***this post contains gifted items***
Today I’m sharing quick ways to get party ready with the help of Talking Tables. I have been working with Talking Tables over the years and built up a wonderful selection of reusable party supplies. I use the decorations throughout the year to bring a little extra joy to our everyday, whatever the season, whatever the reason.
September is party time around here and it’s been a busy one. In between having friends to stay, hosting workshops and creating weddings, my dining room has been working overtime (and so have I!). My children have been celebrating too, their birthdays are both in September and just two weeks apart. As it has been so full on lately I’ve had to find quick ways to get party ready and today I’m sharing them with you. Any good tips of your own, pop them below and we can help each other out!
To save myself time I try to create base decorations which can be switched up. We’re waaaaay past sharing decorations now. This year I began with the pastel fabric bunting. Like picking a mix pack of seeds, using bunting with multiple colours means I can pick out different colours.
Therefore, bunting would be number one on my list. Invest in a line (is that what a collection of bunting is called?) which can be reused throughout the year. Bunting always says party! You could then layer something like this Happy Birthday Banner on top. And if you want to go even further (hi!) add some streamers too.
A ‘hack’ I like to use to get me to focus is using the baking time of a cake to get a room ready. Sounds random, but having a timer set gets me moving. We’re not the tidiest of families so cleaning can be a bit of a job. I had an hour to get ready for a family party. First I popped the cake in the oven then cheated and shoved anything downstairs into baskets and bags and stashed away upstairs. I straightened cushions and gave everything a quick hoover. It looked cared for but with minimum effort!
I save the big clean until everyone has gone! Also, I have a small bin in my living room which has changed everything.


As I keep mentioning cake, let’s talk about it. I don’t think you need to do anything fancy (unless you want to). A few signature bakes will get you through.
I have three go-to recipes, the most requested cake is this easy Chocolate Fudge Cake. It’s become a family favourite, add strawberries, sprinkles plus candles and it’s done! Our family keeps growing so I might need to add another layer soon. It’s SUPER easy to bake and as it takes my oven 30mins I use that time to have a speed clean. When my children were really little and would/could share a birthday celebration. The cake WAS the whole party and ordered in from a local bakery. More expensive but so worth it.
The clean up is the worst part, especially as my dishwasher has broken. We used these lovely hexagonal pastel paper plates on Milly’s party table. They are completely recyclable and gave this birthday sweet pops of colour.
Sometimes I’ll just give the plate a quick dust off and wipe if they haven’t been too used. I managed a few years out of the very first pack of Talking Table plates I bought! If you want to give your party a quick ‘theme’ paper plates are the way to go.

A good tablecloth creates an instant party, all my favourites can be mixed, matched and used all year round.
This Green Gingham Fabric Tablecloth is brilliant, I find green such a useful colour. For Milly’s birthday I mixed it with a hand made bright pink tie dye tablecloth to make the room feel ‘Pop-y’, For Stanley’s birthday it was mixed with a faded orange cloth (again handmade) to give a slight ‘fish’ theme. These gingham tablecloths come in such a great range of colours.
If you’re setting a table then you MUST add flowers (let’s remember where we are!). Having a collection of bud vases on hand makes styling flowers a breeze. Talking Tables sent me these lilac , green and round glass bud vases. I’ve spoken about these vases so many times, I love them, they are perfect for everything!
If you need flowers, you know where to come, I always have enough flowers to fill bud vases.


I have saved my two favourite quick party ready tips for last. If you are really stuck for time switch on fairylights. Soft lighting covers up most things. I have some permanently around my dining room windows and on my fireplace. A quick flip of a switch and you’re in party mode. Talking Tables sell a great range which I’ve used before. String lights can be intertwined into arrangements, draped, dangled and plonked anywhere that needs a little magic. The same goes for candles, a few well placed makes anywhere feel cosy.
Fishing line is my ultimate secret weapon in creating magical tables. I added a couple of lines across my dining room table years ago. And congratulate myself on this decision regularly.
Using small nails but you could use hooks, I suspended a few lengths of fishing wire across my dining table eight years ago and never looked back! I use them for creating overhead decorations, really quickly. This year for my daughter I mixed in pastel honeycomb balls and pink streamers. I stapled the streamers and cut them to different lengths. Then added additional metallic streamers I’ve had for years. To switch for the next birthday I took down anything pink and purple and replaced with green and blue honeycomb decorations. Everyone was happy!
And as a Mum when everyone is happy so are you. Thanks to Talking Tables for the party supplies they have provided so much magic over the years. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, working with companies like Talking Tables allows me to bring Lotts and Lots of ideas that I hope inspire you to live more creatively. Photography, styling and words all me. All Talking Table products have been gifted.
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