You will love these high school graduation party ideas for the class of 2021!
So your graduating… first of congratulations! Graduation is a huge milestone and achievement in your life, so why not throw the best graduation party?! It’s so much fun to spend a day celebrating with friends and family while playing games and eating delicious food!
We’ve compiled a list of the best food and drink ideas, backdrop ideas, decor ideas, guestbook ideas, and game ideas for your high school graduation party.
I know it can be hard to find creative and original ideas to use for your graduation party. We’ve found these 20 super creative and fun graduation party ideas that everyone at the party will LOVE!
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Food and Drink Ideas
What’s the one thing everyone remembers from your graduation party? The food of course! You don’t have to spend a fortune on gourmet food for your party. Give your guests something they will remember by changing up the presentation of the food, or adding a food item that is unique and special to you!
1. Cookie Display
I love cookies, and there are so many different types of cookies you can have at your graduation party. Make the cookie display cuter by adding variations of height in the display while using items that are not normally used to display food, like this vintage scale!
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2. Cute Drink Dispenser
Instead of just throwing water bottles in a cooler, add a super cute drink dispenser that you can fill with any beverage you want; water, lemonade, iced tea, soda, and many more. Put the dispensers on a wooden crate and add small chalkboard sign to recreate this cute look!
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3. Soda Bar
This ideas for all the soda lovers out there! Display your love for this fizzy beverage by adding a large chalkboard sign and some flavored syrups. Complete the look with fun straws and mason jars!
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4. Waffle Bar
If your graduation party is happening in the morning, then you NEED a waffle bar! Lay out some waffle makers with batter and have people make their own waffles continental breakfast style, or premake the waffles and keep them in a food warmer. Put out fresh fruit, syrup, whipped cream, chocolate chips, and anything else you like on your waffle!
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5. Popcorn bar
There are so many different types of popcorn that you can have at your graduation party! Try out the classics like butter, kettle caramel and cheese, but also add in some unique flavors like bacon, ranch, taco, and cinnamon sugar!
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Backdrop Ideas
Everyone needs a cute backdrop to hang behind tables or to take pictures with your guests! Here are the best backdrop ideas that you need to recreate.
6. PVC pipe Photo backdrop
Everyone will love taking pictures in front of this cute photo backdrop at your graduation party. Plus, it is SUPER easy to make. I am not super good at DIY projects, but I was able to make it by myself just with PVC pipe. After the main structure is assembled you can decorate it with anything you want like greenery, balloons, lights, flowers, and more!
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7. Wooden Pallet backdrop
You can dress up a wooden pallet anyway you like to! Some businesses give away these wooden pallets for free. I love how this one uses a balloon arch as the decor!
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8. Friends photo booth
This is a super cute idea for all of you Friends lovers! The couch, the episode title, the episode number, ahhh its all so perfect!
9. Streamer and balloon arch backdrop
This cute backdrop can be used for the backdrop of a photo booth, behind the food table, or behind the picture table. Add a balloon arch with varying balloon sizes and colors to make it extra festive.
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Decor Ideas
From table centerpieces to balloon arches, your’e going to love these trendy decor ideas for your graduation party!
10. Flowers and grad picture centerpieces
Show off your beautiful graduation pictures by putting them as decorations in your centerpieces. I love this ideas because it combines two common graduation centerpieces (pictures and flowers) into one completely unique and cute centerpiece idea.
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11. Circle Picture Display
This has to be one of my favorite ways to display pictures at your graduation party! Its such a simple but super innovative and creative way to use a hulu hoop as a picture display piece. All you need for this decor idea is a hulu hoop, gold spray paint, flowers and greenery, your pictures, and some string to hang it up!
12. Graduation Banner
Get a customized graduation banner with your name on it to add a touch of personalization to your party! This would look super cute on a photo backdrop or hanging behind a picture display wall.
13. Hanging Picture Frames
I’ve used this idea for a prom photo booth and graduation photo booth and everyone loved them! This is a great idea if you have a couple trees in your yard to hang the picture frames on. You can sometimes find large old picture picture frames at garage sales or thrift stores!
14. Vintage Suitcase Card Box
If you have a more rustic or vintage theme at your graduation party then this card box idea is perfect for you. Find an old suitcase from a thrift store or local craft store and and glue on a paper world map to recreate this look.
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Guestbook Ideas
15. Polaroid Guestbook
Instead of a million “good luck at college!” entries in your guestbook, spice things up with a polaroid guestbook! Forever have pictures of your friends and family celebrating your graduation.
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16. Advice Tree
Another great alternative to your typical guestbook, is an advice tree. I personally love this idea because I used it at my own graduation party. Put a few tree branches in a vase and lay out “advice cards” for your guests to write on.
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17. Jenga Guestbook
Another unique guestbook idea is to have your guests sign a block from the game Jenga. You can even bring the Jenga game to college with you for dorm room game nights!
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18. Key to Success Guestbook
This is a super creative guestbook idea and adds a cute vintage element to your graduation party.
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19. Oh the places you’ll go
Instead of a book with blank pages, use this fitting Dr. Seuss book as a guestbook for your graduation party!
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Game Ideas
20. “Has the grad ever…” game
How well do your friends and family know you? This is a fun and easy game to find out which person at your party knows you best.
21. Spikeball
I had spikeball at my graduation party and it was a HUGE hit. It’s an easy game for all ages to learn and it gets people up and active while having a ton of fun.
22. Bean Bag Toss
This is a classic backyard graduation party game that you need at your party.
23. Giant Jenga
I love this game because everyone at the party can take turns and join in on the fun!
I hope you found some great high school graduation party ideas to use at your graduation party!
This post is all about the best high school graduation party ideas for the class of 2021
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