All Time Favorite High School Graduation Celebration Ideas To Make Your Party Amazing

This post is about High School graduation celebration Ideas.

After a few years of helping people plan the best graduation party they could, we’ve recognized a few common trends that everyone loves to have at their graduation party. These trends range from helpful tips, to favorite decor items. 

This post rounds up the all time favorite high school graduation celebration ideas – guaranteed to make your party amazing. Everything from great party tips to save money, to the most popular decor items can all be found here.

Here is 15 high school graduation celebration ideas.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CELEBRATION

1. INCLUDE A REFRESHMENT STAND

You have to admit, these glass refreshment containers look gorgeous when compared to their plastic orange counterpart. The best part? They cost the same amount! We love that this beverage container lasts a long time, so it can be reused at many parties, and it has an ice compartment that truly keeps your drinks cold. 

2. KEEP YOUR GUESTS ENTERTAINED 

Setting out a selection of games, especially these simple paper ones, is a great way to make sure your guests have an amazing time at your high school graduation party. This party pack of games is perfect, since there are so many options for your guests to choose from. 

3. SET OUT A GUEST BOOK 

You’ll want to give your graduate the option to read wonderful messages from their guests for years to come. The guest book listed above is gorgeous, and comes with matching pens to keep everything on theme. 

4. DON’T BE AFRAID TO STICK TO A THEME 

Not only don’t be afraid to stick to a theme, you may find it much easier to stick to one. Simply pick out a color combination, and pick out your favorite decor items within those colors. For example, gold and black is a super common graduation party theme, so you won’t have any trouble finding gorgeous elements for a black and gold high school graduation celebration. 

5. ADD A PHOTO BOOTH! 

Photo booths are by far one of the most popular items we see at a high school graduation celebration. Photo booths are super versatile, since they can be as elaborate or simple as you would like. The photo booth listed above is really simple, just a gold background and balloons to spice it up!

6. MAKE YOUR HOUSE STAND OUT

With tons of graduation parties happening all spring and summer, it’s a good idea to make sure your house stands out from the crowd. These custom banners are so adorable, and they’re great to put right on the front of your house or a fence in your front yard to make your house stand out. 

7. CONSIDER A VENUE ADAPTATION

In the midwest, high school graduation parties are more often than not held outdoors. Since a graduation party is planned so far in advance, there is a chance that you outdoor party will be caught with a rainy day. To help combat this, consider getting a tent and returning it if it doesn’t get used. For my graduation party, my parents used a local tent rental and had tents in place in case it rained. Even though it was a gorgeous day, the tents helped a ton with the sun. 

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8. DIY IT UP! 

Don’t be afraid to get crafty for your high school graduation party! This can save a ton of money, and allow you to customize anything to fit your specific needs. For example, you can get some cheap buckets from the dollar store and spray paint them to fix your graduation party theme. It’s a simple adjustment, and saves a ton of money. 

9. HUNT FOR THRIFT STORE FINDS 

Another amazing high school graduation celebration money saving tip is to thrift shop for everything that you can. When you get your list together of decor items, head to the local goodwill or another thrift store to see if you can find any of the items there. Remember, you can always alter them, and this is a great sustainable decision as well. 

10. GIVE OUT PARTY FAVORS 

What guest doesn’t love party favors? These customizable bags from Etsy are perfect to fill with some popcorn for your guests to grab on their way out the door. Plus, this is a super affordable party favor so it works well if you plan on having a large amount of guests come to your party. 

11. OUTDOOR PARTY? YARD GAMES! 

If you are planning an outdoor high school graduation celebration, its a great idea to set out some fun yard games. Guests will love playing them, and it helps keep the kids entertained so parents can catch up with the other people at the party. 

12. CONSIDER ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES

Usually, opting for a more eco-friendly version of a high waste item in bulk will not cost a lot more when compared to its wasteful counterpart. Guests will appreciate your efforts, and the planet will thank you! 

13. LET GUESTS GIVE ADVICE

If I could go back and change one thing about my graduation party, it would be to add advice cards for my guests to fill out. I got a few words of advice in some cards, and I still hold on to that advice today! Advice is such a valuable thing for newly graduated high school students who are about to head off to college. 

14. DON’T FORGET THE CARD BOX!

A card box is an absolute essential for a high school graduation celebration. A simple card box like the one listed above is great since it matches so many themes and can be reused at other parties. 

15. BANNERS ARE EASY TO CUSTOMIZE 

These burlap banners are fantastic for adding boundaries to your party or adding to other decor as a filler. We love these burlap banners since you can paint them, add stencils to them, and customize them to fit your specific graduation party theme. 

16. BUY YOUR OWN BALLOONS 

Buying balloons can save you an INSANE amount of money. This entire pack of 60 themed balloons is under $10. How crazy is that?

17. RENT TABLES! 

Unless you happen to have a ton of those long rectangular tables on hand, rent them! One thing you do not want to run out of at your graduation party is places for people to sit, which is why renting tables is so important. You can also book your table renting really far in advance, to see if they will give you a deal. 

18. PHOTO DISPLAYS ARE A MUST 

Everyone wants to look at the graduates pictures from when they were growing up. Make sure that you print off as many pictures of them that you can find! They will definitely be a topic of conversation. Picture displays like the one above are especially popular. 

19. HELP GUESTS BATTLE PESTS AND SUN 

This is an idea that we didn’t know would blow up the way it did. If you’re hosting an outdoor graduation party, your guests will be forever thanking you when their kids can go home without sunburn. 


20. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CANDY 

If you’re up for a few hours of crafting, you can get custom stickers for candy. This is such a cute way to run a theme throughout your entire party, and make your candy absolutely beautiful. 

THIS POST SHOWED YOU 20 OF THE BEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CELEBRATION IDEAS.

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