Class of 2026 • Graduation Season
The Ultimate Graduation Party Guide: Balloons, Backdrops & Gifts
Year 12 done. Degree finished. Whatever they just survived, here is how to throw a graduation party that looks incredible without spending a fortune. Over 100 graduation products in store and online.
Year 12 & Uni Grads • In store & online now
Graduation season hits NSW every spring. Year 12 formals and final assemblies run through September and October, HSC exams finish in November, and uni graduations fill the calendar from late November right through summer. That is a lot of parties, and a lot of parents standing in a shop the night before wondering what a graduation party actually needs.
This guide fixes that. It walks through the five things every graduation party needs, in order, using products you can grab today from our graduation collection or in store at The Base Warehouse, from Gregory Hills to Wagga Wagga to the Central Coast. Most of it costs less than a coffee, and the whole setup can be done for under $100.
The checklist
Six Things Every Graduation Party Needs
Balloons
1 giant shape + 6 to 10 foils + a bag of latex in school colours
Photo wall
Backdrop or curtain, tassel garland, props on sticks
Table
Tablecloth, cap napkins, cake topper, centrepiece
Wear
Satin cap for the grad, headbands or glasses for guests
Gift
Signature bear or frame, ready for everyone to sign
Send-off
Confetti, a yard sign and a congrats banner on the front door
Step 1
Graduation Balloons That Do The Talking
Balloons are the fastest way to make a room say congrats. Go big with a giant Airloonz shape as the centrepiece, then fill around it with 45cm foils in black, gold and silver. The Base Warehouse inflates helium balloons in every store, so grab them on the way to the party and walk out ready to go.
Congrats Grad Balloon - Black, Silver & Gold
$27.99
The hero balloon. Big, metallic, and unmistakably graduation.
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Airloonz Congrats Grad Diploma Balloon - 106x139cm
$27.99
Over a metre tall. Air-filled, so it lasts for days.
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Supershape Congrats Grad Party Hat Foil Balloon - 83x66cm
$12.99
The classic mortar board shape for the photo wall.
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Congrats Graduation Black & Gold Satin Foil Balloon - 45cm
$7.99
Satin finish. Buy a handful and bunch them with latex.
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Helium filled in store, every day
Bring your foils in or buy them here. We inflate while you shop.
Shop all balloons
Step 2
Backdrops, Curtains & Garlands For The Photo Wall
Every graduation party needs one spot where the photos happen. A Class of 2026 backdrop or a metallic curtain behind the cake table takes two minutes to hang and ends up in every photo on the family group chat. Layer a tassel garland across the top and you are done.
Congrats Class Of 2026 Graduation Backdrop - 150cm
$5.99
Dated for this year. The photo wall in one piece.
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Congrats Grad Metallic Square Curtain - 2m
$15.99
Shimmer curtain that catches every camera flash.
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Graduation Caps & Stars Gold Foil Backdrop Kit - 200cm x 100cm
$5.99
Gold caps and stars. Perfect behind a black curtain.
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Silver & Gold Grad Tassel Garland - 183cm
$9.99
Because the tassel was worth the hassle.
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Step 3
Table Setting & Photo Props
Keep the table simple: one printed tablecloth, cap-shaped napkins, and a cake topper that reads congrats from across the room. Hand out a pack of selfie props and the awkward first twenty minutes of any party sorts itself out.
Congrats Grad Tablecloth - 183x137cm
$2.99
Covers a standard 6-seater. Wipe clean, bin later.
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16 Pack Foil Stamped Graduation Cap Shaped Napkins - 32cm x 22cm
$5.99
Cap-shaped napkins. Small detail, big reaction.
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Gold Congrats Mirror Finish Plastic Cake Topper - 16cm x 15cm
$11.99
Turns a supermarket mud cake into a graduation cake.
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10 Pack Graduation Selfie Photo Props
$6.99
Caps, diplomas and speech bubbles on sticks.
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Step 4
Caps, Headbands & Things To Wear
Not everyone gets to keep their mortar board. Grab a satin graduation hat for the guest of honour and a pack of headbands or party glasses for everyone else, so the whole table looks the part in the group shot.
