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It's A Land of Oz Graduation

A Graduation Theme Party

No matter what the age, who doesn't remember the first time seeing The Wizard of Oz? Recall the black and white beginning? And the relief and awe when Dorothy enters the colorful world of Oz? I must say that vibrant world held me captivated to the boob tube for an eternity. And what about those scary monkey-things? Personally, I was glad she dumped that old aunt and uncle of hers for that taste of adventure, even if it was a dream. Help your graduate follow the yellow brick road to bigger and better things with a party centered on The Wizard of Oz!

There are so many wonderful ways to carry this theme throughout your party. Click your heels, use your imagination, and find yourself in the Land of Oz with your grad. Be creative with ruby slippers, magic wands, heart shaped clocks (à la the Tin Man), diplomas (à la the Scarecrow), rainbow springs, oilcans, badges of honor (à la the Cowardly Lion), witch hats and lollipops.

Graduation Invitations

Send a magic wand glued to your parchment invitation with all the party details written in script.

Try a Party411 custom caricature of your grad on the yellow brick road as Dorothy, the tin man, the lion, or the scarecrow. Don't forget Toto! We like the Scarecrow since he received his diploma. At the end of the yellow brick road can be the place where your grad is headed, whether a new school or the new company where she or he is planning to work.

If you don’t want a caricature invitation you can still make the graduate the center of attention from start to finish. They've earned it. The invitation should match the likes and style of the graduate. A personalized invitation from Party411's Creations for You is a great starting place. We have over 20 designs (including the Land of Oz graduation invitation!) so we are sure to have an invitation that will fit your graduate.  For this theme I would suggest an invitation that will let you put the graduate’s picture front and center.

Otherwise you can find great graduation invitations at Carlson Craft. Or, find an invitation that matches your theme at your local party store.

Graduation Decorations and Party Supplies

Outside or Entryway - Hang a sign that says, "Welcome to Oz." Have your guests enter "Over the Rainbow" - if you are handy, you can build a little arched bridge into your house or party room, paint it as a rainbow and voila, your guests have to enter by going "Over the Rainbow." A personalized banner with a rainbow border would work very well here. Another idea is to create the Emerald City out of foam core as the entrance to your party. Party411 can create any custom entryway you desire, too. Contact the Custom Queen. 

Let guests be greeted by Glinda the Good Witch, take their pictures with her and hand them a magic wand with party information or guest of honor trivia. Customized cutouts of Uncle Henry and Auntie Em waving would surely bring a laugh. Make sure to have cutouts of all The Wizard of Oz characters. Everyone remembers the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow, but what about Toto, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Wizard. While your at why not dress mom and dad, the whole family in Wizard of Oz Costumes?

Set out a path of the yellow brick road from the party entrance to the main party area. You can paint it on big white paper, available at your local art supplies store, or line the outside entrance with real bricks painted in a yellow gold tone. Try a big picnic basket Toto in Basket with a little furry Toto-like dog creeping out of the top at the door, too. At the doorbell, hang a sign that says "Bell out of Order, Please Knock." Another nice idea is a rainbow mylar balloon. A very impressive way to build upon the theme.

Inside - If you have a DVD player accessible, play The Wizard of Oz movie throughout the party, as guests will enjoy catching glimpses of this timeless classic. Surely you don't want guests to hang around the television for the day. Perhaps you mute the audio and let the screen run on its own. Find a visible closet door and display stuffed black and white striped socks sticking out (without the Ruby Slippers, of course, since Dorothy, your female grad or mom hostess is wearing them). We are sure you won't get your male grad to wear them!

Sign-In Board - Your sign-in board should match the caricature of the invitations. A caricature of your graduate following the yellow brick road is another option.

Centerpieces - Using various objects from the movie, create your own custom centerpiece. For example, using an oilcan base, tie off peppermint pink, ruby red and Wedgwood blue balloons.  Magic wands can be inserted into the oilcan, as well.

Centerpieces of wire tornadoes would be fabulous! If your party is outside at tables with umbrellas, you can wrap wire around translucent umbrella vases filled with flowers! Hang rainbow mini springs from out of the vase.

Another idea is to purchase plastic sand castle molds and paint them a sparkly green just like the emerald city. You don't have to have the same centerpiece at every table. Some with tornadoes and some with emerald cities look great!

There are plenty of ways to decorate your table for this theme. Even something as simple as ruby red plates and yellow linens with bouquets of red poppies in glass jars are cute touches. No matter what kind of table you set consider using confetti from www.photofetti.com. Imagine confetti with a picture of the graduate! Very much a magical moment!

Seating Cards - Match your seating cards to the rest of the theme.  If you used a caricature, you can follow that through onto a seating card.  Party411.com is able to personalize your seating card, however you would like.

Menu

A menu for breakfast foods may include Gale Farm Chicken Hash, Over the Rainbow Fruit Kabobs, and Wicked Witch Waffles. Try Cowardly Lion sweet treats like Sweetie Spiders, Cocoa Cobweb Cupcakes, Oglie Eyeballs, Da Lollipop Guild Lollipops, and Over the Rainbow Party Mold. For these recipes, click here.

Other fun dishes are Tornado Tacos (much better than Toto Tacos), Wicked Witch Waldorf Salad, Scarecrow Salad, or Scarecrow Spaghetti with Tin Man Tomato Sauce, Over the Rainbow Ribs, Ruby Red Slippers Grapefruit Juice, Emerald City Egg Salad, finished off with We're not in Kansas Anymore Cobbler and Cowardly Lion Lemon Bars and Magic Tornado Drink.

Activities

Hire a caricature artist to draw your guests as characters in The Wizard of Oz. What about a Karaoke Contest of show tunes, or Judy Garland tunes? That would be a ton of fun.

Party Favors

How about lollipops, to represent the lollipop kids? If your group is smaller, why not send little basket purses home with the Dorothies? Send your guests home with their caricatures and ruby slippers filled with candy. How about chocolate dogs or red foil chocolate shoes? Mini plastic clocks (in honor of the Tin Man) are cute, too.

Really, the best favor is a personalized candy bar wrapper.  Everyone likes candy, it's a fun remembrance of the graduate, and the cost is low. Of course, there are plenty of other options like Personalized Water Bottle Labels  - These are fun at the event and people can keep their “empties” as a keepsake.