Top Trending Graduation Theme Party Decorations

It’s time to CELEBRATE and make your graduate feel so empowered as he/she moves on to the next chapter in their life. Throwing a party is such a thoughtful way to show how much you are cheering for them. We are here to help you brainstorm and come up with the BEST graduation theme party decorations so that this gathering will be one they will NEVER forget. Let’s throw up our caps and offer a great big cheer as we dig into the details.

This post is all about graduation theme party decorations. It contains affiliate links, meaning I might receive a small commission, but at no cost to you.

Gift and Card Table

Every grad needs a gift and card table to house their goodies. You can create a cute DIY card box from an empty Amazon package and cover it with some wrapping paper that matches the party’s decorations. Cut a slit on the top big enough for the cards to fit.

This is a great place to add banners across the front, balloons on the side, or a backdrop behind the table.

Cotton Candy Machine

You can buy, rent, or borrow a cotton candy machine so your guests can leave with a wand of sweetness as their thank-you gift. We did this recently at a princess party we hosted and it was such a HIT!

You can DIY the wands by rolling up white computer paper. Or, if you want to go a little fancier, use construction paper that coordinates with the party’s décor colors. Use tape to secure the bottom of the cones.

Serve Graduates Favorite Food

What is the graduate’s favorite food? Whatever that favorite dish might be, you can serve those best-loved goodies at the party in their honor. Try to stage it like a buffet bar. If they love tacos, have a taco bar. If they love burgers, make it a burger bar.

Cake, Cake Pops, and Cookies

Everyone wants a sweet treat after having something savory. You can serve the traditional graduation sheet cake with their name and picture on it, or offer cake pops with mini graduation hats on top. Another idea is to have custom cookies made in honor of the graduate with their name, picture, or graduation year printed on them.

If you want to take the cookie idea to the extra mile, create a cookie table or cookie bar and display different kinds of cookies on platters and cake stands. Add some height variations to the display by using pedestal plates with multiple tiers.

Giant Charcuterie Board

Turn your kitchen or dining room table into a giant charcuterie board. First, lay down craft paper to cover the table, then layer on all the goodies. Add a bit of height using lower pedestal platters. Cluster foods of different colors next to each other, and make sure that if you have refrigerated items, those foods stay away from the goodies that can become soggy. For example, putting crackers right next to cheeses or veggies, such as cucumbers, might cause them to lose their crunch.

Display Cap and Gown

Another idea for your graduation theme party decorations is to display the graduate’s cap and gown. You can use a mannequin or simply hang their garments on a hanger and show it as part of the backdrop, behind the gift or food table. I recommend that the cap and gown display be grouped in with other decorations such as a balloon arch, fringe curtains, and graduation garland.

Candy Bar

Oh, how sweet this display can be! Literally! LOL! You can use glass candy jars and tuck in different candies that coordinate with cute school-themed signs. Such as Book Worms, Nerds, and Oh-Fish-ly Graduating, to add some spice to the sweets.

Rent a Food Truck

Renting a food truck is such a fun and trendy way to serve food at a grad party. If you have the extra dollars to spend, it will save you a lot of time not having to prepare the yummies. Plus, you don’t have to worry about keeping it hot. It comes hot and ready when your guests are ready. 🎉

Centerpieces

Have a ball getting creative with the centerpieces. 🎉 You can have balloon clusters, coordinating acrylic frames with your graduate’s picture or year staged on the inside, small floral arrangements with graduation picks, and so much more. Feel free to think outside the box when it comes to traditional centerpieces and use your imagination.

Tablecloths

Go the easy route and purchase inexpensive plastic tablecloths that can be thrown away right after the party. Chose a color that looks good with the rest of the graduation party décor. You can use wrapping paper as easy table runners to add another layer of pattern and color. Just make sure you tape everything down in case a breeze is blowing.

How Well Do You Know the Graduate- Printable

You can create your own “How Well do You Know the Graduate” printable or purchase some super cute options from Amazon. It will give your guests something to do while the graduate makes their rounds greeting the guests. Plus, something sweet for them to look at after the party.

Balloon Display

You can display a balloon arch by the food or gift table, at the entrance to the tent, or if you want to go BIG, across the opening to the garage. Just choose a place where you want to add a focal point, as well as a splash color. There are many balloon arches to choose from on Amazon. Here are a couple to peek at.

Photo Booth

To create a photo booth, make a cute space with a cute backdrop. Add in a fun graduation sign strung across the top, along with a bench and some cute props for people to hold when they snap pictures. Make sure all of the colors coordinate well with the other decorations.

Cute Signs to Add to the Food

If you are opting to serve the food yourself, having signs near each of the items can help guests know exactly what they are eating. In case anything is gluten or dairy-free, signage will be super helpful. You can also write cute phrases to them, such as, “No matter how you slice it, I graduated!”

