame. Put a few chairs in rows for your “audience” and set up food and drink stations to continue the party after the ceremony. Not the handy sort (I’m not so I get it!)? Buy pre-made photo backdrops embellished with graduation flair. They even sell backdrop stands, which include a support system.
No backyard? No problem. Take the same ideas and translate them within your house. Drape a white sheet in front of your window by tying it to your drapery rod. Use safety pins to pin a ribbon on one end of the sheet to fasten it to the rod. If you have a specific graduation ribbon, make those ribbons stream down the backdrop in strategic areas. Don’t forget to add string lights! This is now your “stage,” so move any furniture out of the way and create your ceremony area.
Even simpler – buy a pre-made banner. There are oodles of designs available that require no work at all; just tie them up on a curtain rod or tape them to your wall – boom – done!
Tip #2 – Dress for the occasion
Does your graduate have a cap and gown? If not, getting them a cap and gown to wear for the day is an idea. Buy your graduate a special party dress or suit to wear underneath.
Better yet, have everyone in the family dress up as if they were going to a “normal” graduation party or ceremony. Check out these links for inspiration:
Party Dresses
Men’s Dress Clothes
Girls Dresses
Boys’ Dress Clothes
Tip #3 – Make special graduation party food
You don’t have to be a rock star chef to make delicious graduation party food. But, if you do, indeed, have mad skills (a shout-out to my niece, Erin, who does have the skill) (Erin’s Iced Sugar Cookie Cutouts), make a Wise Owl Cake!
Isn’t he great? If you don’t have any cake decorating skills (like me), ask your grocery store’s bakery if they can make this cake. Take a copy of this picture with you to show them. They might be able to “translate” this design in cupcakes if you’d rather have cupcakes. As they say, “you never know until you try (or ask)!”
Or make your own cake. Just make a simple layer cake from a box mix and make it special with a fancy cake topper. There are so many options out there that I had a hard time choosing! These are my favorites with links included.
Here’s a photo of all these adorable graduation cake toppers together for inspiration. Will you do me a favor? Will you share the above photo collage on Pinterest? Thank you so much!
Up for a little DIY? Here’s a beautiful cake idea for a graduation cake (or another special occasion) from the wizards at The Cake Blog.
This is a special custom easy-to-use edible stencil that you can purchase. Carrie’s blog post takes you step-by-step through the process of both this cake and the accompanying cookies or cupcake toppers. So pretty!
If you’d rather go the cupcake route, I’ve got you covered there, too!
First up – easy “make-your-own cupcakes” topped with Hashtag Done and Graduation Mortarboard Party Picks. Pretty cute, right?
Here’s a tip: buy chocolate chip chocolate muffins from your grocery store’s bakery. Frost them with chocolate frosting, put these Plastic Graduation Cap Picks in them, and serve them for breakfast. After all, it is a special day, and chocolate is good for you, right?
These cupcake picks are paper on clear plastic toothpicks. And this frosting technique is done with Russian piping tips. An easy way to make a cupcake look like you worked for hours!
For hundreds of more ideas, here’s a link to tons and tons of Graduation Party Picks and even more cake toppers (I bet I could have come up with 42 Graduation Cake Toppers – hey, another idea for a future blog post!).
Here’s another semi-DIY idea for cute graduation party cupcakes: order chocolate cupcakes frosted with both chocolate and yellow frosting. Place gold sugar pearls over each cupcake and top with a square of chocolate and a dab of leftover frosting for the tassel or create a tassel from gummy candies.
If you want a bit of a challenge (just a small challenge!), here are links to several bloggers’ graduation cupcakes for inspiration:
Stephanie from Somewhat Simple has created these super simple Graduation Cupcakes using Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups turned upside down and topped with a chocolate square and M&Ms. So cute!
Abeer from Cake Whiz teaches you how to make Graduation Diploma Cupcakes step-by-step out of rolled fondant. Don’t they look just too pretty to eat?
Who isn’t a cake pop lover? No one! Norene at Party Pinching teaches you how to make these adorable Happy Graduation Cake Pops. Made with pre-made snack cakes, this time-saving tip will have you on the road to success in no time. She also rounded up a bunch of graduation party ideas in her Best Graduation Party Food Ideas post, so check it out for even more party food inspiration.
