We had a Greek island theme for Angelo's birthday this year and it felt like we were transported to the Mediterranean for the afternoon. There's no place quite like Greece in summer! The simple white, blue, and sunny lemon yellow palette was so bright and inviting yet so serene. I used a lot of amazing ideas from around the web so here are the decoration details:
1. We just happen to have small orange and lemon trees, but terra cotta pots of traditional Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, basil, bay, and oregano would also be perfect. I cut some rosemary and bay and used them in glass vases as well. You will find succulents growing among the rocks in Greece and in pots as outdoor decor, so our little collection fit in well here. I even made a paper succulent to decorate the chandelier using this tutorial from
Craftberry Bush. Bowls of lemons and oranges added some bright color to the decor.
2. I found DIY instructions for these beautiful crepe paper anemones at
Ash and Crafts. Anemones, or windflowers, are connected to Greek mythology and I thought they would be a great fit. Paper flowers are awesome because you can make them whatever color you like! Plus, if I wanted fresh cut flowers this particular kind would be really difficult for me to get a hold of. I also made some yellow poppies, shown in the next set of photos, from a petal template that I just kind of estimated.
3. I made a wall display of hand-weaving using embroidery hoops. My yiayia and I had made these for another occasion. Learn how to make your own here at the
Living Crafts blog.
4. We made the "Opa" sign from papier mache letters purchased from A.C. Moore and painted white. "Opa" is a Greek expression of joy and you'll hear it quite often during a celebration!
5. I loved these driftwood boats from
Alisa Burke. We didn't have driftwood so we just cut down some wood strips instead. We used painted watercolor paper for some of the boats and patterned paper for others.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
