Fruity decorations for a tropical garden party

The best parties happen in your own garden. Get your guests into a tropical mood by decorating your garden or balcony with these homemade party favours! Get to work with florentine paper, fuse beads, and paint to design a fresh and fruity party.

Decorated straws

Make every cocktail special! All you need for this little project are paper straws, card offcuts and some tape. Cut out paper shapes to make slices of fruit. Work in layers and play with colours and designs to create an exciting effect. Stick the fruit shapes onto the paper straws with some double-sided tape. Tip: make a few extra slices for the project below.

Card cocktail umbrellas

Use Vaessen Creative dies (art. 3624-005) to cut out several scalloped circles in 3 different sizes. Cut into the centre and then let the flaps overlap by one centimetre. Glue down the overlap to create a pointed shape. For one umbrella, stack 3 shapes on top of each other for a layered effect. Use scissors to cut a fun border along the edge of the umbrellas. You can make a scalloped edge or else go for a frayed effect by cutting every few millimetres.

Then pierce a stick through the top and secure it with a little glue. Finish it off with a little pompom to hide the glue. Add the finishing touch to the umbrellas by sticking the same kind of fruit slices onto them as you used for the straws. Or make it easy for yourself and use the fruity Crealies cutting dies (art. CLPARTZ26).

Upcycled pots become festive cutlery holders

Give your table a tropical feeling with just a few old pots and some paint. Use an old terracotta plant pot with a drip tray upside down as a stand for a lemonade dispenser and glass jars as cutlery pots. Paint them in the colours of different fruits, such as melon, kiwi, pineapple and orange. Then finish them off with a water-proof varnish.

Glass labels made of fuse beads

It's sometimes hard to remember which glass is yours at a party. These cheerful labels will make it easy not to forget! And another advantage: they will keep unwelcome insects out of your drink. Use a round base plate and then use fuse beads to create familiar fruit shapes. Then just iron them and that's it!

Want to know more about these projects? Keep an eye on our Instagram page over the next few months for more inspiration and share your own creations with the hashtag #craftedtosmile.