Renting an event space is expensive. Meanwhile, hosting more than a couple of people in your home can get very crowded very fast. So what’s the solution?
Believe it or not, your garage is actually one of the best places to throw a party! Even if your garage is cluttered and dirty at the moment, all it takes is a bit of cleaning and decorating to get it up to the task of entertaining.
From birthdays to family get-togethers, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in the garage decorating ideas for party planning below!
Garage Decorating Ideas for Party – Quick Look
- Backlit Drapery
- Glitter Streamers
- Mod Balloon Wall
- Cut-Out Airplane Mural
- Floating Balloon Ceiling
- First Birthday Photo Op
- Paper Flower Backdrop
- Hot Air Balloon Cake Display
- Streamer-Covered Staircase
- Dessert Table Spread
- Boho Pallet Table
- Free-Floating Balloons
- Party String Lights
- Custom Neon Sign
- Paper Lantern Chandelier
- Tissue Paper Pom-Poms
- Colorful Streamer Tablecloth
- Paper Fan Backdrop
- Bunting Garlands
- Monochromatic Decor
- Shaped Balloon Arch
- Flamingo and Shiplap Backdrop
- Hanging Holiday Ornaments
- Tropical Bamboo Backdrop
- Balloon Cloud
- Fishing Net Tablecloth
- Printed Circus Mural
- Second-Hand Furniture
1. Backlit Drapery
Drapes are a simple and effective way to cover up unsightly garage walls. They also hide appliances and other large items you can’t easily remove from the garage before your big event.
Set up a few lights behind your drapes for a funky backlit aesthetic. Colored light bulbs are a great way to make plain white drapery match your party’s theme.
2. Glitter Streamers
Cover up unwanted clutter and utility panels by hanging glittery streamers from your garage ceiling. Use the streamers to frame a prime photo op area or hang them over the door to the rest of the house for a fun walk-through curtain.
3. Mod Balloon Wall
Balloons are having a big moment in party decor trends right now! Use balloons of varying sizes to cover your garage wall for a unique, modern backdrop. You can create a design using several colors or keep it simple with a monochromatic theme.
4. Cut-Out Airplane Mural
Decorate your garage to match the party theme using temporary paper cut-outs like this airplane mural. You can purchase ready-made patterns or design your own. Once the party ends and the guests go home, you can easily take down the mural without damaging your garage walls.
5. Floating Balloon Ceiling
A quick and easy way to disguise your garage ceiling is by releasing a collection of helium-filled balloons within the space. Just be sure no balloons can escape — no one wants their celebration to turn into a mass-littering event!
6. First Birthday Photo Op
Photos are a major part of most parties, especially when celebrating milestones like a first birthday. Choose a corner of your garage and create a stylish photo backdrop that guests can use to memorialize the occasion.
You can even include a few props that go with the party theme for everyone to pose with.
7. Paper Flower Backdrop
Flowers make beautiful party decor but the real thing can be extremely expensive. Paper flowers are a wonderful alternative to use for your next garage party.
Paper flowers are very easy to DIY as long as you have the right supplies and a bit of patience. However, you can also get great results from the paper flower kits sold at most party decor stores.
8. Hot Air Balloon Cake Display
Before it’s time to blow out the candles, make sure your cake gets the proper amount of attention by setting up a cute display table.
This particular design uses plain paper lanterns to create adorable hot air balloons. Setting up a large backdrop will ensure that you don’t see parts of your garage in any photos from the event.
9. Streamer-Covered Staircase
Help staircases, work benches, and other elements in your garage blend into the party theme by draping them in streamers and other decorations. These decorations don’t need to be over the top but just enough that the entire garage feels like a cohesive space for the occasion.
10. Dessert Table Spread
Keep your guests’ collective sweet tooth satisfied by setting up a large dessert table along one wall of your garage. If flying bugs are a concern, use covered cake stands to display unwrapped treats.
11. Boho Pallet Table
This cute pallet table is a creative alternative to classic folding tables. It would fit right in at any children’s birthday party. Provide plenty of comfy pillows for young guests to sit on as they chat, eat, or participate in party games.
