I’m a sucker for a great party theme and the grandest of all is the circus party.  Young or old, big or small, everyone adores the circus and there isn’t a more fun way to celebrate than with colourful, entertaining and fun clowns, dancing elephants and juggling galore!  On centre stage is our proud lion tamer, entertaining the kids on stage right is Bopo the Clown and to stage left is Hercules the Strong Man. 

Creating a circus themed party is loads of fun. It’s also a relatively easy theme to work with because if you can find colour and excitement in your decorations, you’re half-way there already.

Pink Frosting has just taken delivery of a new range of circus themed party supplies which are to die for!  To celebrate, we thought it was time to revisit our best circus party ideas to help you bring this fun party together.

Decorating for a circus party is fun and easy. Lanterns in bright colours, tulle, plenty of helium filled bright balloons and scene setters creating a “big top” are just the ticket.

Provide a red nose (perfect at the moment with Red Nose Day on the horizon – you’re helping charity too!) and funny clown wig for all your guests, serve popcorn in genuine popcorn boxes, candy apples, bright swirly lollypops and home-made icecream cones dipped in chocolate.

Games for a circus party are easy too. How about learning how to juggle? Pin the red nose on the clown? Strong man competition? Old-fashioned apple bobbing? Face painting is always a hit – and why not let the kids do it themselves to create fun clown faces?

Favours and game prizes can be presented in these cute little clown themed pom-pom hat favour boxes.

There’s a whole new range of circus themed party supplies, decorations and more now at Pink Frosting.  Shop Now >>

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Pink Frosting welcomes a whole new range of retro chic decorations this week – from pinwheel garlands and rice paper sunbursts, to fabulous honeycomb hearts and wedding bells.  And, these beautiful decorations are the latest sensations in the leading wedding magazines such as Martha Stewart Weddings and Bride to Be.  Go on, style your wedding with retro chic decorations from Australia’s number one online wedding shop, Pink Frosting.

Paper Honeycomb Decorations

Appearing weightless, paper honeycomb decorations are such a beautiful way to style the ceiling at your party, wedding or event.  In so many shapes, colours, styles and sizes, you can mix and match them to create a beautiful tablescape, ceiling scape and more!  The beautiful image here is from the great team over at Creative Party Place.

The Pink Frosting team has brought a huge range of gorgeous retro style honeycombs to Australia and we simply adore the white wedding bells, retro style heart honeycombs in light pink, white, hot pink and red, as well as the classic globe honeycombs.

These alternatives to simple balloons pack a real decorating punch, and they are reusable too.  We all love that!

You can see the whole range of fabulous honeycomb decorations here. 

Sunny Sunbursts, Dainty Daisies & Sparkling Snowflakes

Like their honeycomb counterparts, the new range of rice paper Sunbursts, Daisies and Snowflakes at Pink Frosting are wonderful decorations to enhance your party or wedding style as well as keep you well under budget.  In lots of great styles, colours and designs, there will be one for your beach party, winter themed event, wedding reception and more.  You simply hang them from a wire or string, from your ceiling, trees or a marquee and when you’re done, simply fold them up to use them again next time.  Stunning!

Fun & Festive Paper Garlands

Just when you thought we couldn’t do any more with rice paper, the amazing team at Pink Frosting brings you these stunning festive paper garlands, in designs perfect for parties, weddings, showers and other special events.  Hang them from your mantle, ceiling, the front of your party table, or across the entrance way between paper ball lanterns and honeycombs.  We adore them so much, we might even use them at the office!

So, if you’re feeling a little bit retro, a little bit renaissance, a little bit like reliving your prom days, these gorgeous rice paper decorations are the ultimate in chic!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

One of the most versatile and stunning wedding and special occasion decorations available now is the glass hanging votive candle holder.  They make a stylish wedding and event decoration for both inside and outdoors.  Simply place a tea light candle into the holder and string from the ceiling, a marquee or a tree for a stunning effect.  Alternatively, you could fill the bottom of the vases with sand or coloured water and arrange miniature flowers inside for a stunning decoration.  Stringing them couldn’t be easier!  Simply loop fishing line or ribbon through the top of the holder and voila!  You’re ready to decorate.

