Styling Secrets, Business Brains: Once Upon a Table

Dani from Once Upon a Table is the talented stylist we are hearing from this week. Once Upon a Table is a Brisbane based Event Styling business covering from Sunshine Coast to Byron Bay.

Dani is sharing some fantastic tips for party planning as well as running your own business while being a mum – hope you enjoy the read!

 

 

 

Styling Secrets

 

1.       Be inspired to be different

 

I love looking at Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Blogs and it is definitely a great way to source inspiration and ideas. But it is also great to think outside the box and do something different. Event ideas and themes can come from the strangest places.

I got the idea for our Confetti Fair table while sitting in my daughter’s teepee. I had been struggling to come up with a unique theme, and as I sat there watching my daughter play with her drum, I knew instantly I wanted to create a table that incorporated Native American Indian elements. We made a wooden teepee to cover the drink dispenser, used a dreamcatcher for the “O” in our name, a feather headpiece to wrap our cake and an Indian Wedding Blessing as our table sign. A lot of the elements we used on the table were not necessarily intended to be used on a party table, but we adapted them to suit our theme.

When you start planning an event, use an Inspiration Board to collate your ideas and create a vision for your event. Don’t limit yourself to just party pictures, as you never know what you can create by looking in different places. The more creative you can be, the more you will enjoy the process and your guests will be blown away by the end result.

 

 

2.       Make it personal

 

An event draws people together and it is where memories are created, so it is always so special to be able to make it personal. Choose a theme that says something about the person – that tells their story. For example, our daughter’s nickname is Button, so we did a “Cute as a Button” 1^st Birthday Party.

We also had a lovely customer who wanted to do a Raggedy Ann 1^st Birthday because her daughter was photographed with a Raggedy Ann doll as a newborn and it was her daughter’s favourite toy. If you don’t want to theme your event, use colours, props, photos or quotes to make it more meaningful. It is also great to involve your guests and create a lasting memory by having a unique guestbook. An old typewriter for guests to type a message, a time capsule, a photo booth or even a thumbprint picture are all great ways to capture the memories of the event.

 

3.       It’s the little details

 

It is great to incorporate as many little details into an event as you can. It is so rewarding to watch people’s eyes light up as they notice different elements at a party, and it is the little extras that will transform your event into something memorable.

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune either, as handmade items or DIY projects can be so much fun leading up to an event. Involve friends and family too, as they will love to see their creations used on the day. Don’t forget to be creative and think of new things you can include on your table – they will really stand out!

Finally, if you are going to include lots of different elements at a party make sure you plan ahead. Doing a project or two each week is much more enjoyable than trying to get everything done in the last week. You want to enjoy the party, so the more organised you are, the more time you will have to actually enjoy the special day.

 

 

Business Brains

 

I started Once Upon A Table while I was on maternity leave with my second child in 2012, and have since returned to work as a Business Development Manager in Banking.

Juggling a very busy job, 2 children and a new business has been exciting, but also very challenging. I am certainly very sleep deprived and my house is a little messier, but I absolutely love what I do.

I think this is so important, as being passionate definitely shows in your work and it also helps you get through when you are tired or busy.

 

 

I am also lucky enough to have a great support network. I have a fantastic husband who builds all of our props, furniture and backdrops, and is always there to listen to my new (and sometimes crazy) ideas. I also have an amazing 15 year old son who is always on hand to help out. There aren’t many teenage boys who would hold ribbon, sort doilies or stay up to talk to their Mum on those late nights working on an event!

My 18 month old just loves playing with all of my craft stuff and often contributes to a rather big mess on our kitchen table. My family are my biggest supporters and they really push me to live my dream and grow our business.

Through the business I have also met so many wonderful people who have become my close friends. The support in this industry is amazing and everyone is always available to give advice. We are often emailing or texting late at night and it is always good to know that I am not the only one up after midnight working on a party.

I have also found that collaborating with other suppliers or friends not only helps take your vision in a different and more creative direction, but also cuts down on the number of late nights. When I started I would do absolutely everything myself, but now I enlist the help of some amazingly talented florists, cake decorators, paperie designers and so on. Working together with other creative people is so rewarding and can really take your event to another level.

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Thank you so much Dani for sharing your party planning advice and business wisdom with all of us!

You can follow more of Dani’s work on the Once Upon a Table facebook page here.

Little man party theme

A little man theme has become a popular party theme lately for young boys, and especially 1st birthdays. This theme focuses heavily on the image of a mustache however often also incorporates bow-ties or ties as well.

It is an easy party to style through the use of printables and attaching mustaches to items such as candy jars, balloons, cups, favour bags etc

I’ve based the selections in this blog post around black/white as well as some chevron items which is often incorporated into this theme to give it a modern feel. You can find more chevron finds in this blog post.

However I don’t think this theme should only be styled around black/white – the invitation/printable section of this blog post will give you some ideas for colour schemes for this theme.

You can also find my pinterest board for this theme here with more ideas.

