The Grand DIY Attempt

I've been meaning to blog about Alonzo's great DIY Mexican Fiesta party for a long time now. 5 months after his party, I finally DECIDE that I NEED to write about it.

I'm not gonna lie, I chose to go the DIY route because I really didn't want to spend a lot for something my son will only remember through photos.  At the same time, I just had to put my new found hobby to the ultimate test.

Majority of the decorations during Alonzo's party were made from scratch, but I also had to ask help from the experts too.  Basically the goal was to lower the cost where we can.

So here are some of the decors I decided to make myself.  I put on the link of the tutorials too so that you can go and try them yourselves.

1.  Paper Cactus

Photos by Veejay Jimenez/209Studios

I originally wanted to put a real potted cactus on each table as the centerpiece, but that would really cost me a fortune so I opted for the cheapest alternative- making my own!

Some of the cans I used for the cacti were used corned beef, Spam and sardines cans we had at home.  Yes I did clean them up real good, and yes my husband almost threw them out once because he thought they were trash.  I did have to buy some small pails from Divisoria (cost me P150 for 12 pcs) to house the other cacti.

Other centerpieces and accents used where provided by our awesome caterer Phoebe Cakes. :)

Here's how you can make your own cactus! It's a really cute option for your worktable at home or at the office. :)



2. Ribbon Chandeliers

Photos by Veejay Jimenez/209 Studios

The moment I saw these ribbon chandeliers on Pinterest, I knew it would be a great addition to Alonzo's Mexican Fiesta theme.  You can be really creative with the materials you want to use . As for me, I used a combination of cloth and crepe paper strips.  Here's a tutorial that can help you.

The biggest challenge for me was the cutting. Since the venue had a really high ceiling I had to cut loooong strips. So be careful not to knot the ends when you're cutting them.

Another challenge was the round thing I used keep the strips together.  After weeks of searching I finally found the perfect wooden rings in Divi. Divi, not SM, has got it all for you.

Oh and if you're wondering if I made those hanging lanterns, no I did not.  I wish I had the patience though, but I got them from Divi too. :)


3. Mexican Banderitas (Papel Picado), Crepe Paper Decor And Blackboard Sign

Photos by Iris Carpio Duque

Photo by Veejay Jimenez/209 Studios

The Mexican banderitas took me the longest to make.  I think I started making them 2 months prior to the event.  I had to make them by batches because the cutting part was really painful on the hands if you do it for a long time.  Originally, these kinds of banderitas makes use of crepe paper or tissue, but I found that stores only have limited color options.  With that I had to buy colored bond paper.  It was thicker and tougher to cut (I had to cut 5 pieces of paper all at one time to save me time) hence my weeks of hand pain.

Here's a tutorial for making the banderitas:

On the other hand, the crepe paper decor was one of the easiest to do.  The backdrop was made on the day itself, and it only took me 1 day to cover the paper mache letters in crepe paper strips.  All you have to do is to cut the crepe paper crosswise then cut thin vertical strips on the cut portions.  Unfold and behold, you now have a crepe paper fringe. Proceed to taping/pasting them wherever you wish.

Lastly for the blackboard sign, I first tested the overall look on Photoshop with the fonts I liked.  I traced them with a pencil on the illustration board, then finished it off with a chalk pen.  A CHALK PEN?? Yes, there's such a thing! And I'm glad I found one (National Bookstore in Podium has it)!

And if you're wondering where I got my wooden crates, I got them from Dapitan.  They sell them for P12 each. :) 


4. Paper Accordion Flowers

Photo by KC Bayani

Photo by Veejay Jimenez (Hi Phoebe!! :))

At first look this DIY wall decor looks intimidating, but can you believe that I finished making them all in one morning?  It's really easy to make once you get the hang of it.  The tricky part is attaching them.  We had to use a gun tacker and thumbtacks to secure them on the panel. Sometimes even the stickiest double sided tape doesn't work at all.

Need these in your life? Here's a quick tutorial to help you out!


5. Loot Bags

Brown paper bags and a printer. The end (The clothespin is optional). Oh yeah, don't forget to put some candies and interesting things inside the bag too (very important)!


6. Invitations and Save the Date

 

Thank you Lord I didn't take my college Photoshop elective for granted.  My skills are very basic and dusty, but hey, it's decent enough to make my son's (and future children's) invitations. :)

So there you have it! I hope this encourages other awesome mommas out there that DIY parties are doable.  They don't exist in pictures alone, they happen for realZz! Are you willing to give it a try? :)

Alonzo's Mexican Fiesta party won't be a success without the help of the following suppliers:

1. Party Troupers c/o Abbie Go
Thanks to Abbie and her awesome team, the party had a host/magician, yummy food carts and fun activities (face painting, DIY flip-flops).  Their staff also helped me set up some of the decors. Highly recommended!

2. Phoebe Cakes Catering
If you want great tasting food with a very reasonable price, Phoebe Cakes is your best bet!  Oh and did I mention that the brains behind the business- Phoebe Estrevillo- makes some of the best tasting cakes and pastries on Earth? :) Highly recommended (x1000)

3. Veejay Jimenez Photography/209 Studios
We were very shy to approach Veejay at first knowing that he specializes in wedding photography.  But when he agreed, Jerome and I got really excited.  We've seen the photos he took of friends' weddings and they're all stunning. Again, highly recommended. :)

Here are more photos from the party:

 

Until the next DIY adventure!