DIY Tropical Themed Grad Party

Coin Conservation Connoisseur
Dec 9, 2019
3 min read

When I graduated with my Bachelor's in 2017, I was not excited to celebrate. Although it was a worthwhile accomplishment, knowing that I would be back to school in the Fall to achieve my Master's Degree made the notions of going above and beyond to celebrate seem pointless.

With me being the first to graduate with a Master's Degree in my family, I planned to go all out! Draped ceilings, linen chairs, tables with charger plates, a candy table, greens, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, hogs, wogs, chickens, turkeys! You name it, I wanted it. I had been building an elaborate Pinterest board for over a year, and I was ready for action. Now with me working full time, and taking 12 credit hours, my time to plan was limited. I knew I needed an event planner.

I bet you're reading this thinking, I thought she said BUDGETED graduation party. What kinda rich mess is this?! When December 2018 came, so did my first ever letter from Sally Mae. I was notified that I would soon be responsible for payments on my student loan debt. On top of that, I had to apply for graduation ($150) and pay for my cap, cape, and gown ($100). It was also Christmas! With a looming debt of $30,000 in the distance, spending +$2,000 on an event to feed and entertain others seemed absurd! I still wanted to celebrate me, though. Fortunately enough, I had previously gathered a list of venues in my area, and with the worldwide web, anything I saved on Pinterest could be recreated.

DECORATIONS: I knew that I wanted to bring some “heat into the fall” so the party was tropical themed, with golden centerpieces. To achieve this look, I went to our local Fresh Fruit Market, Joe Randazzo’s to purchase fresh pineapples, and Walmart to snag gold spray paint. At home, I sprayed the base of each pineapple gold, and use protective tape to keep each stem authentic and green. To give the centerpieces an extra “pop” I draped a lei around each pineapple and placed greenery under each.

Since this was a one-time deal, I knew that I wouldn’t need to purchase any long-term linens. I again took to the internet and searched “Tablecloths for Rent” in the Facebook marketplace, as well as making several posts. I quickly noticed that smaller companies tended to have higher rates, so I decided to do a google search instead. I came across Linen Tablecloth, which not only had great rental rates, the prices to purchase were reasonable as well. I purchased 12 ivory table linens, which I now rent out myself.

Shopping List:

Assorted Pack of Greenery – $15.49

(10) Pineapples – $1.25 Each

Gold Spray Paint – $5.69

Table Linens - $2.40

Glue Dots*

Coconuts*

Tape

FOOD: In terms of food, I thought, “What do EYE actually want to eat?” instead of focusing on what seemed to be Graduation Party appropriate. If you truly know me, you know what the solution to this was. TACOS. Tacos are cheap and easy to make, and they stretch far. I purchased everything from Sam’s Club from the meat, chips, salsa, cheese, and sour cream. My cake and cupcakes were also purchased from Sam’s Club. I asked for yellow cupcakes and added pineapple themed cupcake toppers to each to maintain the theme. I was able to customize my cake at no additional costs. Each table was dressed with a Hibiscus Grass Skirt.

Shopping list:

(4) Gallons of Hawaiian Punch, Cupcake Toppers, (8) Bags of Chips, Ground Chuck, Black Olives, Sour Cream, Bell Peppers, Cupcakes, Chicken, Cheese, Salsa, Cake

CANDY TABLE: I purchased a luau themed tablecloth from Amazon, and several vases from Dollar Tree. I again went to google to search of places within my area that provided candy in bulk. With the help of Pinterest, each item of candy had a college theme.

100 Grand Candy Bars = Student Loans
Gummy Worms = Book Worms
Kit Kat = Study Break
Starburst = Reach for the Stars
Tootsie Rolls/ Frooties = Honor Rolls

Shopping List:

Candy Labels – Design Dynasty

Hibiscus Grass Skirt - $11.99

Tropical Tablecloth - $14.94

Candy Containers - $1.00

Candy Bags - $1.00

Assorted Candy

MEMORY TABLE: I ordered an orange sequin tablecloth and designated a table to highlight my accomplishments. Here, I hung up my cap and gown, showcased awards won throughout the years, and showcased my degrees. I also had an advice tree. To make this, I used the leftover spray paint to color a tree branch and provided index cards and clothes pins.