How to Plan a Back to School Party for Teenagers
Photography by Candi Noble
And here we are, in just a few short days the kids will be heading back to school and I have no idea where time has gone! Seriously! It feels like yesterday I dropped off my oldest child in her pre-K class and now she will be a Senior!
As some of you may know, I have 4 kids in the ages between 12 and 17, that means, this school year I will have 3 kids in high school and one in middle school... Feeling so old now!!
Thinking about how old my kids are and how going back to school used to be when they were little compared to how it is now, I figured I could style a Back-to-School party that focused more on the teen age group of kids.
I decided to go with a Rustic - Industrial style, mixing old and new elements throughout.
Let's start with the backdrop, which honestly, I kind of love how it turned out! Instead of using a Back-to-School banner, I used letters to spell some of the most common classes kids have in high school: Algebra, Biology, English and History. I used a lovely printable with a chalkboard look that fit perfectly with what I had in mind.
I wanted to incorporate some unexpected items on my dessert table, so I added a lamp with a modern lightbulb, a big wire basket that I placed an old, black telephone on, a cactus, and a little board with an inspirational quote for some motivation!
I also used some gray office boxes and added a vintage touch with a rotating stamp holder, which by the way, reminded me of my grandfather's office. I also added a tall cactus and a metal pencil holder. I think it really gave an office/school feel to the table. Lastly, I also hung up an old world map.
On the other side of the table, I placed a tall gray chair with a laptop on it because, now a days, it has become even more necessary than a pencil! I also added a cup of coffee and a backpack, because in our school there are no lockers! I also added a big plant behind the chair to add some contrasting colors.
I kept thinking about what other elements I could add to my table, so I came up with the idea of adding some water bottles, an old scale with some vintage books placed on top, and some mini bottles filled with different size paper clips and pins.
For desserts I wanted to keep it simple and order a naked chocolate cake, which is the favorite family flavor. I added some succulents to tie in the green plants used all over the set up.
And because kids will always be kids, I served them milk in a mason jar and added a little bit of decor with the striped straws. I didn't want to add any labels or straw flags since I really wanted them to feel a little bit more mature. I also ordered a variety of cookies and some of the flavors include chocolate chip, M&M's and macadamia nut. All combined really well with a cold glass of milk!
Oh, I almost forgot! I also ordered some macarons because who doesn't like those?!
The flavors were coffee and strawberry.
Hope you all enjoyed this Industrial Back-to-School Party for teens and hopefully it will inspire you to style a teen party too! I know my kids LOVED it and I felt it was the right style for them!
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