Decorate Your Front Door and Lawn

Do you know about those lawn decorating businesses that come out in the middle of the night and decorate for a special celebration? My husband did this for my 40th birthday and had large yellow ducks scattered all over our front yard. You can have your yard “decked out” on the morning of the graduation party for everyone to enjoy.

Placing a giant “Congrats” sign on your front lawn, with balloons strung on the sides, is another trendy way to announce the graduation. You can also add your DIY flare and peg balloon clusters in the ground with tent stakes or golf ball tees.

You can also decorate your front door with a graduation wreath, balloons, window banners, or a custom door wrap with the guest of honor’s picture on it.

DIY- Gold Graduation Date Poster Board Numbers

Have you seen the large poster boards that are covered in gold glitter? They are so much fun! Just cut out the graduation year in LARGE gold numbers.

You can purchase them from Kroger, oddly enough. You can also find a metallic gold-colored poster board at Hobby Lobby. Click here for the details. Amazon has smaller gold poster board sheets if you want to cut out smaller numbers.

Water Bottle Sleeves

You can take off those ugly water bottle sleeves and either leave them off completely (I do this for most of the parties I host), or you can add a new label that highlights the special graduation year by using computer paper. You can cut the paper into 2″ strips and get about 5 labels from each sheet.

Tip- I recommend keeping the bottles at room temperature so they don’t sweat or make the new paper label soggy.

Bon Fire S’mores Roast

Instead of hosting your party in the afternoon, you can have your guests come in the evening and celebrate the graduate, bonfire style. To make the menu simple and very cost-effective, you can serve roasted hot dogs with chips, and for dessert, roasted marshmallows made into s’mores creations. Easy-peasy and oh-so-fun!

You can also design a s’mores charcuterie board to jazz up the display. Click here to see how to create the sweetest s’mores board that is sure to feed a crowd.

Beach Front Celebration

Have your guests meet at a local beach and enjoy some fun in the sun while they celebrate the new graduate. As for the graduation theme party decorations, you can decorate the pavilion or set up a tent and deck it out in graduation hat garland all around the perimeter. You can serve giant 6′ subs, chips, and coleslaw and call it a day. But don’t forget the dessert and those water balloons. Grab a yummy sheet cake from Costco and have a ball!

Make it a Picnic at the Park

Same concept as the beachfront celebration, minus the water. The little tots can play on the playground, and the young adults can enjoy some volleyball fun.

More Q&As

How do you decorate a graduation party?

When decorating for a graduation party, you can add embellishments as much or as little as you prefer. It all depends on your budget, time, and how much effort you want to put into it.

When you think about decorating the little things, such as food signs, and door décor, it shows intentionality and how you think of even the tiniest details for your guests, and your graduate, to enjoy.

When it comes to the basics, there are four main places you want to focus on decorating. Everything else that you embellish is bonus points.

• Front Door
• Food Table
• Gift Table
• Centerpieces

What is a Good Theme for a Graduation Party?

Here are some fun examples of popular themes graduates use.

• Food Themed- Design your party around our food display. Ex.- Fiesta themed with a taco bar!
• Elegant
• Boho
• Tropical
• Pool Party
• High School Colors
• College Colors
• College Mascot
• Rustic Farmhouse
• Career

What is the Theme Color for Graduation?

The theme color for graduation usually coincides with the school’s colors. Many people opt to use that color scheme to decorate for their party. Otherwise, typical grad party colors are gold, silver, black and white.

The theme colors for the event can also match the style that was chosen for the celebration.

How do You Throw an Inexpensive Graduation Party?

To throw a more inexpensive graduation party, you can use your creativity and implement as many DIY projects as you need to see your vision come to life. Here are some examples of what you can create.

• Choose a color scheme. This will be what your decorations will be wrapped around.
• Make a backdrop using cut-up strips of plastic tablecloths, in coordinating colors, and then tie them to twine or ribbon. Or you can cut up old sheets into strips and do the same thing. This will create a type of garland that can embellish your entryway, garage, food, gift tables, or photo booth backdrop.
• Use poster board to cut out letters and numbers that you want to use as signs, table toppers, and more.
• Opt to make the food that you serve, simple light hors d’oeuvres and cake.
• Host the party in the evening around a campfire. This will be far enough away from dinner time so your guests will come more full than hungry. You can save money by just roasting marshmallows and making s’mores.

I hope these trendy graduation theme party decorations inspired you to think outside the box, and gave you a game plan for how you want to style your upcoming party. Enjoy celebrating your guest of honor as you cheer them on into their future.

P.S. Note of Encouragement

Have confidence knowing that you will do an amazing job, no matter what you choose for graduation party decorations. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need more tips. I’m happy to help in any way I can. Blessings on your young adult’s bright future! 🎓

I love hearing from you. If you have any more creative ideas you can think of, please share them in the comments so others can be inspired.