I just adore the way the globe votive holders are used at this stylish wedding featured on Brides.com.  They work so well in this contemporary setting, but equally look beautiful used in an oriental or vintage style theme.

The clear glass hanging candle holders are in a globe shape and can be strung from just about anywhere.  Available in two sizes – 10cm and 8cm diameter, so you can mix and match and hang the spheres in clusters to draw your guest’s eyes to focal points around your wedding or event venue.

These glass vases and candle holders also make a beautiful bomboniere favour for your wedding guests.  Fill the vase with a bulb, a small flower, a scented candle or personalised candy for a unique and spectacular gift for guests.

Sold in sets of six.  Choose from two sizes:  10cm and 8cm diam.  Both sets are $35.00 each at Australia’s number one online wedding shop, Pink Frosting.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Niki from Candy Soiree’s (0409 965 914) is one of Pink Frosting’s party planner customers and she sent me these stunning photos of a combined Christening and First Birthday party reception she styled recently for baby Sundae.  Photos are all by Ba Ba Bambini Photography.  I hope they inspire you as much as they delighted me!

The contrasting colours of yellow and black really work for this Christening.  Although I love this colour combination for weddings, I had never before contemplated the hues for a Christening or children’s party – but don’t they look sensational?  Because of the whimsical polka dots and feminine use of butterfly motifs, the stark colours look sweet.  I love the way Niki and her team have used the budget-conscious Pink Frosting paper lanterns and made them really unique by embellishing them with butterfly cutouts – genius.

The candy bar is a delectable display of bananas, jelly beans, personalised chocolate bars and traditional lemon sweets.  Perfect for a Christening and first birthday celebration.

The Christening bombonieres were silver butterfly bookmark favours from Pink Frosting’s online bomboniere shop.  Niki personalised the bonbonieres by decorating simple white favour boxes with polka dot paper, white satin ribbon and the silver butterflies tied on top.

I think we’ll all be inspired to decorate Christenings with unique and personal themes.  Thank you Niki!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Whether you love to travel to Paris, your fiance proposed on the Eiffel Tower (my best friend’s now husband did and I drooled with jealousy) or your eventsimply has a distinctly French flavour, wow your guests with a theme that’s truly magnifique!

My favourite colour combination for a French themed shower or wedding is black, white and light pink.  Stripes and polka dots are perfectly pretty and suit the theme beautifully.  Now, it’s just a matter of getting all Frenchy!

This stunning bridal shower set up is by the amazing Hostess with the Mostess.  The cameo motifs, polka dots and sweet hearts are absolutely spot on (excuse the pun) for a Parisian shower.

Serve French champagne, sweet pink lolly treats in a candy buffet, decorate with the prettiest striped black and white table cloths, spotted napkins and pink-hued roses.  Ooh la la!

Pink Frosting adores a Parisian themed wedding or shower.  We have a range of Eiffel Tower and Paris inspired wedding and party decorations to help you bring the theme to life at your own event.  Here are four of my favourites:

From left:  Evening in Paris Eiffel Tower place card holder decorations and favours; Le Parti de Paris party invitations by Alannah Rose at Pink Frosting; Clear Printed Cube Favour Boxes with a gorgeous cupcake printed on the front (also available with an Eiffel Tower icon); and our Just Married pink paper lanterns (coming soon).

You can of course adapt this gorgeous theme for a wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, dinner party, Valentine’s Day or even Mother’s Day.  Magnifique!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

A wedding held in the heat of the Australian summer demands vibrant colours, wild decorations and marquees filled with breezy cloth, and the perfect wedding theme for the mid-Summer heat is An Indian Summer. 

Indian styled weddings use an exuberant display of colour, finery and kitsch – think rich fabrics, shamiana (tents) with wild colours, saris used as drapes and table coverings, cushions and bolsters on bright rugs as seating, hanging tea light candles and abundant marigolds which have a special significance in Indian weddings.   Colours are all bright and rich, including turquoise blue, orange, bright pink, plum, red, mustard and gold.  Table centrepieces could include wooden elephants, lanterns, wine goblets, bejewelled miniature jewellery boxes, and shimmering Indian bangles as your napkin rings.

