Reach 4 the Sky Grad Garland and table decorations

More graduation decorations for church.  Last post I showed the Grad Cap Pops that I made.  These are the room decorations.

I was inspired by this collection that I saw at Michaels in the $1 bins.  They had coordinating bags, stamps, and cards.  The bag really was what caught my eye.  So bright and cheery and just said GRADUATION dreams to me.

I knew that I had orange tissue paper left from one of my crazy projects in 2009.  Long story but I ended up with lots of orange and kraft brown.  I just keep using it.  One day either I will run out or Hannah will inherit it.

I stuffed one sheet of orange tissue paper in each bag along with a rock for weight.  I put a sheet of orange tissue paper on each table and the stuffed bag on top of that.  I put out some other assorted graduation decorations on the orange tissue.  Graduation items that we have collected over the years and use each year.  Like black plastic grad cap shaped cups.  Not too much stuff...just enough to make the grad theme come out.

I bought the paper lanterns from The Party Store in blue, green, and yellow.

Then I decided to make paper garlands to brighten up the room.  Okay...you can say it...that looks like a lot of work.  It was and it wasn't.  I have seen some really cute garlands on Etsy sites.  I decided to make one for myself.  Now I know why they charge what they charge for them.  I had all the paper I needed to cut the squares of cardstock.  I wasn't exact but mostly I cut them at 2 x 2 inches.  The white ones were cut at 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inch because it fit the $1 stamp I got at Michaels which says "Reach 4 the Sky".

I cut and cut until I thought that I had enough to make 18 good sized (about 9 feet) garlands.  I winged it.  Then I just used my sewing machine and sewed the squares together.  I left about 1/2 inch between each square.  I ended up sewing 27 garlands. 

Of course when I use the word I, it rarely means just me.  Hannah sorted the stacks of paper, I sewed them, Jim and Johnson cut cardboard out, Jim and Hannah and I wound the garland around the cardboard to transport it without tangles.  The cardboard worked, too!  No tangles. 

We used Command hooks to attach fishing line in the church fellowship hall in X patterns on the ceiling between the lights.  We attached one paper lantern at the center of each X and then 2 of the garlands along the arms of the X.  Did I take a picture...NO...I am so mad at myself.  It was really cool, too.  So the pictures I have above were taken on my kitchen table tonight.  I told my sister that I am tempted to ask Jim to put one section X back up just so I can take a picture.  We left the fishing line up to help with decorating for VBS at church so...maybe.  I have got to learn to take pictures of projects.

Pastor N gave a brief talk to all of the grads, a new Bible was given to each HS grad, and they each told us their plans for the upcoming year.  The 8th grade and college grads were recognized as well. 

We served cake and ice cream and the grad cap pops.  Everyone enjoyed the celebration.

<^..^> Lori