When it comes to placemats, drink coasters and table runners, there are many different colors and materials being used.  These Beach Stone Placemats are certainly different.  You can bring the beach or rocky shore to your table.  These would be perfect for that backyard gathering around the picnic table.  For a change in dinning experience, this is a great idea.

These were found at Kaboodle.  These Beach Stone pieces are created by hand using river rocks that have been washed and polished.

One of the more interesting types of balloon decorations is the “exploding balloon”. Well they don’t really explode as you would normally think of an explosion but it does provide a great effect. An exploding balloon is a large balloon stuffed with many small balloons so that when the large balloon is pierced, the small balloons spray in every direction to make it look like an explosion. Typically you use a 36” clear balloon stuffed with 60 to 70 five inch balloons.

The difficulty is if you want to pierce the balloon from a distance or to have multiple balloons explode at once. You could have a person stand next to each balloon with a stick pin. Well maybe not! For a professional who decorates for large events many times a year, there is a “Balloon Exploder” http://www.conwinonline.com/shop/shop.asp?pid=86200 kit that works well but this is expensive for some one wanting to decorate their own event.

So an alternative is to use the DIY Exploding Balloon. The idea is to be able to burst one or more large balloons at a specific time and from across the room. It is very surprising to the guests when the balloon explodes in the center of a wedding or anniversary reception.

For more information, go to DIY Exploding Balloon for assembly instructions.