Western traditions such as cakes and favours can be transformed with this theme:  henna patterns on your wedding cake and lucky elephants as your wedding favours.

We adore the bright colours in these Indian Summer inspired wedding invitations, swirling fuchsia paper parasols and paper daisies which add contrast to the marigold strings of flowers we love using with this theme.

Many of these gorgeous Indian Summer wedding theme decorations can be purchased online at Australia’s number one online wedding shop, Pink Frosting.  We adore the gorgeous images to inspire you from An Indian Summer blog. 

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

Your table decorations and centrepieces are the most important decorative element you need to decide on when organising your wedding, party or other celebration. Whether your party is a full-scale formal affair, a children’s party or an intimate candlelit dinner, the centrepiece table decorations will add drama, personality and scale to your event.

The Pink Frosting team are expert table decoration and centrepiece stylists, and the Pink Frosting online wedding and party shop is brimming with gorgeous and inexpensive table decorations, wedding centrepieces and more to help you create a stylish table setting.  Take inspiration from some of the newest ideas in table centrepieces from the Pink Frosting team.

Eclectic tables

Create a ‘one of a kind’ feel for your event, by dressing each table differently. Use different flowers, different candles, different elements from the one theme to create a real sense of personality. For example, this design works wonderfully with a vintage theme; combine mismatched crockery, jugs and candles with plenty of vintage-style blossoms to fill tables. Visit an antiques fair, your local flea market or (with permission!) your grandma’s cupboards to pick up plenty of vases and trinkets to add personality to your tables.

Monochromatic tables

The classic, crisp design of the monochromatic look is still the most modern tablepiece theme you can choose.  If the mod look appeals to you, choose a black and white backdrop and add splashes of colour for contrast, such as buttercup yellow or flashy pink.  Think about height, drama, the whitest of white blooms and plenty of black crockery on crisp white linen.  This look is never out of style.

Centrepieces from your own backyard

Take inspiration from your own backyard!  Do you have twigs, greens, flowers and bark that could be used in a creative centrepiece? Take come gorgeous gumnuts and wattle and lay them on the tables in a very natural display with a few ivory and chocolate candles.

Casting a glow

The warm glow of candlelight has always added romance to a room.  Floral artists take this a step further by incorporating candles into centrepiece decorations themselves.  Think tall, full arrangements of cherry blossom branches, hung with votives on ribbon or wire-like hangers. Or imagine tall cylinders filled with coloured water to match the party colour palette, and small floating candles flickering in each. 

Christmas decorations all year round

Forgetting Santa, his reindeer, sleds and sleighbells, many gorgeous Christmas decorations are very appropriate out of season for parties. Christmas baubles, wreaths and sprays make fabulous table and room decorations.  And the traditional Christmas colours of red, green and gold needn’t limit you.  Contemporary Christmas colours of teal, peacock, pearl and diamonds are instant winners out of the Christmas season. And you can pick them up cheaply at the after-Christmas sales!

Paper lanterns – budget with big impact

The simple rice paper lantern packs an enormous decorating punch.  Whether you’re decorating a dinner table or a dance floor, the rice paper lantern will dazzle and delight your guests. Rice paper lanterns come in so many sizes, colours and styles, and all are great value for money.  Big ball lanterns start from as low as $6 a piece, so they won’t break the bank, even if you purchase them in bulk.  And the best part?  Paper lanterns can be packed down, stored and re-used for your next big shindig.

Eco-chic tables

If you’re really serious about going green, choose beautiful little wheatgrass pots (which can also be used as placecard holders), packets of seeds, or spring-time bulbs to decorate your table.  You’ll be offering your guests a living and breathing reminder of the party without hurting the planet.

