Ideas for theming an event

July 18, 2007 6:47 AM

How do you theme an event around the idea of a "home"?

We are planning a vision night for the church, and our vision uses the metaphor of a home. I need ideas of how to theme the night using that image of a house (i.e. staging; place settings; published materials etc..). Creativity is a must.

posted by BigCreekBill to media & arts (6 comments total)

Have people take off their shoes at the door?

Set up the meeting room like little living or dining rooms-- rent couches or dining room tables for the night. Put curtains (buy cheap bedsheets from TJ Maxx or Walmart) over all windows or fake windows (just hang them on the wall).

Can you be more specific about place settings and published materials? Are you asking for vision-casting materials, or things like home decor magazines?

Cool idea-- tell us more.
posted by orangemiles at 7:14 AM on July 18, 2007

Get church members to loan you decorations from their own homes. If anyone has one of those needlepoint welcome signs, that would be a perfect starting point. Other sorts of trinkets would be good as well -- a collection of ceramic figurines, an area rug if anyone can loan you one. Anything you can do to make the room cozy would help.

It might be nice to use things that are literally from your congregation's homes to decorate your church-home. You could hang family photos, eat off of heirloom china, etc. And you could publish a small pamphlet listing each contributor's donation and its significance.
posted by brina at 7:30 AM on July 18, 2007

a dog
posted by pracowity at 7:57 AM on July 18, 2007

For published material (unless you can arrange this or have one in the church): an inviting fireplace, complete with a nice fire.
posted by Meagan at 8:36 AM on July 18, 2007

Maybe a big chalkboard/corkboard with recipes, notes, and coupons tacked onto it hanging on a wall near the entrance?

And if you could bring in a couple of armchairs to sit in one corner, nothing says home like a recliner!
posted by ukdanae at 8:40 AM on July 18, 2007

You could also broaden your impression of home to include what signifies "home" in other cultures/countries.

Go to Flickr and enter some search terms to gather visual ideas: home, house, 家, kitchen, cucina, keuken, 台所, living room, fireplace, foyer, entryway, etc

Things I noticed: hooks and coats in an entry way, welcome mat, photos in frames, vase of flowers, curtains, comfortable chairs, large dining tables, area rugs, lap blanket draped on a chair, table lamps, candles, cookie jar, front door, umbrella stand, pots and pans, candles, table lamp, rocking chair, clocks, pets, television, couch, bed, etc.

You could also ask church members to give you ideas for what physical things symbolize home to them.
posted by jeanmari at 9:18 AM on July 18, 2007