Lise at Mom Loves Baking has created these super simple Graduation Cap Cupcakes made from pre-made brownies. Pure genius!
Here’s one last dessert idea for you. Cookies! Either make your own (another shout-out to my cookie-artist niece, Erin) or ask your local grocery store bakery. Who knows? By asking your grocery store bakery or your local bakery (if open for business), you may spur another little “cottage industry” at this time.
A work of art, right?
Here are a few more party food ideas I’ve come up with that have a quasi-graduation party theme:
Make Easy Black Bean Dip with Maria’s recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod. Serve it with individual packs of Stacy’s Pita Chips just because they come wrapped in black and gold bags!
Make these mouth-watering Two-Bite Mac and Cheese Cups from Joanne at Fifteen Spatulas. Stick one of the black plastic graduation cap picks in them and voila, you have a graduation party appetizer that everyone will rave about!
Make my Mexican Corn Salad – it’s a delicious side dish to any menu. Substitute the red cherry tomatoes for more yellow cherry tomatoes, use only yellow bell peppers and substitute yellow onion for the red onion, leave out the cilantro and jalapeno and voila, you have a black and “gold” inspired corn and black bean salad that won’t be “Mexican” in flavor but more “Italian” in its flavor profile. Still tasty, just a different version of delicious! It’s great on pita chips, too, or crackers. Leftovers keep well for days, so years ago, I created this post for leftovers: 3 Amazingly Simple and Delicious Ideas for Using Leftover Mexican Corn Salad.
Tip #4 – Don’t forget a graduation gift!
Here’s a fun idea from Jennifer at The Craft Patch – make a DIY Candy Bar Lei with money! This is just one of her many 30 DIY Graduation Gift Ideas. So many great ideas that it’s hard to choose one.
Here’s some inspiration for gifts that don’t require DIY muscle:
Graduation Gifts for Girls
Graduation Gifts for Boys
Graduation Gifts in General
This fun sign from Katie Doodle makes a great graduation gift, too. You’ll need to buy a separate frame to put it in.
If you like the idea of giving your grad a book (or two), here are a few suggestions:
3000 Questions About Me – published in 2019, it is a fun journal that I actually made into a game and played with my young nieces and their friend when they spent the night several months ago. I gave them paper and pen and then had each pick a number between 1 and 3,000. Then I read them the corresponding question from the number they chose and they wrote it down so that they couldn’t see each other’s answers. After answering multiple questions, they turned their sheets into me, I reread the question out loud, and then read each of their responses. They then had to guess who said what. It was such a hoot! Let me give you an example:
The question: “On what occasion do you lie?” One of their answers: “When people say, ‘who farted’ and I say I didn’t, but I did.” Another answer, “Christmas.” What’s up with the “Christmas” answer? I’m going to be all over that this Christmas for sure! Needless to say, we were dissolved in fits of laughter.
Here’s another: “Where is the strangest place you’ve ever fallen asleep?” One answer: “The toilet.” Can you picture that? Let me just say the one who answered this is nine years old and she says this happened when she was four and woke up in the middle of the night because she needed to go, so she walked to the bathroom in a semi-comatose state and promptly fell asleep. Again, we were all dissolved in laughter.
Not all of the questions are meant to elicit laughter. A good portion of them require deep thought, so for these young girls, this book led to several deep conversations. For example, this one: “What 3 wishes would you grant the world?” The answers from the three girls:
- To be good, give homes, and food
- World peace, fix global warming, lovingness
- Kindness, fairness, and save the turtles
Currently, it’s only available from 3rd party sellers on Amazon. Still, there are other versions, so the link leads you to a page of many similar books instead of directly to this particular book. But you will find the book by scrolling through the lineup of similar books by this publisher.
Another fun gift is a journal called I’m So Freaking Freaked Out published in 2015. I’m sure at its publishing, this journaling idea about anxiety was meant very tongue-in-cheek. So, given today’s climate, give this gift only to someone who would appreciate the humor behind it. Every set of pages has a quote on the left and blank lines on the right leaving space to write “Why I’m So Freaking Freaked Out Today.” The first quote on the first page, by Markus Dohle, is this: “If you want to make the right decision for the future, fear is not a very good consultant.”
