"Shabby chic" garden party - anyone done this?

[Surprise]

Quite interested in a sort of "Cath Kidston/shabby chic" look for our garden party in a few weeks' time. I am making some bunting, and am planning on scouring charity shops for floral tablecloths and odd china plates. What else can I do to help theme it? Don't want it to be too obvious, just kind of "thrown together" which I know isn't easy! Any tips on cheap things to help make it look fab? For example, flowers and things to put them in? Or lighting? TIA.

PS am also making cupcakes iced with pastel blue, green and pink.

it sounds horrendous. are you sure?

You obviously need chickens wandering around but I don't know anywhere that rents them, sorry. Buy some and then eat them afterwards?

Cath kidston is not my bag but we went to a party on Sat where the salad was served in a tin bath, lined with greaseproor paper, and other dishes were in terracotta flowerpots, also lined. Looked good.

You've got to bloody clever to get away with that look. The morroccon/Arabic look is surprisingly easier to pull off because it doesn't have connotations of using up grannies old chintz.

But I don't posess an artistic bone in my body, you probably do. Good luck.

Lots of bright cushions on seats, tea lights everywhere- paint some old pine furniture white or blue -anything white metal that you can stick pink flowers in/around

While you're shopping for mismatched plates buy different sorts of wine glasses.

Beware the buckets though

Flowers in clean jam jars, or glasses, the odd single flower in a clean bottle - you will need LOTS of these though to make any sort of impression.

Wildflowers or roses in jugs, teapots & old tins would look good.
If you can't find the foral table cloths, maybe use cheap floral wallpaper.
How about old crates (eg from greengrocer) painted in pastel colours as containers.
floral fairy lights (not sure if that is not too girly)

you can use our garden

we call our house grotty mansion

everything is mismatched

Wicker baskets of lobelia
edible flowers in the ice cubes
fairy lights/lanterns in the trees

look on Jane Cumberbatch PURE STYLE website for nice ideas

don;t try too hard

I really hate that rolling twitter crap on the right hand side

just found this website on-line to give you some ideas. I love the shabby chic look

tie colourful ribbons round old glass jars and fill them with wild flowers.

It sounds nice, but you need to make sure it looks genuine rather than staged, is your garden old and wild and run down?

Cath Kidston, for example, is fake and pretentious. But hey, if you like that look, go for it.

bunting
flowers in glass jars
cake stands
tea lights
and fairy lights for the evening
sounds fab!

Bunting
more bunting
cake stands definitely good
Jam jars tied with gingham ribbons - preferably with sweetpeas or sweet williams in them
I think it sounds bloody gorgeous and if you have a spare invitation I'm free
Cake filled with strawberries and whipped cream (you can mix in some cream cheese and icing sugar if you want to make the filling in the morning and don't want it soggy by the afternoon).

I think the shabby chic thing is a bit of a love hate thing. I (obviously)love it. Those who hate it are just wrong

Good luck!

Ooh lots of mixed opinions! Yes, I really don't want it to look too staged, nor too well-matched. Our garden already has chickens in it, so we're ahead on that score . The garden has on old victorian wall along one side which is covered in ivy. we don't really do gardening, so it's a bit unkempt, which I think helps. Our house is quite eclectic and unconventional, so I don't think the shabby look will surprise any of our guests! Will def be borrowing my mum's cake stands for my cupcakes. Love the gingham ribbon round the jamjars for flowers. Also thought I could put one flower in old (small) Perrier bottles. Lots of good ideas, thanks very much. May even post a pic afterwards!

Oh well if you have the chickens you will be fine!

I've thought of something else. You need some waif-like little girls with long straight blonde hair, floating around in white broderie anglaise dresses and bare feet (better scrape up the chicken poo first), preferably with fairy wings.

It sounds lovely, hope it goes well

Depends on your wall, but my friends can get away with hanging pictures on outside wall (or a mirror). I couldn't get away with it at my place - but it can look nice.

seth love the small children idea - do you know where I can hire some, as mine are not very angelic .

what's the betting it rains on the day and we all end up indoors?

All shop-bought jam must be decanted into your own jars.

Shop-bought cakes should be slightly squished.

Make sure you invite a vicar.

Ditto Miss Marple look-a-like.

Have attractive children playing about your legs, and laugh merrily.

Remember to pinch your cheeks and allow a couple of tendrils of hair to fall about your pretty flushed face.

Please do post pics.

were floral dress and wellies

pitch up a hand sewn t-pee for the children to play in.

Have lots of glassess and cutlery and crockery that doesn't match.

Have jam jars of flowers everywhere (sweet peas etc)

Put rugs on the grass

hang jam jar lanterns (just put tea lights in them)

Make home made jam/lemon curd tarts or drop some shop ones on the floor to look home made.

buy a spotty pinny and wear it througout

put a couple of spotty teapots somewhere

et voila!

buy a spotty pinny and wear it througout

Love it! Will def do that one. Thanks for all your suggestions - keep 'em coming!

I did this for my dds birthday but cheated just a little bit. Was lovely though.

Have a squiz at the joules website - they stage their shoots like a vintage camping trip/tea party so you might some ideas.