- 1). Decorate the front of the house or the front door. For a Halloween party, it's always fun to set out glowing jack-o-lanterns on the front steps or on either side of the front door. For a Valentine's Day party, tie little packages of candies wrapped in red paper to a large twig wreath on the front door; write a guest's on each package and let her remove it before entering the party house. Set up a small, decorated tent right in front of the door; kids will need to walk through the circus tent for admission to your circus party.
- 2). Create a big party statement that guests will see as soon as they open the front door. For example, for Halloween have some ghosts (sheets draped over hangers with balloons-heads) flapping in a breeze created by a fan. Wrap a huge box in brightly-colored paper and set it prominently on a small table where guests will see it as they walk in; attach a sign that says, "Guess what's inside!" You might fill it with the party favors or make a game of rewarding the first guest who guesses what is inside. Hang a large piñata near the party entrance; buy one that matches the party theme---everything from car-shaped piñatas to all sorts of animals are readily available at party supply stores. See resources below.
- 3). Put balloons to work for you; balloons practically shout party. Helium-filled balloons are readily available at your neighborhood grocery store, in both the mylar and the latex variety. Use them in a variety of ways. A black and an orange balloon tied together to a stuffed black cat makes a great decoration, especially if you can set four or five of these around the room. Tie a heart-shaped balloon to the back of everyone's chair for a Valentine's Day party. For a circus party, consider wiring a multi-colored variety of balloons to an arch as the party entrance. See source below for arches.
- 4). Use games and party activities as decorations. In pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey fashion, find a large poster that complements the party theme and invent a game like "pin the smokestack on the train." Line the walls with large kid-size cutouts made from butcher paper and then let kids color in their faces and clothes and hang "themselves" back up on the wall. Hang up a Twister mat until it's time to play.
- 5). Start with a brightly colored paper tablecloth to make a base for table decorations. Then use long strips of crepe paper in a contrasting color to make a woven design on top of the tablecloth. For an animal party centerpiece, line up stuffed animals wearing large bows the length of the table. For a birthday tea party, line up plain straw sunhats on either side of big glass bowl full of ribbons and trim that girls will use to decorate their hats. Place a length of track going down the length of the table and add a train pulling a car filled with favors.
next post