12. Free-Floating Balloons
With enough balloons, you can transform your garage into a makeshift ball pit. The kids at your party are sure to get a kick out of chasing, tossing, and kicking balloons around the space.
13. Party String Lights
Since the average garage is pretty dim, string lights are a great investment for any party or event. You can mix and match a variety of styles — globe lights, paper lanterns, icicle lights, and curtain lights are all popular options.
14. Custom Neon Sign
Give your garage party a luxury feel with a neon sign as part of your backdrop. These signs are surprisingly affordable and can be displayed as home decor once the party ends.
You can even order custom signage featuring the guest of honor’s name or some other key piece of information.
15. Paper Lantern Chandelier
This creative paper lantern arrangement is a great way to distract from the imperfections in your garage ceiling. You can easily customize the size and number of lanterns to suit the height of your event space.
Standard string lights are the best way to illuminate your DIY chandelier once it’s complete.
16. Tissue Paper Pom-Poms
This is another remarkably simple DIY project that makes excellent party decor! All you need to make your own pom-pom decorations in tissue paper and some wire.
Create pom-poms of varying sizes to hang throughout your garage. You can make pom-poms from tissue paper that is all one color or mix and match to fit your party theme.
17. Colorful Streamer Tablecloth
Don’t be afraid to get creative with everyday party supplies when decorating for your next event. For example, check out this tablecloth that has been adorned with colorful streamers.
This is a great idea to use if you want to disguise a folding table or similar piece of furniture while also adding to the ambiance of your party space.
18. Paper Fan Backdrop
You can find these expandable paper fans at most stores that sell party supplies. While there are many ways to utilize them, one of the best strategies (especially when decorating a garage) is to create a colorful backdrop for the space.
19. Bunting Garlands
Bring some color to your garage ceiling by hanging traditional bunting garlands between the walls or rafters. You can use plain colored flags or invest in a design that’s especially suited to the occasion.
Combine your bunting garlands with helium-filled balloons and other hanging decor for a multi-dimensional look.
20. Monochromatic Decor
If you’re struggling to make your garage feel like a cohesive event space, one of the best tricks in the book is to decorate with a single-color family. Monochromatic decor will give your party a fresh, modern aesthetic. It can also make decorating a bit easier since you don’t need to worry about which colors go together.
21. Shaped Balloon Arch
Balloon arches are practically a must-have at any party right now. You can kick your garage party decor up another notch entirely by creating an arch with shaped balloons.
Keep in mind that your guests are definitely going to want photos in front of your fun balloon arch. So be sure to set it up somewhere that is ideal for photo ops.
22. Flamingo and Shiplap Backdrop
This adorable party backdrop is created out of basic lumber for a shiplap-inspired appearance. It offers the perfect clean slate for celebratory photos while hiding any garage clutter that may be in the background.
23. Hanging Holiday Ornaments
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that is warm through the winter holidays, the garage can be a great place to gather with friends and family.
Decorate for the season by hanging traditional holiday ornaments around the space. You can even make giant ornaments by covering styrofoam balls in fabric!
24. Tropical Bamboo Backdrop
Woven bamboo is the perfect backdrop for any tropical-themed party. On top of being stylish, it offers the ideal surface to fasten decor to without damaging your garage walls.
25. Balloon Cloud
This creative balloon idea is ideal for baby showers, birthday parties, and more. All you need are some white, helium-filled balloons to make your own floating cloud.
26. Fishing Net Tablecloth
Add flair to your table settings by placing fishing nets over regular tablecloths. This decorating idea is perfect for any mermaid-, pirate-, or underwater-themed party. You can even go one step further by hanging extra netting on your garage walls or ceiling.
27. Printed Circus Mural
For a quick and hassle-free party backdrop, head to your local printing shop and request a large-scale poster or banner that matches your chosen theme.
Add matching balloons, streamers, drapes, and other details to fully transform your garage into a bona fide event space.
28. Second-Hand Furniture
To give your garage party a more elegant appearance, use “real” furniture instead of folding tables and chairs. You can find quality pieces that are cheap or even free by visiting local consignment shops and garage sales.
Cover up any imperfections in the furniture with tablecloths or décor.