Another fun gift for the budding writer is a journal called Complete the Story. This book has “story prompts” in that start the story for you with a couple of sentences and then leaves it up to you to finish the story. I took my great-nieces to the bookstore last year and we spent a few glorious hours sifting through the stacks and shelves of books. My twelve-year-old great-niece picked this book out for herself, so it’s apparently a book not only for older people but younger ones as well. Here’s an example of one of the story prompts: “I wasn’t expecting it, but I wasn’t exactly surprised either. Maybe I’d seen it coming. At the very least I should have seen it coming. There had been signs, of course. I should have noticed…” and from there, you are to complete the story.
Gifts for the grad – choices, so many choices!
Tip #5 – Print your own graduation gift wrap and decorations
I’ve created a FREE Printable Wrapping Paper Kit that has all these different designs in the printable. Each print on 8½-inch by 11-inch printer paper. So, you can wrap a small gift with these designs OR patch the paper together for a larger gift (and cover the patchwork with ribbon).
Or use plain white gift wrapping paper or craft paper and add one or more graduation-themed adorable wise owls, which are included in the FREE Printable Graphics for Graduation Day.
You can print, snip, and paste them to create unique designs for your wrapped gift, make your own gift cards, create food picks for appetizers and dessert, and even make props for a photo booth for your grad.
Tip #6 – Make your own graduation card for your grad
So, you’ve got your gift and you’ve got it wrapped and embellished; now you need a graduation card. I’ve got you covered again! That’s right; you don’t need to run out to the local grocer or pharmacy. You can save the trip (and stay-at-home) and use my 18 FREE Graduation Cards to Print at Home Kit.
They are set up so that when you print them, you can fold some vertically (like the one above) or horizontally (like the one below). You need to trim them up a bit, so if you don’t trust your handiwork with scissors, now’s your chance to invest in a paper cutter. You do need to write your own message inside, but you are creating a one-of-a-kind card for your special grad!
Now you’re ready! Party planned, party décor ready to go, food decided, gift chosen and wrapped, and a card printed. There’s just one more thing to do – invite your guests! Include them via Zoom, FaceTime, or other ways. Send them recipes to make to enjoy with you so that you are eating the same party food. Even better, send them a link to this post so that they can check out all these great ideas, too.
Across the miles, I want to wish my niece, Bizzy (Elizabeth), the best graduation day at home with her family in New York (my brother, Glenn, and his wife, Missy, and their other three adult children, Erin, a teacher, Ryan who works for the Buffalo Bills, and Molly, still in college – all six together again in the family home).
Graduating with a degree in computer science, Bizzy is a soccer star at her school in New York. Dedicated and hardworking, she’s won multiple awards this year at her college (Hobart William Smith), including the prestigious Winn-Seeley Award, which is presented to the outstanding senior athlete for her achievement in service, leadership, athletics, and academics. Way to go, Biz!
She’s number 20 in the photo above and was recently interviewed by Pete Lambros of the Finger Lakes Times, and you can see her interview here. Bizzy has made other appearances on this blog over the years, but to see another side of this talented young woman, visit this post: The Virtuoso.
My neighbor, Josie, graduates from high school this year. Whip-smart, she is kind and loving, beautiful inside and out. I have known her since birth and she is a precious gift to all who know her.
She’s been taking Advanced Placement classes for many years now, and just told me she has five finals coming up! I’m sure she’ll ace them. She’s won a scholarship to a local university in our area and plans to major in psychology.
She, too, has made an appearance on this blog before, and you can read more about her here: Gail’s Classic Flashback Potato Chip Cookies.
So, my beautiful, sweet, precious girls – I leave you and other graduates with this quote from Oscar Wilde:
“When it rains look for rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars.”
Click to Download All Graduation Party Freebies
18 Graduation Cards to Print at Home Kit
Printable Wrapping Paper Kit
Printable Graphics for Graduation Day
Tootles,
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