Super Simple Streamer Wall Decoration

For the "3 Under the Sea Party" I wanted something to create BIG impact behind the main buffet table.  Last year I  hung a bunch of items (paper lanterns, butterflies, letters) from the drop paneled ceiling at our church parish hall and each item required a separate trip up and down the ladder to hang it and then up and down again to clean up.  This year, between the power being out for 4 days prior to the party and my leaving for a mission trip 12 hours after the party, I needed something simple to make, simple to hang, and simple to take down.... but it still needed to look SUPER.

 My solution was a wall covered with streamers.  I liked that for the "under the sea" theme, this decoration functions like a giant water fall.  However, change the colors and it could work at any party.  It didn't cost much (I bought 2 colors of streamers and a roll of masking tape) and did not require much skill (I was sleep deprived and hadn't had power in 4 days when I made mine!)

First, I rolled out about a 3 foot length of masking take, sticky side UP, and did NOT tear the tape from the roll.  I did my set up on the floor, right in front of the buffet table so I knew exactly how long my streamers needed to be. I attached one end of one streamer to the sticky side of the tape and then measured that streamer to my desired length, cut the streamer (I just tore it because the ends were going to be behind the table), and then attached the end of the next length of streamer next to the first. I kept adding streamers and unrolling more tape as I went along.

 Here is the technique I perfected to save time and keep it simple.  I placed the streamer in the right spot on the tape with my hand.  I was alternating colors so I would do a few dark streamers spread out and then fill in with the lighter streamers. (If it was all one color I would have just gone in a row)  Once I placed it on the tape, I used my big toe to hold it down (the tape was just sitting sticky side up, so pulling on the streamer also pulled the tape off the ground).  I took off my shoes to have a better feel for what I was doing.  My foot was on top of the previous streamer, but that kept the tape from sticking to my foot.  Then I pulled the roll of streamers up over my head.  I figured I needed about 6 feet in length so once my arm was up over my head I just tore the streamer and repeated for the next one in line.  If I needed longer streamers, I would have had to clear a big area and measure the streamers out on the floor.  This way, I just let them drop into a pile once they were measured and cut.

 Once my streamers were long enough (I went about 2 feet longer than my table) I doubled the tape back over the top of the streamers.  So the final pattern went tape (sticky side up), then the streamers, then tape sticky side down (stuck to the streamers) like a streamer sandwich.  I never even cut the tape, just looped it over.  I wanted the tape double thick to make it stronger for hanging.

The fellowship hall where we had the party has a drop tile ceiling, so I just used paper clips to hold up the banner in about 5 places.  It did take 2 people to lift the banner and walk it around the table to hang it.  It only took one taller person to pull out the paper clips at at the end of the night. Super Simple Streamers, super easy clean up, super big impact.

Want to see more ideas for cheap tissue paper decorations? click here