It’s always so fun to see outside-the-box themes, like this clever VINTAGE GAME inspired party sent in by Kelly Moore! She did such a great job bringing the theme to life in a very stylish, budget-friendly way by focusing on clever DIY details like signs made from wood & chalkboard paint and a banner and “vase filler” made from vintage book paper.

Pops of bright orange and yellow were brought into the party through elements like Mimosas, personalized flag drink stirrers, oranges, billy balls, old fashioned lemon drops, and some truly fabulous Amy Butler fabric. Kelly even added a bit of the party’s flair to her own outfit by adorning her orange ballet flats with pom poms made from more of the vintage book paper!

Read on for all more playful pics + all the clever details from Kelly…

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Kelly…

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Inspiration

“Recently moving from Sunny San Diego to San Francisco, I have found that I was desperately craving a bit of sunshine and perhaps a dose of Vitamin D!  With citrus season in full swing and the winter chill in the air, I decided to combine the season of summer and winter to formulate a sweet and lively party to – essentially – cure my winter doldrums.

I have a love for mixing elements that don’t typically go together (such as birch tree stumps and oranges) to create an interesting theme that is highlighted with a cheerful color scheme, such as yellow and orange.  I try to always utilize what I have around me already, which can include anything from fabric trimmings to fruit in the fridge.  I scoured my apartment and focused on bringing a bit of a vintage feel to the party by using an old retro Clue game as a focal point to the party.  I love games and how they draw a certain energy from the people playing them!

I also love sugar and sweets!  Put all of these elements put together and voila…… a game party that was  full of sweets and laughter!

Invite

I designed and printed an invite that reflected the overall look and feel of the party that beckoned the invited guests to come participate with a little Rhyme.  The invite fit snugly inside a piece of black and white seersucker fabric (purchased at Joann Fabrics) that I formed into a little pocket and tied with a piece of vintage seam binding ribbon.

Table

For the table runner, I purchased a retro floral fabric by Amy Butler (purchased from Hawthorne Threads) and layered it over a yellow fringed scarf to add a bit of dimension over the tan linen tablecloth.  Scarves/wraps make great runners and add a bit of color and texture if you do not have time to purchase and sew a runner.

I wanted a look that would be cost effective without having to use florals except for the billy balls (which are dried by the way).  I grouped together several apothecary jars and glassware that housed oranges, lemon drops, small stumps of birch wood and crumpled book paper.  Each table setting also had a piece of birch wood with a slit for a name card. The white vases and square wood box on table are from Ikea and the jar with metal lid is from Target.  The napkin at the place setting is also the same seersucker fabric used for the invitation, and the stemmed glass is Crate and Barrel and the yellow glass from Pier 1 Imports.

Activities

When each guest arrived they received a numbered vintage book covered in black paper to house their “detective notes”.  They were also greeted with a station to pick up a lemon/orange mimosa and grab a cocktail stirrer with their name on a little flag at the top.  As the menu states….sweets were the main course and included chocolate Mousse, Chocolate fudge ice cream and lemon, hazelnut and chocolate macaroons. (The macaroons were from La Boulange Bakery San Francisco).

More Details

I think the richest details are reflected in the use of very basic things, such as paper and wood.  Above the chest that held the Clue cards and numbered guest books, I hung a paper banner using vintage book paper and added a big ? mark on one of the flags.  I also added a bit of pizzaz to my own ballet flats by adorning them with paper pom poms simply made by cutting several layers of thin strips of paper and tying them together in the middle and carefully separating each “piece” to create a flower effect.  I also purchased several pre-cut wood boards from Home Depot and used chalkboard paint to make signs throughout the party, including tic tack toe boards that hung on the doors behind the table.”