So, you’ve decided to throw a Gatsby-themed party. Nice choice! You’re probably picturing champagne towers, sequined fringe, and Leo DiCaprio giving you a subtle nod of approval from across the room. But then reality hits. You look at the price tags on “vintage” decorations online and suddenly feel the urge to cancel the whole thing and just order pizza instead.
Hold up. Don’t ditch the flapper dresses just yet.
I’ve been down this road. My first 20s party attempt involved crepe paper and denial. It was a disaster. But after a few years of trial and error (and way too much glitter glue), I’ve cracked the code. You don’t need a Hollywood budget to make your place look like one of Gatsby’s soirées. You just need a little creativity and a weekend afternoon.
FYI, I’m writing this while sipping what I claim is a gin cocktail, but it’s really iced tea. We’re keeping it classy here. 😉
Let’s get into the seven DIY projects that will transform your living room into the West Egg hotspot of the year.
1. The Great Gatsby Balloon Arch (That Won’t Deflate Your Wallet)
Balloon arches are everywhere right now, but the store-bought ones are ridiculously expensive. For a 20s theme, we aren’t just blowing up round balloons and calling it a day. We need elegance, darling.
Choosing the Right Color Palette
First, ditch the primary colors. We are going for a palette that screams “old money.” Think black, white, gold, and silver. Maybe a touch of emerald green if you’re feeling extra.
The “No-Helium” Trick
I despise balloons that float away and die in the corner an hour later. For this arch, we are keeping them grounded. You’ll need a balloon arch kit (a plastic strip with holes) or just some strong fishing line.
Blow up about 40-50 balloons in varying sizes. The secret here is to rub them with a dryer sheet to reduce static cling and that awful squeaking noise. Trust me on this.
Once they are inflated, tie them onto your strip or string in a cluster pattern. Mix the metallic gold balloons in with the black and white ones. The key to making it look “Gatsby” and not “6th grade birthday party” is to add some tassel fringe hanging down from the bottom balloons. You can buy gold tassel fringe by the yard and hot glue it right to the string.
Hang this arch over your doorway or behind the drink table. It sets the tone immediately.
2. DIY Sequin Table Runners (Super Easy, Big Impact)
A plain table is a sad table. But buying actual sequin fabric can get pricey depending on the yardage. I found a workaround that looks just as luxe for about ten bucks.
The Placemat Method
Hit up a dollar store or a craft supply discount bin. Look for those cheap, circular sequin placemats that flippers use for photoshoots. You know the ones—where the sequins flip from silver to gold?
Buy four or five of them. Lay them down the center of your table, slightly overlapping. Because they are covered in sequins, the light catches them from every angle. IMO, this looks even better than a standard runner because it creates a textured, reflective pathway down the table.
Adding the Candlelight
Place some tall, slim gold candlesticks (thrift store finds spray-painted gold work perfectly) in the center of the sequin mats. When the candles flicker, the sequins sparkle. It’s an easy way to get that “Great Gatsby” opulence without sewing a single stitch.
3. Feather Centerpieces in Vintage Books
Here is where we combine two things I love: old books and feathers. This decoration is stupidly easy, which is my favorite kind of DIY.
Sourcing the Books
Hit up a library sale or a thrift store. You’re looking for hardcover books with a classic look. Green, burgundy, or brown leather-look covers are perfect. They don’t need to be first editions; they just need to look the part.
The Assembly
Carefully cut a rectangle out of the inside pages of the book, leaving the cover and about half an inch of pages around the edge intact. Basically, you’re creating a hollow box inside the book.
Place a small glass jar or a water glass inside the hollow. Fill the glass with water.
Now for the fun part: grab a bundle of black and white feathers (ostrich feathers are the dream, but craft feathers work fine). Arrange them in the glass so they cascade over the edges of the open book. The contrast of the dusty, intellectual book and the glamorous, flashy feathers is pure Gatsby.
Ever wonder why this combo works so well? It’s the tension between the old world (the book) and the new, wild era (the feathers). It’s a conversation starter, for sure.
4. Art Deco “Sunburst” Wall Mirrors
Wall space looking bare? You can make a massive Art Deco sunburst mirror for a fraction of the cost of a real one. Plus, you get to use a glue gun, which is always a win.
Supplies Needed
- A small, round, cheap mirror (dollar store craft section).
- A bunch of wooden skewers or paint stir sticks.
