Is this happening to you? Your special fundraising dinner is in the planning process. You may have a few ideas for entertainment for the event or ideas for what local politicians and donors to invite, but when it comes to decorating, you’re feeling lost. Of course, you could hire a professional decorator to turn that bland event location into something worthy of a special dinner, but that cuts into your profits for the event. Prom decoration catalogs may seem useful at this point, but you probably don’t want to spend $500 for a ‘water fountain’ made from corrugated bulletin board material with aluminum foil ‘water’ and construction paper ‘lily pads’.

If you are currently staring at a blank piece of paper with no ideas for a theme or how to decorate for the event, then take a look at these ideas for some inspiration! You can combine a few together, or tweak an idea to make it work better for your circumstances. Many formal events or special dinners require individual centerpieces for every table. Depending on your event, you may wish to sell the centerpieces or award them to a person at each table. If not, then you may want to keep some elements of the centerpiece and decorations to be used again in the future. Whether you will keep everything or not, there are sure to be some ideas you can incorporate!

 *NOTE: Keep in mind that you don’t want something TOO tall on the table. Make sure that people can still see other invitees sitting across the table from them, AND see the speaker clearly.

~ First, feel free to contact a decorator to see if their company would be willing to lend you some items or their expertise. You can offer them an in-kind donation receipt (ask your accountant about this), or provide them some special mention in your event program.

~ Have a centerpiece donated from local companies. Challenge corporations and companies to make up a centerpiece for your theme and then award a small prize, a publicity opportunity or a sponsorship for the best one. Make this a fun competition, give some guidelines and then let them go wild. This is the same idea many charities use for special Christmas trees to be decorated by individual companies, either along the annual theme, or based on their company’s products or skills. Use this to your advantage and ask your local companies how they are helping the animals of the community or helping make the community a better place.
 
~ Create a wishing well out of a dog water bowl, or make it look like a wishing fountain at the mall. You can use plastic pillars from the cake decorating aisle at your local craft store to raise a smaller cat food bowl up above a larger dog food bowl. Use strips of shimmering foil and irridescent basket filler to look like water cascading from the top bowl to the bottom, just like a fountain. Ask people to toss in some coins and some dollar bills into the fountain.
 
~ Use clay flower pots which you can buy wholesale or for just pennies each and then decoupage a design on them. You could also stencil or stamp a paw print or something similar on the side. Decoupage will allow you to put your logo and the party info on it, too. Then, fill the flower pot with some candies, a bouquet of decorated sugar cookies shaped like hearts, pets or paw prints, or the same shapes can be created with molded chocolates and placed on lollipop sticks. Or, you can plant some inexpensive annuals in the pots, some ivy or even catnip! The theme could be “growing in love” or something along those lines, and each table setting could have a packed of wildflower seeds or catnip seeds to encourage people to plant a seed of kindness and help your rescue grow!
 
~ Decoupage a photo of rescued pets on each pot along with your group’s logo and the info/ theme of the evening. Each table can feature a different pet that has been saved thanks to your efforts, and perhaps a bio or a plea for help from the animal. You can include the medical costs on the pot that each featured rescue has incurred, and ask people to clip some $10 dollar bills or checks to a money tree (tree branch stuck into floral foam sitting in the pot) to help defray the costs. Decoupage is a technique of basically applying a piece of paper to a surface and covering it with a glue to protect the paper. This is something that Rosie O’Donnell loved to do on her show and can be done easily and in tons of styles.

~ An inexpensive plant to grow is ivy. These can be done in the painted/ decorated pots. Train the ivy to grow up around a small form, like a heart, circle or other shape made out of wire. Use a clever theme of growing hearts, or stop the circle of unwanted pets.

~ A series of votive candles on top of a mirror base can be quite lovely, especially with tulle or confetti sprinkled about. You can also use some wrapped candies that match the theme color and sprinkle them around the table. Peppermints, Life Savers, Creme Savers, Fusion, Hershey’s Kisses and other colored candies could be used to sprinkle around the mirror so they will shimmer and give some color to the table. You can also etch a paw print on the glass votive holders for an inexpensive take home gift. Etching creme can be found in most craft stores, along with a paw print stencil. Or make your own stencil using contact paper.

~ Life Savers Theme: Use a nautical theme to highlight the ‘life saving’ your rescue group does. Use some seashells, nets, a buoy, a paper port hole taped on the walls and lots of life saver candies. Blue is the color of spay/ neuter, so it also works well for this theme.

~ Talk to several florists and ask them to give you the extra rose petals that they can’t use. Most florists take off the outside 2 or 3 petals of a rose so it looks fresher… and then they usually throw them away, unless there is a wedding coming up. I was able to get enough petals from just one florist (who did our flowers for the event) to toss around liberally on each of the head tables and around the candles on another dozen tables that each seat 10 people. So, I had enough to toss around about 15 large round tables that seat 10. These petals were from the bouquets given to our speaker and to decorate two entrance tables. The petals were going to be thrown away and it only took a simple phone call to ask the florists to save the petals for us to use as a decoration at our formal event.

