Fall is here and so are many occasions to have friends and family over. So, what are you waiting for? Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the very idea. You may think that it will be too time consuming and costly to decorate or make accessories. Being on a limited budget doesn't have to rain on your parade or the special events in your life. By using your imagination and items that you already own, you can create a designer look that many pay handsomely for you

Begin by first making a list of one of the special occasions that you would like to celebrate. Next, make a list of items that you already own that you might use to decorate with. This will help you determine a "theme" that you might use to pull your design together.

Here is an example. When my oldest daughter was very young, I determined that I didn't want to throw her a traditional (expensive and run of the mill) birthday party. While mulling this over one day, it occurred to me that I might use some of the country décor from her bedroom and her teddy bear collection and throw her a tea party. A quilt from the linen closet on the family room floor, bordered by 8-foot ficus trees, provided the perfect park-like setting for her little friends. Everyone came dressed up and added to the scenery. That was a very memorable birthday. It was memorable, not because we spent a lot of money, but rather, because it was unique and fun.

In looking back, the only things that I actually purchased for this teddy bear tea were blank videotapes and a cake mix. Clean up consisted of putting away her toys and washing the teacups. I have used these same items on numerous other non-birthday occasions. I dare say that our children have had some of the most unique and fun-filled birthdays, anywhere. This approach sure beats a mass-produced hamburger and party hat at a fast food restaurant!

Here are a few occasions to try out. Use the list of items to make a creative display on your table.

Masquerade, Charades, Let’s Put on a Show Old attic trunk, deep bins, or laundry basket Old hats, masks, feather boas Faux pearls, and wigs Sashes, purses, canes Video, and Polaroid cameras Frames photos Borrow a mannequin to dress Make your own program, tickets
Fall Festival, Thanksgiving, Indian Summer Cornucopia with fresh fruit Harvest vegetable centerpiece Menu with wild game Muskets and bows and arrows History books and videos Baskets and crocks with mums Pine cones and nuts Garlic and pepper braids Silk autumn leaves
Cookie Swap, Housewarming Antique kitchen gadgets Cookie cutters and metal tins Rolling pen and pastry cloth Wooden utensils with plaid bows Pamphlet size cookbooks Baskets, gift bags, spice bottles Tea cups and homemade cookies in cellophane
Country Christmas, Holiday Brunch Hand-cut paper ornaments and garland Pine cones and magnolia leaves Stained glass and antiques Brass candlesticks and bells Tiny gift boxes on dinner plates Heart-shaped rugs and old quilts Tea pots/ cups and saucers

Invitations

Now that you have an occasion to celebrate and have rounded up the necessary decorations, it's time to make your invitations. In years past, I often spent time and energy shopping for the perfect mass-produced card for the occasion only to be hindered by the cost. Making your invitations offers an opportunity to be creative as well as economical. This do-it-yourself project will tailor-fit each celebration with artwork that compliments the atmosphere of each festivity.

One of the easiest ways to produce invitations is no further than your computer. Numerous software products will give excellent results and are so user-friendly that you can delegate this job to the kids! Programs like Print Artist, Print Shop and Print Shop Deluxe offer lots of templates for posters, banners, and cards that just about design themselves. They offer an unbelievable amount of artwork to illustrate every conceivable occasion. These programs will absolutely spoil you rotten and are a true asset if you entertain at all or would like to. Print Artist has templates that will print out party hats (just cut on the dotted line after printing it out), place cards, gift tags, gift bags, boxes, place mats and napkin rings. Instructions on how to assemble are right on the page! It is also invaluable for absentminded moms, who can literally print out a personalized card as you are walking out the door to a birthday party!

However useful, software isn't absolutely necessary and if you lack a color printer, may not be the answer for you. Often times, it is more economical to purchase bordered or decorative papers from the office supply or department store to print out your message in style. Even a simple font in black ink can produce a beautiful invitation this way. You can purchase packages of bordered papers (about 25 sheets to a package) for about $2, which is a tremendous savings over prepackaged invitation cards. You will also be impressed with the abundant variety that you will encounter to satisfy every occasion.

Invitation on bordered paper

Choose a full color, border paper that has a rich array of fall leaves floating along the edges of the paper to write out your plans for Thanksgiving dinner. A winter snow scene would be perfect on which to detail plans for Christmas dinner. Bright balloons or crayons would be perfect for a child's birthday. Chose a font and center each line of text. Preview your document to see if you need to enlarge the letter size. Check to make sure that the margins of your document do not interfere with the text. Print out your text on plain paper and place this behind a bordered sheet of paper. Hold this up to the light to check the position of writing. Is it centered in the middle of the page? Does it look balanced? Make all necessary adjustments before printing on the bordered paper. Place the bordered paper into the paper tray of your printer and print it out. If you need many of these, it might be more economical to print one on plain paper and then use this in a copy machine with the bordered paper in the paper tray. These invitations can be tri-folded and stapled, or placed in envelopes to be mailed. Office supplies and card shops are now carrying cards that are designed for use with your home computer and have detailed instructions on how to achieve excellent results. This is one of the easiest no fuss methods to making invitations for your family functions and requires only a basic computer and word processor.

Eva Stockett is a homeschool mother of six children. She is also an artist, graphic designer, and calligrapher who teaches continuing education classes and offers workshops.