Back to your childhood

Lolly buffets aren’t just for children’s parties!  The oh-so-divine lolly table is becoming a huge hit for the young-at-heart too.  Guests can fill up their own container with a selection of themed sweets, little gumball machines for each guest, or grandma’s favourite recipe cookies.

Balloons – the new chic

The hippest party planners from around the world are taking the humble balloon and making it the chicest decorating accessory of the moment.  Take giant bulbous balloons (at least 60cm) filled with helium and use them to decorate your room and each table.  Secure with your floral centrepiece or in a vase of lollies for a truly whimsical look.  Cheap, beautiful and fun!

See more beautiful table centrepiece and wedding decoration ideas at Australia’s number one online wedding and party shop, Pink Frosting.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, we bet you’re in the mood to party!  For a group of friends on New Year’s Eve, roll in 2010 with a fun Viva Las Vegas party, perfect for even the smallest soiree.  Australia’s number one online celebration shop, Pink Frosting, is brimming with party decorations and supplies for your New Year’s party this year, but if you decide on a themed party, this might be the one for you!  Here’s our best tips to create a fun Viva Las Vegas New Year’s Eve Party!

Invitations

Set the scene for the party by sending handmade invitations – simply glue a playing card onto a piece of folded red cardboard.  Inside try, some fun words like:

Look out, Las Vegas
Move over, Monte Carlo
This New Year’s Eve
Casino [your surname] is open for business!
Play your cards right
and Lady Luck will be on your side
at [address]
RSVP to [host details]
Feeling lucky?

And what’s a casino party without cold, hard cash?  Buy lots of play money and slip in a couple of bills into your invitations for your guests’ first round of drinks.

Decorating and styling

The trick to make this theme classy rather than brassy is to stick with your colour theme.  Think black, white and red – just like a deck of cards – with splashes of green felt fabric on the tables to evoke those casino card tables.  Set the scene with some large cardboard cut outs of Las Vegas lights, and then feature special card and dice themed balloons among standard red, black and white helium balloons for a cheap but classy display.  Visit your local $2 shop and buy as many decks of cards as you can carry!  Try making a card backdrop by sticking together dozens of cards to form your decorative Ace in the hole!  And don’t forget to dig out your Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin CDs for some mood music straight from the Brat Pack.

Entertainment

Here’s where the fun really starts!  If you’ve got the cash stashed, then rent casino gaming equipment from local vendors – think poker, blackjack, craps, wheel of fortune and roulette tables.  Or simply ask some of your more casino savvy guests to man some tables in shifts.  All you need are packs of cards and a dealer who knows what he’s doing!  Provide the dealer with a vest and visor, and give your guests a wad of play cash each.  If you’re lucky, you may even have found some plastic gambling chips, for an extra authentic feel.  If you play your cards right, you can deal everyone a highly coveted royal flush!

Menus, catering and cocktails

The ‘Vesper Martini’ was made famous by James Bond, when he ordered it in both the book and movie versions of Casino Royale.  Ian Fleming describes it as “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?”  So, serve martinis – shaken, not stirred of course – alongside chilled champagne and scotch on the rocks. 

When it comes to food, go all out with five star fare!  Think oysters on the half shell, caviar on wafer biscuits, foie gras and cooked lobster in shot glasses.  Remember, cocktail parties works best with finger food, but if you decide you need some plates, consider Pink Frosting’s Full House Party Plates.

Favours and thank yous

The cards are already in your favor, now it’s time for your guests to go home with a party favor to remember a fabulous night!  Hand out playful and personalised decks of cards so that each of your guests can keep dealing the winners.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

To celebrate, here are some of my favourite uses for beautiful luminaria.

Luminarias may be most well-known at Christmastime. Often communities work together to decorate their yards in festive manners, and luminarias are often part of those decorations. These little lights along a pathway or to mark a street are the perfect finishing touch. They give off a glow that will make your guests feel like they’ve found shelter in a storm.  Image:  The Lope.

I love using Luminaria at Christmas as well, but inside the home.  These stunning luminaries light the fireplace so dramatically.

Weddings and luminaries are the perfect match.  They can link two venues, line your ceremony aisle, create a pathway to your reception centre, be a dramatic table decoration or line your wedding dance floor.