Here are my selections:

 

Invitations and Printables

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tableware

Love this clever tablerunner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These mustache adhesives are perfect for attaching to a range of items:

 

 

 

 

 

Melamine platters are fantastic for kids parties and these black ones are perfect for this theme:

 

 

 

Sweet Treats

Love these mustache lollipops!:

 

Create mustache cookies with these cutters which also includes a stamper to stamp on a design:

 

Make your own chocolate mustaches using these moulds:

 

 

 

Easy decorating for your cupcakes or even savoury items with these toppers:

 

 

 

Theme your ice-cubes with this mould!:

 

An easy way to style a cake using this topper:

 

 

 

 

Themed items

A popular idea for a Mustache party is the use of a photo booth and supplying guests with mustaches to play with:

 

 

 

 

Favours

Cute mustache shaped soaps! :

 

Perfect favour boxes & bags for this theme:

 

 

 

You could attach mustaches to these bags to theme them:

 

 

 

Use this stamp to create your own gift tags:

 

 

 

Perfect washi tape to use to attach a gift tag to your favours and to use for other decorating for this theme:

 

 

Real Parties

Find more ideas by viewing these Little Man parties:

Lovely and stylish 1st birthday in greens and blues featured on Hostess with the Mostess

Father and Son mustache bash with a slightly vintage look from Kara’s Party Ideas

Love the backdrop in this Little Man party from Project Nursery blog

Cute Little Man party in yellow, black and grey from the Bondville blog

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Hope you enjoyed the round up of ideas and they help when planning to celebrate your little man!

Pirate Theme Real Party Feature

Today being official “Talk like a pirate day” –  I am sharing some images that one of my blog readers/facebook followers Melanie sent me of her son’s Pirate Themed 3rd birthday.

I was excited to share these because often I see and share images of parties styled by professional stylists and I think it is important to also see parties hosted by mum’s who aren’t professional stylists to see what an amazing and fun party can be created by someone just like – you!

Melanie who has a 3yr old and a 13 month old made all the decorations, the cake and most of the food herself – not an easy feat with two toddlers at home! However she said it was all worth it to see her son Max have a great time and see how excited he was at the set up!

She used the printables from One Magic Day who is one of the vendors in the children’s party directory. Cookies and macarons are from “Oh Sugar”.

I love the clever use of props at this party such as the wooden elements and creative cake stands Melanie made. So many fantastic details in this party which I have mentioned below.

Enjoy the photos and all the creative ideas of this wonderful pirate party!

Fantastic treasure map backdrop that Melanie made is perfect for this theme:

 

Clever styling with the gold coins spilling out of the hessian bag:

 

Love these toppers in the jelly which look like boats:

 

Melanie made this cake herself and I love the sand effect. Also how fantastic are those mason jars on stands?

 Perfect kid friendly candy bar!:

Great prop sign!:

Love this pirate tent and the happy pirate birthday boy:

Melanie has done such an amazing job. Thanks so much for sharing Melanie!

Colour your party: natural

Whether you’re planning a vintage themed party, or a theme which incorporates wooden/natural features such as a woodland, pirate, jungle, dinosaur party theme (to name just a few) – here is some inspiration to get you started with what you could perhaps work into this celebration.

All the links are below the inspiration board:

 

Find them all here:

Sambellina kraft favour box

Pine food boat

Hessian roll

Wooden scoop

Tassel garland DIY kit

Jute sacks

Rustic pie buffet table by Bubble and Sweet

Muslin favour bags

Wooden mini blackboard pegs

Champagne stripe tableware

Tree stump risers

Taupe and white striped lantern

Caramel straws with stripe

Are you working in natural or wooden elements into the next party you’re planning?

If so – what is the party theme?

 

 

 

Introducing: Sugar Coated Candy & Dessert Buffet’s

Today I am delighted to introduce you to one of my talented blog sponsers – Sugar Coated Candy & Dessert Buffets. Maja provides an amazing styling service in Melbourne (as you can see by the images in this post). Her focus is on dessert tables however she also provides full event styling services.

In this post she shares a little bit more about her business, her motivation and managing the work/business balance!

 

What have been some of your recent themes and favourite themes you have styled?

The first half of the year has consisted of lots of boys parties! I have covered owl themes, vintage circus, construction, dirt bikes, elmo and a few nautical themes. My favourite to date has to be the Construction party I styled for Bela Designs’ son Lincoln who did an amazing job with the event stationary.

 

 

The second half of the year looks like its all girl parties for me! I recently styled the ever so popular bird theme table in gorgeous pinks and lilac colour palette.  I am looking forward to styling a Teddy bear Picnic and Hungry Caterpillar for two little girls’ first birthdays this month.

 

 

Where do you find inspiration and motivation for your business?

I have always been always been very creative, artistic and hands on, so styling events is a great opportunity to express all. My 20 month old daughter is my biggest inspiration as well as my little assistant, she has started styling her own tables at  home!

 

 

How you manage to balance your business with your family commitments?

Being a parent and working from home is a challenge in itself! I definitely try to create the balance between my family and work. I tend to make the most of my time during nap times and the 2 days my daughter is in day care are my most productive days.

 

 

Aren’t these dessert tables amazing?

Thanks so much Maja for sharing some thoughts on your business Sugar Coated Candy & Dessert Buffets. As you can see from the images, Maja is extremely talented! You can join her facebook page to keep up to date with more of her work!