4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Guest]

For my 40th I booked the hall as I wanted to have a fancy party with balloons on the tables - don't ask why but I just think they make it great - and I didnt' have any at my wedding as my Dad thouht balloons were a huge waste of money....

 

Anyway, he may have had a point. This party has been on and off as I've had my mini "mid life crisis" and TBH - thanks to having just had to evict another non paying tenant I am "broker than a broke thing that's broke". Mum is paying for the hall and the disco (if I EVER book one!)

 

So I don't have the money for my balloons.BUT I want something for a centrepiece. Something Purple and lilac. That I can make easily.....

 

I'm good at cakes - going to have a cupcake stand on the buffet. Is there some kind of cakey thing that I could prepare in advance and maybe freeze?

 

Or another idea???

[Plum]

Well maybe helium balloons get a bit expensive but why not have ordinary purple ones and put them on canes which have been wrapped in lilac crepe paper and make lilac and purple streamers hanging from the ends of longer wrapped canes with some silver foil twists mixed in?

and get chickychickychicken to make purple and lilac bunting for you.

[Snowy]

Funnily enough I was thinking of lilac bunting Could you get normal balloons and fill with helium? Can't you hire a cannister thingy to fill them yourself? (sorry, not sure how expensive that is though ) For a sweetie centrepiece, what about that recipe for peppermint creams, but coloured lilac instead of green? Hm, I'll keep thinking

[Willow]

Take a look at http://www.partypacks.co.uk/purple-decorations-cid15026.html the purple metallic balloons are nice and not expensive

[Lesley]

How about a Croquembouche? - we had two at our wedding, one either side ofthe wedding cake, as grooms cakes.

 

This one is from BBC Good Food pages -the recipe is there as well.

 

You could easily decorate in purple and/or lilac. If you make a stand for it (I use polystyrene cake dummies for that sort of thing) you could swathe it in voile type fabric and add height to your centrepiece.

 

Try Ebay for cake dummies - I haven't bought any for years now. (pre Ebay era)

 

They are usually put together on a metal cone, stuck on with caramelised sugar, but you could make a cone out of stiff plastic, cover it with a thin layer of roll out icing and then the choux buns should stick with buttercream.

[The Dogmother]

I had one of those at my wedding too Lesley - delicious!

[stoice]

You could make a DIY centrepice by using twig branches sprayed purple/lilac or cut up a feather bower into some cheap vases (ikea, wilkinsons etc) with some simple daisy flowers like crysanths or gerberas. Dunelm Mill has some lovely foil spray things (Like a sparkler) that can jazz up a simple display. Tealights on mirrors are always nice especially with table confetti. or fill large vases with small purple balloons (Water bomb type ones?) or tie a bunch of them together and attach to a ribbon covered cane so they look like they're helium filled, then stand it in a painted tin can filled with sand. If you're doing a cupcake stand you could make dinky ones (with those mini muffin cases) for each table with purple frosting. Oooh how exciting. The Range is good for little bits like that (As is the 'cheap shop' in tiptree if you're swinging by penguinmad)

 

Oh and happy birthday

[Janty]

If you love helium balloons what about buying one of those do-it-yourself kits with the heium and balloons. Just buy some co-ordinationg ribbons to curl and you could weigh them down with pebbles wrapped in coloured sellophane.

[Lesley]

Did you make a decision Pengy? - some good ideas here!