- Gold spray paint.
- Hot glue.
Let’s Get Crafty
First, spray paint all your skewers/sticks gold. You’ll need about 20-30 of them, depending on how dense you want the rays to be.
Once dry, arrange them on a flat surface in a sunburst pattern around where your mirror will sit. You’ll have short ones near the top and longer ones radiating out.
Carefully start gluing the sticks to the back edge of the mirror. Work your way around until you have a full halo of “rays.”
Flip it over and mount it on the wall using a strong adhesive strip. The light hitting the different lengths of the sticks creates a dramatic shadow that looks incredibly sophisticated. No one will believe you made it from barbecue skewers.
5. Prohibition-Era Mason Jar Glasses
Okay, so these aren’t strictly accurate—people in the 20s probably weren’t sipping gin from Mason jars. But they are perfect for a modern party vibe, and they double as a take-home gift for your guests.
The Paint Pen Method
Don’t go buying stencils and etching cream. That’s too much work. Grab a set of cheap Mason jars and some oil-based paint pens in gold or silver.
Clean the jars thoroughly with rubbing alcohol so the paint sticks. Then, go to town drawing Art Deco patterns on them. Think sharp lines, zigzags, and geometric shapes. You can find a million patterns on Pinterest to copy if you aren’t confident in your freehand skills.
Why This Works
Let the paint dry for 24 hours, then bake them in the oven according to the paint pen instructions to set them. These aren’t dishwasher safe (who are we kidding, you hand-wash your good stuff anyway), but they look amazing.
Fill them with sparkling cider or a “secret” cocktail. Seeing those gold geometric lines glinting through a dark drink is peak 20s aesthetics.
6. DIY Tassel Garland Backdrop
If you want a photo area, you need a backdrop. But fabric draping can get expensive and heavy. Enter the tassel garland. It’s light, cheap, and takes about an hour to make.
The Fringe Technique
Buy tissue paper in your color scheme (again, sticking with black, white, gold, and silver). Stack about 5-6 sheets together.
Fold the stack like an accordion (about 2-inch folds). Then, cut fringe into one side of the folded stack—cut about halfway through the width of the paper, making cuts close together.
Unfold it carefully. You’ll have a long sheet of paper with fringe on one side. Twist the uncut edge to create a twisted rope effect, and secure the ends with tape.
Make about 10-15 of these in different colors.
Hanging It Up
Tie or tape them to a length of string or a dowel rod, hanging vertically. Cluster them tightly together. When you hang this against a wall, the fringe moves slightly in the breeze from people walking by. It catches the light and looks incredibly dynamic in photos.
Plus, if someone has a little too much “bath tub gin,” they can walk right through it without hurting themselves. Safety first! :/
7. Card Suit Wall Art (Spare Yourself a Trip to the Casino)
Gatsby loved playing cards. It’s a visual shorthand for the era—risk, wealth, and a little bit of danger. But buying huge card prints is expensive. Let’s make oversized wall art instead.
The Canvas Hack
Grab a few cheap canvases from an art supply store. You want them fairly large—maybe 11×14 or bigger.
Paint the entire canvas black. Let it dry.
Using a printed stencil or a steady hand, paint the symbols for the card suits—spade, heart, club, diamond—in gold in the center of each canvas. Keep them big and bold.
The “Old Money” Effect
Here’s the personal touch: once the gold is dry, take a piece of fine-grit sandpaper and lightly distress the edges of the canvas and the symbol itself. Just a little. It makes the art look like it’s been hanging in a smoky private club since 1922, not like you made it last Tuesday while watching Netflix.
Cluster these on a gallery wall or lean them on a mantle. They are graphic, on-theme, and ridiculously simple.
Putting It All Together
So, there you have it. Seven ways to throw a killer Roaring 20s party without selling your soul (or your actual furniture) to afford the decorations. The best part about DIY is that even if something goes slightly wrong—a crooked line here, a lopsided balloon there—it just adds to the charm. Or you can blame it on the gin.
Start gathering your supplies this weekend. Give yourself enough time to actually enjoy the process rather than frantically hot-gluing things ten minutes before your first guest arrives. (I speak from experience, and it’s not cute.)
Remember, the goal is to have fun and transport your guests to a different era. And if all else fails, just turn up the Charleston music and hand everyone a sparkly accessory. The vibe is the most important decoration of all.
Now go get crafty, you magnificent old sport. 🥂
