Wishes Table & Balloon Backdrop DIY

Our Graduate is going places, so we need to give her a way to remember where she's been.  What better way than a Wishes Table for guests to stop at when they enter the party?

Our table is decorated with a picture of our graduate and her name in pretty wood letters.

Also included is a sign telling guests to stop and write in our dressed up altered composition book.  Each guest can write a special note, a wish, or words of wisdom for the graduate to carry with them as they go on their journey.

Our sign is a copy of the cover of Dr. Seuss' book Oh The Places You'll Go.

We changed a little of the wording to read:

She has brains in her head

She has feet in her shoes

So help wish her luck

Whichever direction she'll choose

The most dramatic part of our Wishes Table is the Balloon Backdrop.

It was a little time consuming and at times frustrating, but it's really easy to make.

Start with a PVC pipe backdrop.

I used the same one I showed how to make HERE.

Although if I were going to construct another one, I would cut the side piece shorter and run more braces along the back to support the balloons.

I tied one end of a skein of yarn to the top of the PVC Pipe and dropped it without cutting it.

At the bottom I wrapped the yarn tight around another PVC pipe as a weight.

I started by taping the balloons to the yarn at the top of the round part in the back of the balloon.

That worked okay, but if you have people moving around a lot, the tape will come off and the balloons will fall.  Maybe if I'd used stronger tape that would have worked...I'm not sure.

I ended up using my trusty glue gun.

I was afraid the heat of the glue would pop the balloon, but I didn't have that problem at all.

I just put a dab of glue on the yarn and attached the balloon to the dab.  Then I used my finger to "rub it in" so that the glue would hold.

(I have a Low Temp glue gun, so be VERY careful doing this if you don't!  I wouldn't recommend that at all!!!)

The balloons may have a tendency to move around but when you pack them in they hold each other in place so don't stress too much over it!

Once you have all the balloons on the line, tie the line off tight and cut the yarn.

It makes for a pretty dramatic backdrop piece and the balloons go perfect with our Places You'll Go graduation theme.