Our Graduation Ideas You Can Use For Your At-Home Graduation Festivities

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This year’s 2020 graduating class will not have the opportunity to participate in traditional graduation ceremonies. My oldest graduated high school last year and I created an inspiration board for his graduation ceremony and party.

It contains lots of amazing ideas and we used most of them. I didn’t get a chance to share how it all came together. Now is a perfect time since some of the ideas work for at-home graduation celebrations.

Let’s jump in and check out 8 ideas we used for our graduation celebrations that you can use to celebrate your “coronamencement” without the crowds but still, pomp and circumstance.

Using your graduate’s school colors (ours are dark green and gold/yellow) can help focus your planning. Don’t feel pressured to create a specific theme (one smart cookie, luau, etc.), a popular idea under regular circumstances.

Let the world know how proud you are of your graduate by decorating your porch and yard! You can add signs and balloons to the yard and a fun balloon garland for your porch. I created mine and added honeycomb balls and diamonds. You can also add in faux blooms and greenery, or small toys and inflatables.

Send out annoucements, invites for virtual or drive-by celebrations and thank you cards. You may not realize it, but they are still much-needed (and appreciated) keepsakes for even an at-home graduation. Plus, everyone can use a litte snail mail. We started things off with our graduation stationery set from my favorite place, Minted!

Minted is offering several discounts –

•  Now through Monday, June 1 11:59 pm EST – The Grad Pack: Save 25% When you purchase grad announcements, thank you cards, and photo art gifts together with code GRADPACK
• Starting Tuesday May 19th –  Monday May 25th 11:59 pm EST – The Class of 2020 Event: Enjoy 15% off grad announcements & invites with code CLASSOF2020

Having a drive-by parade? Drop off Shindigz’ graduation fan faces to those participating to wave during! Send a few out to family and friends who are joining your virtual graduation party. This was one of my favorite ideas at our graduation ceremony.

Whether you are whipping up the graduate’s favorite meal or take-out from a favorite restaurant, set a pretty table. Have flowers delivered or head outdoors and clip flowers and greenery for a easy centerpiece. Even more fun, a veggie centerpiece can be recycled for the next meal.

Have some fun and create a simple dinner menu of your evening’s meal for each place setting.

Next, we used Pear Tree’s photo squares table decor as a fun walk down memory lane. I love they are double sided and you can choose the colors of the background and artwork on the back.

You probably aren’t going to need stir sticks but Creative Amme has lots of other laser cut items you can use, from cake toppers to signage. Our green stir sticks were a fun addition to our party drink bar. Bookmark this idea for when we can gather again to celebrate.

Display pictures of the graduate through various life stages for your at-home graduation virtual party set up. There is nothing more fun than to see a cocky teenager as an adorable little trick-or-treater or in their pee-wee team gear.

There were so many pictures to choose from; it was a little bittersweet to go through them all and display the chosen ones in inexpensive gold frames.

Speaking of which, tassel garlands and mylar balloons are another great backdrop for your virtual party. GlamFete has an amazing array of options where you can mix and match your graduate’s colors.

Graduation celebrations should always involve a great dessert. Is your favorite bakery taking custom orders for a safe pickup? We are lucky to live near Jenny Cookies Bakeshop who created a custom cake and cookies. From honoring his 4 years of cross-country and track to the school’s logo, it was amazing to see our ideas come to life in sweet form.

Cookies with a hard icing coating and food markers are another tasty option. I purchased my cookies to serve as place makers. You can use yours to write out a special message to your graduate. Sweet Sugarbelle has a great icing recipe and tips for flooding your cookie.

Sadly, of the many senior activities that can’t be replaced, Grad Walk hits the hardest! This annual tradition of seniors, in the last weeks before graduation, returning to their elementary schools they previously attended in full regalia.

Seeing the kids I’ve know from kindergarten, coming back together after being scattered to different high schools, brought a little tear to my eyes.

Lining the hallway to the auditorium, students and staff applaud and high-five seniors on their way down. There was cake and speeches. After that, a few more tears from mom, remembering those days of volunteering, classroom parties, book fairs and movie nights, teacher appreciation dinners and parent/teacher conferences.

It is all about celebrating as safely as possible. In short, whatever at-home graduation celebrations you create, it will make your graduate feel special. This year’s festivities are during truly unprecendented times. One day, it will be a great story to tell the grandkids.

Need more ideas? Check out my other graduation posts…