Creative and Chronically Tight Fisted: Bridesmaid on a Budget

I was very proud to help host a Bridal Shower for one of my oldest and dearest friends a couple of weeks ago. I challenged myself to decorate the local conference center on a $50 budget. In the end, I think it was more around $65 dollars, but I anticipate selling them on http://www.craigslist.com/ and getting some of my money back :) If I can get at least $15, then I'll consider myself within my budget!

English Garden Tea Party was our theme; the decor included petite table arrangements in tea cups and table top topiaries. (I made table luminaries, but didn't end up using them.)

The bride's mother provided a wonderful spread of food including tea sandwiches, and fresh fruit, as well as a beautiful cupcake tower; of course we also had Raspberry tea and Boston tea (a tart cranberry tea).

A big part of being thrifty is being resourceful and hard working. Rather than purchase real or silk flowers for our garden party, I crafted tissue paper flowers (http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/crafted-bouquet) and paper pom poms (http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias rthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias) following the instructions provided by Martha Stewart on her website.

I used an elementary school method to construct the topiaries, I plan on posting a tutorial at a later date...I used disposable table cloths (for lack of real linens), and cut down Opalescent disposable table covers to make table runners.

One of the greatest attributes to the atmospere was a [borrowed] white canopy tent. Adorned in my white Christmas lights and the mother of the bride's English Ivy, it provided perfect housing for the food tables. I also borrowed tea cups and saucers from my grandmother to house the centerpieces.

Here are the pictures: