DIY Place Card Settings

Milena Kukurekovic

Hello Smarties! Are you planning another event? We guessed so. Are you looking for ideas for a quirky birthday or any casual party? Not to worry, here are some of our ideas for a quirky Upside-down themed party!

Place Setting

Here at Smarty had a Party, we believe the place settings don't have to be complex to be remarkable. So, why not try this unique yet simple place setting idea? To let the guests know of their seats, you can print or write up name cards and cover each one with an upside-down glass. Then, place a cupcake on the upside-down base of each glass. The cupcake will be a yummy decoration too. It couldn't be easier, right? You can have a bit more fun by printing the guests' names upside down or backward, too! 

Want to be even more creative? Add flower petals or confetti along with the name card underneath the glass. Again, we suggest using clear glasses. We used clear wine glasses the last time. 

Now let's talk about the plates, napkins, and the other cutlery, shall we? First, lay a napkin flat on the table. Then place the plate upside-down (face down) on the napkin. Then wrap the cutlery with another napkin and place them upside-down on the plate. You can use a creative napkin folding method to do so.

You can place the water glasses' bottom side upwards and paste a beautiful sticker on the bottom. Once your guests fill their glasses with water, they will reflect beautifully.

We recommend using a tablecloth too. As we always say, the tablecloth is a part of the decoration, plus it'll make cleaning easier!

Napkin Fold

We laid the napkin flat, then folded it in half. (The open end faced us). Then we folded the napkin in half again. (This should form a square shape/ a quarter). Then we turned the napkin so that the closed end was facing us. (The open edge will be on our left). Then we folded the first layer diagonally and turned the napkin over. Then we had to fold the napkin about ⅓ of the way from the right side. Finally, we folded the left side in the same way. And tucked the corners and turned the napkin over once again. And we were done. The napkin now had pockets, and we could place our cutlery in it! 

Another fun touch can be added to your themed party by placing the chairs facing outward of the chair!

Food Ideas

You can serve pizza, but make it upside down! 

When you are serving sandwiches, instead of the cheese being sandwiched, the bread can be in the middle of two slices of cheese! Or even ham! You can do the same with hot dogs too. All you have to do is stuff the hot dog with buns! 

The fun in these themed parties is because everything is not as it seems. So what's stopping you from serving a savory dish disguised as a dessert? Or the other way around? Give it a try. It will be fun to watch the amused expressions of your guests! 

Without a doubt, all of us love desserts, right? It is effortless to make upside-down desserts. If you are having a birthday party with this quirky theme, instead of having the smaller cake on top, place it at the bottom. Then, the larger cake is placed on top. Pineapple upside-down cake is also a great idea! 

Here is one of our favorite upside-down dessert ideas (we messed with the order of the layers, so the bottom layer is placed on the top and so on)- 

You will need:

  • Graham crackers or digestive biscuits
  • Butter (We suggest melting it)
  • Heavy cream
  • Cream cheese (It's better if you can soften the cream cheese)
  •  Confectioner's sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Strawberries

Put the crackers in a ziplock bag and bash them to make crumbs. Can you use a food processor to do this? Yes, you can. Set the crumbs aside. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and refrigerate. Take a bowl and add icing sugar (Confectioner's sugar) and the softened cream cheese. Then, beat the two ingredients well after adding a dash of vanilla extract. A well-combined mixture will look smooth! Pipe this mix into a piping bag and keep it aside. Into another bowl, add the biscuit crumbs and the melted butter and give it a good mix. Cut the delicious strawberries into chunks and set them aside. Now we are ready to assemble. 

Take a cup (We used shot glasses). First, add a layer of strawberries. Then followed by a layer of whipped cream. Now, you can pipe in the cream cheese mixture as the third layer. Finally, top this off with the biscuit mixture. Then, of course, you can add pieces of strawberries as garnish too! Then refrigerate the dessert cups for about two to three hours before you serve them. An upside-down mini spoon tied with a ribbon is a good touch. 

You can try making your versions of dessert cups by messing with the order of layers. Don't forget to send the pics! 

Another idea we loved was messing up the order of the courses. We served our desserts first. Our guests enjoyed the main course after having their fill of desserts. We served the soups and other appetizers at the end.

Decoration Ideas for Your Themed Party

Take balloons and blow them up by yourself. It will be best if you don't use helium gas to inflate them. Then knot it so that the air doesn't go out. Then attach a string for each balloon. Finally, hang the balloons by the strings to the ceiling. This should make the balloons look upside down. (Remember to hang them from an appropriate length, so they don't get in the way of your guests) 

You can place the decorative lights and streamers that are usually hung up on the floor instead. 

The photos, posters, and banners used in the party can be inverted too. 

If you have some time on your hands, try to attach some boxes filled with treats to the ceiling. Then, you can make a game out of those boxes! 

Dress Code

Get your guests to dress backward for the party. The photos you take on this day will make you laugh in the future. 

Greetings

Switch the greetings up to get your guests excited about the party. For example, you can welcome them with a bye! And wave them off with a Hi! 

Make sure to post pictures on the Smarty Facebook page because we always love to see what you come up with!

 

Party on, Smarties! With love, Smarty had a Party!

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