Tricks of the trade – your DIY event guide

February 10, 2017 - 6 minutes read

You want to make your event a memorable experience for all involved but the cost of props, entertainment and catering can quickly escalate beyond your budget. Whether you’re throwing a charity dinner, school reunion or gala night, a few DIY components will keep costs down. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing!

Entertainment
When you start looking at live bands or stand up comedians, entertainment can grow to a huge expense. Reach out to universities for talented musical or performing arts students seeking experience and will be willing to perform at discounted rates. Alternatively, occupy guests with your own photobooth. All you’ll need to do is build a backdrop, create props and have an iPad or polaroid camera at the ready to start shooting! It will keep guests amused and they’ll have a memorable takeaway (digital or print) from the event.

Decorations
Without decorations, your venue can look a little flat and unappealing. Let’s start with the basics…balloons. Balloons are always fun but often come off as cheap. Picking up a pot of metallic paint and giving the bottom a rough brush or a splatter will add a bit of grandeur to the rubber balls of air.

Have a long table? Or a cluster of dry bars? Jazz them up with mason jars or old wine bottles and fill them with fairy lights, candles or flowers. These are all relatively inexpensive items which most people have lying around the house. They’ll add an eclectic charm to your venue.

Wanting a bit of sparkle? Fairy lights look dazzling when strung up across a feature wall or dance floor. No where to hang the lights? No problem, we found this great how-to guide to setup your own suspended light show.

Catering
Food can often make or break an event. Opting for self-catering is a great way to save and, depending on the scale of your event, having volunteers readily available will be an absolute god-sent. This handy little serving guide will help you allocate resources most efficiently.

Serving starters or casual cocktail food? Big wholesome platters are easy on the eye and your pocket. Take a morning trip to the local farmers markets and nearest deli to source a range of fruits, vegetables, dips, crackers, nuts, meats and cheeses. Piling them up high will make for incredible and filling platters.

If you’re looking to serve something more substantial, multiplying out a curry recipe to serve a bigger crowd will make for an affordable and flavoursome main course. Serve it with rice in takeaway containers for an easy and mess-free meal!

When it comes to sweets, try setting up your very own candy buffet. They look amazing and can be pretty affordable. Source vases from home or local antique stores and fill them with your favourite treats. The best part is no kitchen required! Add a bit of wow factor to your event with a fondue station. It’s fun, interactive…and who doesn’t love fondue? We found a great crockpot recipe here!

Thank you Gifts
Depending on your event, it’s always nice to thank attendees for their contribution of time, work, donations or the sort. Although you’ll want to give a decent gift, they can be quite costly so our homemade alternatives will add a nice personal touch and won’t break the bank. Candles are a great option. If you can get your hands on small containers (think jars, cups, bowls – it doesn’t matter if they are all different, it adds a rustic touch) you can create your very own wax workshop for homemade candles. Another great gift idea is baked goods in little jars or packages. Fudge or cookies always goes down a treat and are deceptively easy to make in bulk! Free food is a surefire way to the hearts of your guests.

We’ve planted the seed, now it’s your turn to go out and give some of our DIY ideas a run for their money. Whether it’s a networking event or charity affair, you’ll be saving money for where you really need it.

Finally it’s worth remembering that you get ticket sale revenue directly from ticket sales with eTickets.to. We don’t hold your funds like other ticketing platform so you’re able to utilise the cashflow to pay that venue deposit, pay the band or purchase those DIY cost saving items.

If you haven’t already setup your event with eTickets.to, why not get started today.

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