How to Rock Your DIY Party Projects
/You know how it goes. You're planning a party and have spent hours scouring the internet for the best ideas. You've got a whole list of projects and you're determined to throw the very best party anyone has ever seen. Ever! But, by the time party day comes around, you are scrambling. What happened between that day you were planning and had "so much time!" and today? Probably all the DIY projects you didn't leave yourself enough time for! Although these DIY projects may seem easy, they can be very time consuming, especially when you're doing several of them. Here are some tips to ensure you have the DIY party of your dreams!
Divide them up.
Pick 1-2 must-do projects, 2-3 like-to-do projects and 1-2 if-I-have-time projects. This way, you can do as many projects as you have time for without sacrificing the projects you want to do most.
Have a crafting party.
If you want to make a lot of projects and have crafty friends, invite them over! Be sure you have all the supplies on hand, then get some snacks, a bottle of wine, and start crafting. You can make more projects in a fraction of the time. Plus, it's a fun bonding experience!
Learn to delegate.
Ok, maybe you're not the best cake decorator. Instead of trying to do it yourself (and possibly failing), how about having a friend assist? Ask around and see if anyone can come take on some tasks. They'll probably enjoy it! Just be sure to give them a deadline and follow up to make sure it gets done. The last thing you need is to be left scrambling on party day!
Don't leave it until the last minute.
The best thing you can have when it comes to DIY projects is time. Leave a few weeks to work on your projects to ensure they come out nicely and get done in time. Believe me when I tell you that things can take longer than you think!
Maximize your time.
To get the most out of your time spent crafting, try to make as many of each project as you can per session. This way you won't end up taking supplies in and out or wasting paint, etc. You'll also get into the rhythm of it, and be able to make them much faster than if you start and stop, making 2 projects at a time.
Slow and steady wins the race.
On that same note, don't wait until you have a large block of time to start on projects. If all you have are short periods of downtime, use them! It's better to work on 1-2 items per day than trying to rush everything into one day, right? I always love to pop on my favorite movie or TV show, grab a TV table, and whip up some crafts projects while I watch TV.
Create an assembly line.
Sometimes it's easier to batch your projects- aka doing "like" projects at the same time. What does this mean? Painting all your beads at once, cutting out all your shapes in one sitting, or gluing everything together. This will help you to find the most efficient way to do each step through repetition.
Don't be a perfectionist.
Yes, you want this project to come out perfectly. But does it have to? If you spend too much time perfecting each project, you'll be missing out on valuable time you could be spending on other projects! This is especially important when you have others helping. Allow yourself to delegate and don't spend time micromanaging everyone. It's supposed to be fun!
Reduce shopping time.
Create a shopping checklist so that you can avoid multiple trips to the store. A quick way to derail your productivity is to stop midway because you forgot something you needed. Been there... done that!
Have you ever attempted a DIY party project at the last minute, and then realized you were in WAY over your head? Let me know in the comments below!