Ahhh Pineapples! The symbol of welcome and hospitality which dates back as far Christopher Columbus himself. Early sea captains would bring back this coveted fruit to their families who would in turn serve it to their guests.

It is only fitting that our Officer Spouses’ Club picked this as our theme for our annual kick-off event. The trick? We only had $250 to decorate for this 50-60 person party. Check out how we did it!

It may not be rocket science, but gold spray paint makes simple things like pineapples and seashells oh-so-glamorous.  I used Rust-Oleum American Accents.  The good news was that no primer was required.  So go get on your mask and spray to your heart’s content my friend.

I used these hexagons as runners on some of the tables, and also as filler for the wall and backdrop decor. I love the way they add a femine pop of glam to the party.   To make these groovy shapes I cut out and spray painted cereal boxes.  I then added a one-inch border made of gold poster paper.  A little hot glue action and they were the bomb- for not much dough.

DECORATING ON A DIME: To save money I purchased spray paint and plastic cups, both the drinking and condiment variety 😉  I spray painted the inside with a light coat of this lovely shade of “80’s sexy” yellow.  It provided the pop of neon I needed without breaking the bank.  

Optionally, I smothered Elmer’s glue along the outside of the large cups.  Then I rolled it in clear glitter. Ta da!  Uber cheap candle holders in a custom neon color.

I splurged time and money on the table runners. I picked up perfectly-preppy, striped fabric and hemmed the edges. If I wanted to save, however, I could have achieved a very similar effect by using wrapping paper from Walmart. In fact, I did use the paper version to line the check-in and buffet tables. Ka-Pow!

The pineapple welcome doesn’t stop there! Obviously the tablescapes are only a part of the over all asthetic of the party. Let me run you through some of the other  inexpensive ideas we used to decorate the two patio areas…Prepare yourself for creative ways to get bang with very little buck!

Thanks to my beautiful friends, Angie and Jessie, for modeling this high-contrast, brightly colored photobooth backdrop. Lookin’ good ladies!

My cute and creative friends, Jaana and Angie, created these pineapple masterpieces out of nothing more than tomato cages, newpaper, duct tape, poster board and gold spray paint! They lovingly refer to each of these creations as their “Pineapple Babies.” These were impressive additions to the decor scheme, and less than $15 a piece!

Thanks for joining me on our Pineapple Party recap! It was a fabulously enjoyable evening with a fun, welcoming vibe. It just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a fortune to throw a wonderful party.