You’ve been waiting a looooooong  time for your missionary to get home. Moments like these are once in a lifetime. So you want to welcome your missionary home with style without stressing yourself out. Well, I’ve got the solution.

I don’t have kids who are old enough to serve a mission. But my neighbor just welcomed her first missionary home. So I offered to decorate her front yard for the exciting occasion. 

Buy A LOT of yellow ribbon and balloons

The yellow ribbon— has long been a symbol of support for absent or missing loved ones. So, hanging yellow ribbon and balloons are perfect since two years (year and a half for girls) is a really long time to be away from home. 

Buy helium balloons with hi float which allows them to float for 2-3 days. They are a little bit more expensive but definitely worth it. I bought 25 balloons but you can buy as many as you want. The more the better.

Attach balloons to skewers

Wrap a small rubber band around the dull end of a wooden skewer. Then tie the end of the ribbon attached to each balloon just below the rubber band. This will prevent the ribbon from slipping off the skewer and the balloon floating away.

Cover your lawn with balloons

Carefully push the sharp end of the skewer into the grass. Be careful because you might get a sliver or snap the skewer in half. Scatter the balloons randomly across the yard or you can line them in an organized way. Whatever you want. The more balloons the better.

Tie your yellow ribbon everywhere and anywhere. All of the yellow balloons and ribbons will make your missionary’s eyes light up when they come home for the first time. 

Here’s some other fun welcome home ideas for your missionary. 

• Ten awesome ideas for welcoming home a missionary
• Missionary Tag welcome home poster
• Returned missionary survival kit
• How to make a welcome back homecoming basket

Who are missionaries?

More than 70,000 full-time missionaries are serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most missionaries are young people under the age of 25, serving in more than 400 missions throughout the world. If you would like to know more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and our beliefs, contact a missionary near you by visiting mormon.org.

What other ideas do you have to welcome home your missionary? Leave your comments below.

Related link: 16 memorable mission call opening ideas