~ Not enough money to purchase vases for your floral displays? Use themed gift bags as a vase for silk flower displays or as a holder for a topiary. Wine bottle bags will give enough height and create an elegant look.

~ I’ve used hurricane candle holders (looks like a tall glass with curves) which you can decorate with either glass paints to make paw prints, etching cream to make paw prints or a dog/ cat shape or decoupage a design onto them. The hurricane shade as they are called costs about $3 each at most craft places. If you are borrowing the shades from someone, such as your caterer or the event location, then you will not be able to permanently alter their look. Not to worry, since there are dozens of ways to give the hurricane shade some more presence. Groups I’ve worked with have filled the hurricane with pebbles, clear glass stones or colored glass stones, sea shells and we’ve even tinted rice a certain color and filled the shade up about 3″ to give it some big color on the table (maybe use litter??). Just don’t let the candles burn down into the rice, which would take about 6 hours. We also wrapped the hurricane shade with ribbon on the top curve and made a nice bow for the focal point and gain some height. You could also use a string of faux pearls or other beads in elastic cording to decorate the top of the hurricane in your color, maybe light blue for s/n. You can use the string of clear and colored glass beads to help reflect the candle light. Add some animal theme charms to the string for a nice effect.
 
~ Balloon bouquets can be a nice touch on a table, create a festive environment and really fill the room. You can put together 3 or 5 balloons at varying heights and attach them to a basket in the center of the table. Place a stuffed animal inside the basket to give it the effect of a hot air balloon. This idea can play on the theme of “the sky is the limit” which is where your group is setting their sights! There are many special mylar balloons that you can purchase to go with your theme, ranging from cowboy hats and cacti to flamingos, large Vegas dice and 1950s theme jukeboxes and musical instruments. If you want to use several balloons, make sure you give them enough height to clear the view for people sitting and standing at their tables. You don’t want to obstruct anyone’s view in the room. Also, if you are using helium filled balloons, you should not use candles! ** Another option in the room is to create a balloon sculpture or create a pillar of balloons to accent the entryways. Use a thin PVC pipe cemented in a coffee can as the base support for the pillar. Drape a piece of fabric around the can to protect the balloons from any rough edges, and camouflage the can. Inflate two balloons and tie them off together in one single knot.  Then, twist this couplet of balloons with another couplet around the pole. You’ve now created the first layer of the pillar. You can also create a rainbow arch overhead using helium filled balloons. There are many websites online where you can find more info on creating an inexpensive balloon display.

~ Luminaria bags make a simple yet elegant statement. Purchase white paper lunch bags, and cut out or punch out a design such as a snowflake, an outline of a pet, a horseshoe, or a paw print. Fill the bottom with 2″ of sand or cat litter and nestle a votive or pillar candle inside. You can also make luminaria out of canning jars and decoupage tissue paper on the inside of the jars to create a mosaic effect.

~ Buy cheap baskets and fill them with plants like ivy or flowers. OR- put one or two stuffed dogs/ cats in the basket to represent a litter being brought to the shelter with a card saying how many sweet cats and dogs like these were euthanized last year. The stuffed animals can be found for less than $1 each, and the basket for about $1 to $3. Top it off with balloons
 
~ If you have a larger stuffed animal, hang a sign around it’s neck saying something catchy like “Hungry for lunch? Me too!” Then decorate around the stuffed animal with beads and such to give it more presence and pizzaz. If you will use the stuffed animal, make sure it will definitely stand up and not fall over by using a good pedestal to anchor it or use a doll stand.
 
~ “Buddy can you spare a dime?”  Put a box of Kitten Chow on top of a riser or pedestal (just another box or brick, covered with a cloth napkin or nice fabric square) and make it look very fancy by surrounding it with garlands of ivy or other flowers, stings of faux pearls and beads, maybe battery operated Christmas lights or small votives. Then, on a table tent or placard next to it (might need 2 for everyone to read it well enough) list the price of lunch at McDonald’s, the price at a local restaurant like Applebee’s or a deli, and the price of dinner at Outback Steakhouse or Olive Garden and then the price of your classiest restaurant in town. THEN- list the price of the box of Kitten Chow which will feed a kitten for 30 days… what a difference. Emphasize that every community member can spare $1 for a box of Kitten Chow, and we can certainly find it in our budgets! Since at your function they are paying $30 to $60 for their ticket, you can also figure out how many animals they have been able to feed thanks to their contribution tonight.
 
~ If you want to have some flowers in a vase or basket, then decorate with some bows made from ribbon printed with paws on them. And, you can put a few milkbones or a cat toy on a stick in the display. Or, just make up an entire bouquet of milkbones on stems and accent it with baby’s breath and wrap the vase with ribbons and such.
 
