DIY Party Planning: Water Bottles

I love a good theme! I can get into them.

An easy and inexpensive way to add an element of your theme to a party is to wrap water bottles. We've all seen those adorable water bottle wraps that you can buy on Etsy. I've even tried making them myself, and know people who have bought them.

Super cute, right?

Take a closer look. The first time I used them, I designed and printed them myself, but when it came to execution, I failed miserably at sealing the paper wraps completely with clear packing tape. After putting them in a cooler with ice, the once adorable labels just leaked ink down the ridges of the bottles like tears of a failure (cue sad violin music and self-pity). See evidence below. I never claimed to be an expert. This blog is about trial and error. My trials, to save you from errors. ;)

Notice the bottle on the left has ink dripping down? Oops!

Since then, there are better printing materials, but at the time, I searched for a method that would involve less time with design, and less money for someone else to do it. So I decided to go with an old favorite:

Duck Tape.*post update-I just did a quick search and they make glitter duck tape now y'all. Game changer!

My dad used heavy duty army green and black tape rolls for just about everything. It was a staple in the garage workbench cabinet and it was the stickiest tape I've ever seen. I still have part of a roll that used to be his in our garage. It was intense. This is the baddest roll of tape you will ever behold. I don't think I will ever finish the roll. Partly in a silly way to remember and honor my dad, but partly because it's been around for 20 years and so stuck to itself it's nearly impossible to unroll. My dad and his colleagues had a special name for it: Missile tape.

He was an aerospace engineer. You connect the dots. I say, if tape is good enough for missiles, then it's good enough for a bottle of water.

This is the baddest roll of tape you will ever behold, my dad's infamous Missle Tape.

But thankfully Duck Tape has come up with so many fun and interesting designs lately, that it's easy to find one that will match your party's theme.

For my son's outdoor Camo Laser Tag Birthday Party, I got the Official Army Licensed Camouflage tape at Walmart for about $4 a roll.

I've used plain red for a Fire & Ice Cream Birthday Party, and Star Wars tape for a Lego Star Wars Birthday Party (below).

And look, they stand up to the ice test!

Wrapped water bottles are always a great conversational piece and are SO simple to do. They are an inexpensive way to add a little something extra for a few bucks. Your guests (and birthday boy or girl) will love them!

Materials Needed:

• Water bottles

• Scissors

• Box Cutter

• 1-2 Rolls of Themed Duck Tape (2 rolls got me through an 80-pack of the small Member's Mark water bottles from Sam's Club with a little tape left over).

First, use the scissors (or not) to remove the labels from your water bottles. That's where the kids might be able to help. My oldest always likes to join the party planning and loves helping me the same way that I love doing this kind of stuff with my mom. So the 3 of us did this one together. Thanks, Mom, for being my beautiful hand model too! ;)

Next, use the box cutter to carefully cut one piece of tape to the correct size of the water bottle. I recommend a box cutter because this tape gets very sticky, so the scissors can get stuck to it. I've ruined scissors. Trust me on this. Box cutter is the way to go and saves time. And who doesn't love more time?

I like to cut 10-15 at a time, always leaving one as my guide and I just stick them to the table. This is the table I've had since my first apartment to myself after college. It has glitter and paint embedded into it so I'm rough with it. Once we get past the toddler stage of kids maybe a proper table will be in order, but I digress. If your table is something you treasure, put down a table cloth or find another surface to stick the tape to so you don't ruin furniture. Once again, my trials eliminate your errors. ;)

Wrap the bottles with the tape. Try your best to make it smooth and in line. But know this: they will have bubbles and creases. The patterns won't always line up perfectly. This isn't a project of perfection; it's a project of making something plain, a little more pretty.

Voila!

What do you do to add a little extra something to parties? I love new ideas! Share in the comments or tag me on social media if you post a pic of your party water bottles! @ellimoonshop

Happy Party Planning!

-Kelly :)

#party #partyplanning #birthday #birthdayparty #babyshower #bridalshower #wedding #decorations #ellimoon #ellimoonshop