Tropical Flamingo Party

Let's Flamingle!

I graduated college in May and, per the usual fashion, had a graduation party in July. Because I have a weird obsession (don’t judge me) with flamingos and because I’m extra (sue me) my graduation party was a tropical/flamingo extravaganza. I don’t think anyone has ever seen more flamingos.

After spending countless hours pinning every flamingo thing I found on Pinterest it was time to hit the stores. I visited Joann Fabrics, Target, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Old Time Pottery, Party City, and the Dollar Store.

I apologize in advance for some of the lighting in the photos.

Everything in the above photo I found in the "Dollar Spot" at Target. It's a great place to find cheap decorations for any event.

I found the pink banner at the store (Party City I believe) and then cut out the numbers and grad caps from poster board and tapped them. Just like that: a cheap, easy, personalized banner.

Food:

Flamingo Sugar Cookies:

I handmade these suckers from scratch with the help of a flamingo-shaped cookie cutter.

You can follow any cookie recipe as long as the dough holds its shape during the baking process.

The recipe I used:

Sugar Cookie Recipe

For the icing you can make your own (royal icing) or you can buy some from your local store.

I used Cookie Icing by Betty Crocker. You want the one that specifically says “Cookie Icing” on the pouch. For the accents—I couldn’t find black icing—I just added some food coloring to the pink icing to get black.

If you want a more in-depth tutorial on how to make these adorable sweets let me know.

Beverages:

Pink Lemonade: 
Pink lemonade (59 oz Simply Lemonade)
Sprite (1 liter)
Frozen lemon juice concentrate (1 can) 

Flamingo Punch (Alcoholic):  
Pink lemonade (59 oz Simply Lemonade)
Sprite (1 liter)
Frozen lemon juice concentrate (1 can) 
White Moscato (1 bottle)

Decorations:

Paper Wisteria:

Paper Hanging Wisteria

Includes the template and a video tutorial on how to make the flowers. The only suggestions I would make are to make sure if you are using card stock it isn’t too thick to bend the petals. Also, if you’re anything like me, be prepared to burn your fingertips off with the glue gun.


Floral Arrangements:

These were made mostly from yard clippings. I added some fake flowers and discount pinwheels I found at Joann Fabrics for extra color.

A lot of the decorations were things that I already had (the pineapple box, the flamingo ring holder, etc.) You probably have a lot of useful things already lying around your house (plates, bowls, platters, etc.) 

Extras:

• Ribbons make great easy accents
• Crafting your own decorations can help save money
• Confetti and paper decals can add color to bland areas
• Throwing down some cheap tablecloths can make a big difference and add a lot of style to your event
• Snack Food Ideas: fruit bowl, veggie tray, chips and dip, chips and salsa, and finger sandwiches