~  Use a grapevine wreath around a cat/ dog food bowl. Decorate with other items previously mentioned. You could also use a dog leash intertwined with strings of beads and some garlands of ivy, fall leaves or Christmas garland. There are small, battery operated Christmas lights that would work wonderfull entertwined with garland, tulle or a dog leash. 
 

~ Use an 8×10 gold frame with a photo of a pet saved, and place the frame on top of a small riser. You might need to have two frames placed back to back so everyone at the table can see them. Place a table tent with the bio and story of the animal, and scatter lots of Hershey’s Kisses from the pet saved. A nice 2 sided plastic display frame that shows the picture off on both sides can also be used as long as you have a lovely paper to dress it up. You can find these acrylic flyer frames at most office supply stores for just a few dollars each, and most businesses will have a few they could lend to you for the evening. Place some crocheted doilies underneath the frame, lots of viotive candles, some candies and other sprinkling items around to make the display appear fuller.
 
~ Use a 3-tier cake stand or hors d’oeuvres tray with flower heads on the top, some candies on the 2nd level and petit fours with chocolate dog bone shapes on the bottom. You can also use dog bone shaped cookies or molded chocolate candies. Have a large ribbon bow on top and streamers of ribbon dangling down the sides. Use ribbon that matches your theme color, or use a ribbon with paw prints on it. You can find these hors d’oeuvres trays at many thrift stores, Dollar stores, Big Lots, or you can borrow several. Having mismatched designs can be a charming effect, since most of your shelter animals are mismatched, combining several breeds together.
 
~  Use ivy bowls, martini glasses, champagne glasses or other inexpensive glasses or bowls filled with light blue water for spay/neuter. Add a few small glass beads or marbles at the bottom of the glass for some sparkle. Then surround the display with dog bones, votives and other sprinkling items. Top it off with some ribbon, a stretch cord with glass beads and charms or Hershey’s kisses from the pets. You can find many types of glasses at thrift stores and Dollar stores. Having mismatched sets would emphasize the uniqueness of rescued pets! No two rescues are alike! You can also float candles or flower heads inside the bowls and glasses to give them extra emphasis!
 
~ Want to focus on guardian angels? Have an angel pet sitting in the middle on a pedestal, pass out angel cat/ dog pins (you can find these on e-bay for under $1 each) and then use a white strand of feather boa, pearls strings, gold, to complete the heavenly look. If you can’t find stuffed animals with wings, add them yourself with a gold pipe cleaner for the halo and some wings cut our of a sparkly piece of felt. Use double stick tape to temporarily attach the decorations to the toy. Or, you can create a cutout of an angel animal using a photo of one of your animals, then use a photo editing program to add a halo and some wings using free clip art on the internet. Next, print out the image and cut out the outline of the animal. Then, make a mirror image of the photo and print, cut that mirror side out, and attach both images to either side of a foam core board for stability.
 
~ Pot of gold– use a dog food bowl and fill it with chocolate gold coins with the slogan of sparing a dime or “got anything to add” or “Trade you” so they put their money in the middle and eat the gold coins. You can also use Hershey’s Treasures candies, or even make your own molded chocolate coins.
 
~ Want to focus on being the KEY to stopping overpopulation? Decorate with lots of used keys in the flowers, stencil on pots and etch or decoupage the key symbol on the votive holders. You can also use the key shape for cookie bouquets on sticks, for chocolate molds on sticks and create the shape of a key for the wire frame for an ivy topiary.

~ If you want to create a dog house theme, find plain birdhouses or birdhouse construction kits (about $3 at craft stores). These look like dog houses once you remove the perch. You may want to widen the opening and make it more U shaped rather than the traditional O shape for a birdhoue. Paint the dog house and add some decorative elements such as a dog’s name on the top of the entrance and paint a bone on the side.

~ Hosting a luncheon or a tea? Make silk flower topiary arrangements in tea cups and tea pots found at garage sales, thrift stores and dollar stores. Add a leash or collar entwined with tulle around the outside, have a dog bone on a stick coming out of the top of the topiary, or several attached to wire exploding out of the top like fireworks.

~ Step up! The theme encourages people to step up to help the rescue and the animals of the community. You can gather some old shoes from a thrift store or your own closet. Spray paint them vivid colors or all in gold. Put a table tent explaining the theme. Add in some tulle, votive candles, some greenery and a string of perals or battery operated lights for a dramatic effect.

~ Seasonal items are quick, natural, and add a great festive flair. Use pumpkins and gourds, oranges, apples and acorns, swags of leaves, greenery, Christmas pine boughs and pine cones along with candles and candies. You can hollow out a small section to put a tea light inside of an apple, orange, bell pepper or other fruit item– use the tea light to get the right measurement and make the top of the tea light flush with the fruit.

~ Borrow drink fountains, silver trays and punch bowls from caterer or from a ladies’ auxillary in your town if you are unable to get them from your caterer, or if you are catering the event yourself. These will add a nice accent to the room and give it a more formal touch.