Celebrate your graduate in style with these unique graduation party decorations that incorporate photos, personal touches, and the graduate’s favorite things to create a party that’s thoughtful, timeless, and trendy for your graduate!
Whether you’re hosting a high school graduation party, celebrating your favorite college graduations, or even just a fun kindergarten graduation playdate (hello water games!), you can use any of these great graduation party decorations to celebrate your grad in style!
I’ve got everything from DIY graduation decorations to ones you can order online and just put up when they show up! They’re for kindergarten to high school graduates, no matter the party theme!
Graduation Party Decorations Using Photos
One of my favorite things to do is to use photos in the party decorations simply because this party is all about your graduate and you want people to know that! Use photos of them growing up, senior photos, or really anything as a way to personalize decorations!
Welcome Poster
This custom welcome poster is a perfect addition to your party entrance! It has a modern glossy look that can be customized with a photo, color, school, and more! You could even customize it to work for a graduation party with multiple graduates!
Hanging Photo Walls
We made these pallet photo walls for my sister’s bohemian wedding but you could easily do the same thing for the graduate’s big day as well! Hang photos, lights, and other decor to give a chic look!
Photo Numbers
When I was looking for 50th birthday party ideas, I found the idea of using photos to write the number 50 on the wall. You could do it this way or make it a lot easier and just order custom photo numbers like these ones!
Custom Photo Collage to Share Memories
Put a bunch of the graduate’s own photos together of the graduate through the years to create a collage! Family members and friends will love looking through to see everything the graduate has done and enjoyed as they grew up!
Add a few little momentos and examples of school spirit like this one from Sophia Lee for the perfect focal point! You could even turn this into one of your graduation party games by having people try to find things on the photo boards!
Through the Years Photo Banner
Hang up pictures from all of the graduates different years in school like they did with this fun idea that incorporates polaroid style images through the years featuring the grad as they grow up!
Or if you want to make your own, we used this photo hanger at our reading retreat, and it made the perfect photo banner!
Graduation Banners
Another great idea for adding a personalized touch and a fun way to welcome guests is with a custom grad banner that features your graduate and plenty of fun facts about them! There are tons of different options for having these created including ones with free shipping, but I personally loved the look of this one!
Card Box
Add photos to the top of a basket or bin with this simple tutorial then add a little cards sign so people can add their cards somewhere that’s not a total eyesore!
General Graduation Party Decorations
Want to add a few more statement pieces? These are the perfect addition to any graduation party!
Graduation Garland
This paper graduation garland plays on the trendy idea of paper chains but turns it into a paper garland with a graduation cutout. I love this one so much, it would be so pretty hanging in a backyard!
Graduation Tiered Tray Centerpieces
These tiered trays are so trendy right now and would make great timeless graduation centerpieces for any grad party! You can have them customized with words that describe your graduate, but otherwise they come all put together!
Giant Graduation Yard Signs
These yard signs are a great way to shout it out that you have a graduate! Add them to your front yard just for a fun addition to your decor without taking up prime space in your house or wherever you’re having the party.
Or if you want something a little taller that requires less surface space, try this tall block graduate sign!
Mini Graduation Pennants
These little mini felt graduation pennants would be so fun to add to centerpieces, use in photo booths, or just put in their own vases around the party! They’d also be a great addition to a graduation bouquet, one of my favorite high school graduation gift ideas!
These would also be a really fun way to flag places on a graduation scavenger hunt!
Graduation Treat Dishes
Fill these graduation cap dishes with candies or other decorative elements for a fun themed party table decoration! You could even put pens or other trinkets in them that people could take home as graduation party favors!
Interactive Graduation Party Decorations
Everyone loves an interactive display and these decorations double as just that! They let the graduate and guests interact with them to create thoughtful keepsakes and memories!
A Polaroid Guest Book
Put out polaroids or Instax cameras and let people put their photo and a note in a guest book for the graduate to read later! It’ll give them something fun to look at PLUS it’ll give them a reminder (with photos) of who showed up for their graduation celebration!
Make sure to leave a sign explaining what to do like this one!
You could even setup a DIY photo booth (one of my favorite graduation activities) with props and items for the photos!
Memory Jar
Grab a large mason jar and a little sign that says memory jar and put it on a table. Have people write down a favorite memory, inside joke, or other note that the graduate can go through and read later! Love this idea so much!
Light Up Letters
Grab these graduation light up letters and set them up somewhere that people can take pictures with the grab near them for an impromptu photo booth. Or just add them somewhere to add a statement and a little light!
Next Chapter Cards
Add these next chapter cards to tables as decoration and let people fill them out for the graduate! They’re like a modern version of the old advice cards people used to fill out at weddings and baby showers!
Giant Congrats Grad Sign
This congrats grad sign is perfect for adding to a photo booth, balloon arch, or other backdrop! Add some cameras or a tripod to let people take photos like a photo booth!
You’ve got Mail Setup
This is one of the cutest ideas I’ve seen. Have guests write a little letter or postcard to the graduate that will be mailed throughout the first year at college. Such a fun idea not only as an activity for the party but for the graduate throughout the year!
DIY Graduation Party Decorations
Save some money by making your own graduation party decorations! These are the perfect DIY additions to any graduate’s party!
Floral Centerpieces
Add a graduation photo to floral arrangements with a cute little tag to make simple DIY centerpieces like these. They’re beautiful, simple, and easy to stay on budget if you grab flowers somewhere like Trader Joe’s.
Custom Graduation Caps
Use this tutorial to add something special to a graduation cap to add a personalized element to your graduation party. You can either just put the graduation caps around or combine them with other elements to make framed shadow boxes to place throughout the party.
Clay Pot Graduation Cap
This clay pot graduation cap is something that can be made in minutes and is the perfect idea for a graduation centerpiece or even to add to a dessert table!
Graduation Balloons
I personally love the simplicity of this fun balloon cap and tassel! These would be really fun to use as table centerpieces! Or you could go more extravagant of course with something like this graduation balloon bouquet.
Graduation Chalkboard Sign
This fun graduation chalkboard sign can be personalized with all sorts of fun facts about the graduate you’re celebrating! Set it up for people to learn more about where they’re going to school (or what they’re doing), their favorite memories, and more.
Tissue Paper Graduation Numbers
If you don’t want to go for number balloons or photo numbers, these fun tissue paper numbers are great options as well! Plus, this DIY tutorial makes it super easy to make on your own!
Light Up Graduation Table Decorations
If you’re looking for inexpensive table decor (aka saving up all the money in that piggy bank), these light up centerpieces are a great way to celebrate new beginnings for your new grad! They’re simple to make and a great price even if you’re making a bunch of them!
Leave a Reply