Black Satin Graduation Hat
$9.99
Proper satin mortar board with tassel. Photo-ready.
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Colourful Enamel Graduate Headband
$8.99
Fun option for the grad who refuses to wear a hat.
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4 Pack Plastic Graduation Headbands
$5.50
One pack, four guests sorted.
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4 Pack Graduation Party Glasses
$2.00
Two bucks. Cheapest laugh at the party.
Shop now
Step 5
Graduation Gifts & Keepsakes
Skip the gift card. A signature bear signed by the whole year group, a frame for the certificate, or a citrine congrats necklace is the kind of thing that still sits on a shelf ten years later.
Graduation Signature Bear
$35.99
Everyone signs it. The best-selling grad gift we stock.
Shop now
Graduation with Hat Photo Frame - 15cm
$29.99
For the one photo that actually gets printed.
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Venice Diploma Frame - A4
$9.99
A4 certificate frame. Ten bucks, done.
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Citrine Congratulations Gem Necklace
$9.99
Small, wearable congrats. Matching bracelet and keyring too.
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Keep browsing
Shop by category
Year 12 vs Uni
Two Kinds Of Graduation, Two Kinds Of Party
Year 12 & HSC graduation
Usually a family thing at home, often the same week as the formal. Go big on the photo wall (the Class of 2026 backdrop is built for this), a giant balloon at the front door, and a signature bear the whole year group can sign at the last assembly. Match the balloons to the school colours with plain latex.
University graduation
More mates, less mum. Black and gold everything, a couple of Supershape cap balloons for the ceremony photos, party glasses for the table, and an A4 diploma frame so the testamur does not live in a cardboard tube for three years. Congrats foils work for any degree, any uni.
Helium
Filled in store, every day
FAQ
Graduation Party Questions, Answered
When is graduation season in NSW?
Year 12 graduations and formals run from mid-September through November as the HSC wraps up, and most university graduation ceremonies fall in late November, December and again in April and May. We stock the full graduation range year-round, with the biggest selection in store from September.
Do you inflate graduation balloons in store?
Yes. The Base Warehouse fills helium and air balloons on the spot in every store. Bring your foils in or buy them in store, and we will have them inflated and ready while you shop. Giant Airloonz shapes are air-filled and last for days, so they can be done a day early.
What colours should I use for a graduation party?
Black and gold is the classic combination and matches most school and uni gowns. Add silver for extra shine, or pull in the school or university colour as a third accent with plain latex balloons and tableware. Our stores carry solid-colour balloons and tableware in every colour, so you can match any school.
Can I order graduation party supplies online?
Yes. Everything in this guide is available online with delivery Australia-wide, shipped from our Gregory Hills warehouse. If you need it today, pop into any of our eight NSW stores and grab it off the shelf.
What is a good graduation gift under $40?
The graduation signature bear is our best seller because the whole year group can sign it. Photo frames, an A4 diploma frame for the certificate, and the citrine congratulations necklace, bracelet and keyring set all land under $40.
Visit us
The Base Warehouse: eight stores across NSW
Every store carries the full graduation range and fills helium balloons on the spot.
Gregory Hills
15/2-64 Steer Rd, Gregory Hills NSW 2557
Brookvale
Floor G, 1A Cross St, Westfield Warringah Mall, Brookvale NSW 2100
Menai
C1.3 / 5-21 Carter Rd, Menai NSW 2234
Erina Fair
H06 / 620 Terrigal Dr, Erina NSW 2250
Lake Haven
53 Lake Haven Dr, Lake Haven NSW 2263
Tuggerah
Building C, 9 Bryant Dr, Tuggerah NSW 2259
Wagga Wagga
7-23 Hammond Ave, East Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Bankstown
Shop 9, 173 Canterbury Rd, Bankstown NSW 2200
They did the work. You do the party.
Thirteen years of school, or three to six of uni, deserves more than a cake and a handshake. Grab the balloons, hang the backdrop, get the bear signed, and let them have the photos they will still be posting on the anniversary. Everything in this guide ships Australia-wide from Gregory Hills, or walk into The Base Warehouse and take it home today.
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