And for parties, they are spectacular leading a path to your home, around your pool or at a beach or garden themed party.  Superb.

The new Lumabase Luminarias from can be used for many occasions. The die-cut LumaSleeves are created in-house and we pride ourselves on their unique and decorative look. The LumaSleeves support the bags in such a way that a gust of wind won’t blow over the luminarias or extinguish the candles. Our unique designs are stylish and fun, so party guests for every age group will enjoy the effects of the gentle lights.

Pink Frosting is proud to carry the Lumabase brand exclusively in Australia and New Zealand.  Everybody loves a party! Weddings, birthdays, Halloween, or just for fun, our luminarias will light the way to your party and lend an added touch of whimsy to any occasion.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn

It’s the time of year when we’re all thinking more about entertaining – the weather is warmer, our gardens are blooming, the ingredients in the supermarkets are superb, and Christmas is just around the corner.  The wonderful events planning team at Pink Frosting has been busy putting together great “how-to’s” to help you create a stunning party, which you can find on the planning and inspiration pages at www.PinkFrosting.com.au.  Here is one of my favourites – because I love a dinner party, no matter what time of year.  I hope this inspires you to create your own dynamic dinner parties.

The best dinner parties are intimate ones where the guests feel comfortable with each other, the conversation flows naturally and the hosts are relaxed and gracious.  Here are some tips to help you host the perfect dinner party:

• Settle on a number of guests that will suit the scale of your kitchen and dining room.  As a basic rule, only invite as many guests as you can seat around the one table.
• The comfort of your guests is your primary aim, so consider compatibility, tastes, ages and the ambiance you want to create when putting together your guest list.
• Then decide on the date of your party.  This may also help you determine a theme and menu. 
• Consider your theme.  This can be as simple as a combination of colours or a decorative motif.  It may also be a season or a holiday theme.  Decorations for a party can be as simple as crisp white linen and candlesticks on the table, or as elaborate as centrepieces, balloons, flower arrangements and even chair slipcovers.
• Decorate with the seasons too.  Fresh flowers in spring or summer, a bowl full of polished apples and bare twigs in the winter, or a vase filled with red and gold leaves in autumn are simple, inexpensive and beautiful.
• Send out party invitations to set the tone for the evening.  Invite guests to your party early, preferably two or more weeks ahead of time. This will give them time to RSVP and will give you more time to plan.
• Make a realistic assessment of your cooking and baking skills, and the amount of time you’ll be able to commit to the party.  You may choose to hire a caterer to help you save on the stress of preparing a meal as well as entertaining your guests. 
• If you are cooking yourself, plan a menu that you feel confident delivering.  Creative cuisine is best left to those who can deliver it flawlessly every time.  Choose menu items that can be prepared mostly in advance.  And remember, the best menus most often have simple combinations of the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. 
• Take an inventory of your supplies: table and chairs, serving pieces, cutlery, crystal, plates, candlesticks, napery, and of course, kitchen equipment. Think about renting or borrowing items you don’t have. Make sure the things you own are sparkling clean and in good repair.
• You can provide nibbles as soon as guests arrive, but don’t leave your guests lingering for hours.  Serve dinner no more than one hour after everyone arrives – 40 minutes is the ideal. 
• Provide guests with a number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options.  You may like to prepare one ‘signature’ party cocktail, such as sangria for a festive summer party or sake as the overture to a Japanese feast, but don’t overdo it with a range of complicated cocktails!  Less is more!
• Maximise the mood with minimal effort.  Unify your theme with candles and flowers in all the rooms the guests will occupy – the hall, dining room, living room and bathroom.
• Your dining table should be the star of the show.  Add some wow factor with a spectacular table centrepiece in keeping with your theme.  But remember to keep room for serving dishes!
• Encourage your guests to mix and mingle.  You may ask them to shift seats in between courses to inspire new connections.
• As a parting gift, present each guest with a personalised party favor that complements your theme.
• Most of all, enjoy yourself!

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn