Need a theme for a housewarming party?  Take a cue from the old saying  "Bring Your Own Bottle" and throw a Bring Your Own Plate Party.  This is a prefect party for a someone moving out for the first time or someone newly divorced who needs dinnerware.

Each guest is asked to bring a plate for the new home owner. You can vary it by asking guests to each bring a plate, glass, and coffee cup.  Be sure to specify this on the party invitations you send. To add a little extra fun, have the guest bring food on the plates with recipes attached to the back.  They can bring items like home-made brochette, cheese and crackers,  mini sandwiches, cupcakes, pies, or even a whole meatloaf.  Leaving the food choices up to the guests and their culinary specialties makes for a fun surprise.

For decorations, create a table centerpiece by purchasing flatware, some ribbon and some flowers.  Group the knives in a bundle leaving an open center and tie them tightly with the ribbon. In the center place a few items of the flower of your choice. Buy a  short vase to hold the spoons and forks. Place flowers inside or around the vases.  Since the flowers will be without water during the party, wait until the last moment to add them to the centerpieces.

You can vary this party idea in so many ways.  Maybe they need furniture.  Ask guest to give a piece of furniture they no longer use.  The party would then change to "Bring Your Own Chair", or a "Bring Your Own Wall Art".

It all depends on the needs of the honoree. The concept is to help set up a new home, have some fun and make memories. I love the idea of an eclectic mix of plates and cups. Each individual item represents the friends and family of the honoree.  After all, memories of family and friends help make a house your home.

Wedding and Party Network is happy to bring you this party planning idea. Also, a special thanks to PittyPat's Porch, an Atlanta GA Caterer for the use of their southern Georgia Gumbo picture.

In my post Reeling in a Great Bachelor Party, I suggest a fun-filled bachelor party can revolve around a fishing theme. A few suggestions may have been cast here and there, but a real "how to" was not offered.  Here are implementable tips for decorating, food and entertainment to create a fishing theme party.

Decorations Are Like Bait

Just like a fisherman knows which lure will attract which fish, you need to know what will put your guests in a fishing mood.  A tackle box is a good place to get ideas.  Lures, bobbers, nets, and hooks are all things that dangle and so must your decorations.

So this party must incorporate streamers into the decor.  Here is how to make fantastic party streamers using fishing line and bobbers:

Items you will need:

• 50-100 plastic fishing bobbers. These bobbers come in various colors — red and white are the most common.  Should you need a variety of colors, you can always spray paint them a different color to match your theme.
• 1 spool of fishing line (you can buy this at the same place as the bobbers)

To make the streamers, begin by determining how much line is needed to space the bobbers apart so they dangle but with enough extra line to attach to the walls or tables. To create a table streamer for a 6 foot table, you will need 7 feet of fishing line. If you want a swag effect with this streamer add another foot or two. Same principal applies if you are hanging these streamers from wall to wall or around a pole.

After you decide line length, take the bobbers and hook them to the line spacing them every 6-8” apart. When finished attach the streamer to the table using heavy duty tape or clear packing tape. Hint: Fishing lures come in many shapes, styles and colors making them a great items to decorate with. So you can do the same thing with fishing lures as the bobbers. However, you need to remove the hooks and barbs from the lures before using them in this fashion.

Party lights are another way to decorate. You can buy fishing theme lights at party supply stores. Attach these lights to some fishing nets and hang them on the walls. Use your imagination, don't be afraid to jump right in and tackle the decorating with any and all fishing related items.

If your having the party outside or if room allows, you can always use a small boat as a table. Place a sheet of painted or decorated (use stencil to decorate) ply board over the boat.

Rig Up Some Great Food And Beverages

Use a “live well” to hold your beverages.  A live well is a tank they hold the bait or the fish after you catch them.

Make a "live well" by painting fish stencils on new Styrofoam “minnow” buckets. Then place ice and beverages in these cleverly decorate buckets. Shazam! You now have a beverage "live well" for you fishermen. Don't forget to purchase fish themed drink koozies. You know the ones that look like bass, trout or catfish. These koozies are great as decorations, as well as drink holders and party favors.

I suggest a menu of catfish, smoked salmon or trout which can be catered by a local company. For "fingerling" food serve shrimp dip and use oyster or goldfish crackers for the dippers. Shrimp cocktail or peel and eat shrimp are great appetizers for a fishing theme.  Your caterer may have some party platters in fish shapes. A party store is another fantastic place to find themed serving platters.

Don't forget the sweets. Have a local bakery create a theme cake in the shape of a fish. This will give them a tasty treat and add to your decor at the same time.

Entertainment – GO Fish

Rent a Playstation or a Wii game console with the fishing game. This game is great for kids and adults. In fact, adults love this game – all the fun and no mess.

Don’t want to rent a console. Create your own fishing game. Grab some fishing rods and hook the bait (candy bars tied on with fishing line.) Now have players stand on the opposite side facing the people who are holding the rods. Cast out your bait – just far enough for your teammate to be able to eat the candy bar (no hands can be used). Whoever eats their candy bar first wins. Or can always play a rousing  game of go fish!

Using a bit of creativity along with some real fishing tackle will ensure you and your party will defiantly not be up a creek with out a paddle.

***A little side note for those in the Port Coquitlam, BC – Luscious Creations created the awesome fish face theme cake in the picture above. ***

Creating The Tropical Indoors

Everyone loves the beach.  Everyone loves a party.  Sometimes you want both and that is where a beach party theme comes in handy. Unfortunately depending where you live or the time of year, an outside beach party isn't always possible. So what do you do – throw a beach party indoors!

Decorating For The Beach Experience

Throwing a party with a tropical theme indoors isn’t as hard as it would seem. In fact, an indoor beach or tropical party theme works very well for back to school parties or birthday parties for kids and adult. Teens will love this party theme and the tropical drinks that go along with it.

As far as decorations go, you’ll want to have as many tropical items as you can possible fit in your indoor area.

To go all out rent some palms from local florist. If palms are not available for rent try a party supply store. They often have inflatable palms or even card board cut out palms or other tropical items. Add a little pizazz to table centerpieces by cutting holes in pineapples (like you do with pumpkins) and place votive candles inside.

If you’re an especially daring party thrower, set up a kiddy pool inside filled with sand. If your not that daring then buy an awesome party cake decorated like a  beach party and use it as your room's focal point.

Beach Grub Is A Must

Beach food is all hands on – literally.  So finger foods need to fill out the beach party menu. You can pick these items up at a deli or make them yourself.

If your planning this party for your teenager, you'll want to serve hot dogs and hamburgers. Of course you'll need a signature drink. Make tropical drinks such as (non-alcoholic) blue Hawaiians by using blending ice cubes, a lemon-lime type soda and a few drops of blue food coloring. Serve the drink in an inexpensive margarita style glass. You can find plastic ones at party supply stores. Ta da, you’ve got great tropical drink. For a super fun fruity idea get some ice trays and add small pieces of fruits such as pineapple chucks, cherries, raspberries, blueberries and freeze them in ice trays covered with water. Pop them out of the ice tray and put them in an ice bucket for the kids to add to their fruit punch or other tropical drink.

With just a bit of creative decorating, you’ll find that a inside beach party is easy to do. This party theme is  great fun for teens, kids or even adults. So get started now planning your beach party right under your own roof. Oh, don’t for get to tell the invites to dress in their best swim and beachwear.

A special thanks goes to The Party Place & Bakery, a Herber Springs bakery for letting me use the picture of their beach cake.

Planning a birthday party for your son in those awkward years between 8-12? He's too old for those sweet little kids parties you used to throw. Yet, he still willing to have you plan his party. So, how do you create a party that he will love?

Skating Your Way To A Party That Is Off The Hook

Ask yourself "what do tween boys want or like?"  Think of what your tween's interests. I know several tweens who are in to skateboarding. Using the party theme like skateboarding is a fantastic place to start.  Seek out some skate boarding teens that can show the tweens some cool tricks (keeping in mind safety). Ideally it would be wonderful to rent a skate board facility.  Don’t fret if a skateboards facility is not available. Create a skateboard paradise at your house. Decorate your party area with mini skate boards, posters with skate board heroes such as Tony Hawk or Andy MacDonald and graffiti boards. Buy some thin ply board and spray paint and write graffiti on it.

Entertainment That Will Have Them Stoked

Keep a few ply boards and spray cans for your party goers to graffit up. Use teenage skateboarders as another form of entertainment. Have them give the young kids a demonstration. If your party area allows let the kids show off the skateboard skills learned for the older teens. Remember safety comes first. All kids should wear protective gear before they skateboard. You can also have them play a game of follow the skate board leader. Have one of the teens do age appropriate tricks for them to follow and when each tween fails to complete the leaders action, they leave the game to go drink a soda or power drink such as Gatorade. Listen to your tween and he will give you plenty of idea to make this party a success. Savor the memories of this party, hire a videographer to document the skateboard fun.

Party Favors They'll Be Down With

Party favors STICKERS … that is all you have to give to 8-12 year old boys to make them happy. This age group loves stickers. Need to fill your gift bags with more? Granola or power bars and skateboard key chains will excite these tweens. When looking for skate board theme items try a skateboard. You can even find great skateboard items online.

Grindage Must Haves

These tween will build up quite the appetite after all that skateboarding. Pizza is a good choice for the food, as well as hamburgers/hot dogs and soda. The big wow of this party is the cake with graffiti air brushed skate board and your tween's name.

A skateboarding party is a great way to have fun and allow boys to be boys. By the end of the day, your tween will think your the best bro a boy could have.

I’m always looking for an excuse to throw a party. For 2009, I decided that the Golden Globe Awards was a great adult party theme to kick off the New Year. I’ve put together some great ideas to make your Golden Globes Party fun and creative without breaking the bank.

First, you can’t have a Golden Globes party without a red carpet. Run down to you’re local store in search for an inexpensive red carpet. If you can’t find one there, you can certainly make your own. A few yards of inexpensive red fabric will do the trick.

Games are always a great idea for any kind of party. Before guests arrive, prepare a list of the Golden Globe nominations on elegant paper in a fancy font. The guests can use this list to select who they think will win each category. Before the awards ceremony starts have everyone turn in their ballot and who ever has the most correct after the show receives their very own golden globe. You can pick up a fake Golden Globe at a local party supplies store or order online. If your budget allows, you could send everyone home with a mini Golden Globe as party favors.

Planning a dinner?

There's nothing quite as festive and entertaining during the Christmas season as entertaining friends and family with a fun party. Sometimes the trick to great hosting is having the unique party theme that stands out from the others. Well you have that this year thanks to a great gingerbread house decorating party!

Grab your friends together or invite your children's friends over to make a gingerbread house using delicious gingerbread cookies, colorful icing, candy buttons and other sweet treats. You might end up covered in icing and cookie dough crumbles, but it'll create a multitude of fun and photo-worthy stories.

So what goes into this party theme? Well, lots of Read the rest of Throwing A Fun Gingerbread House Decorating Party »

As kids, birthday parties were exciting and elaborate with friends, cake, and lots of fun. It seems that as our age goes up (along with our stress level) the birthday parties get less exciting from year to year. But this does not have to be the case. A 50th Birthday is a pretty big deal, and is worthy of a party that surpasses even those as kids. "What kind of party ideas are appropriate for a 50^th birthday party?" you may ask, more than you think!  Depending on the birthday honoree’s personality, the type of party you host could range from a elegant dinner party to elaborate formal affair.

Quick Ideas For A 50th Birthday Party

• Renting out a restaurant is a simple way to fill a room with friends and family, have a nice dinner and socialize without having to play host and serve people.  Be sure to select a restaurant with a party trained bar & wait staff.
• Another great 50^th birthday party idea is to rent out a party room. This venue is allows for more than just food and catering.  With room for entertainment, you can kick it up a notch.  Make it a  dance party with a DJ or a band for entertainment or hire a comedian or magician to entertain the birthday honoree and guests.
• Turn your home in to a hot spot.  Rent extra tables and dining chairs, hire a caterer, set up a champagne fountain and turn your home into fabulous birthday gala destination.

50th Birthday Party Theme
A theme could be incorporated into all of above ideas as well especially an "Over the Hill" theme. Black seems to be the trend for "Over the Hill" parties and is always appropriate for this age. Black balloon bouquets, streamers and even black fabric draped from the ceiling are all great decorating ideas.  These decorating tools will help pull the "Over the Hill" party theme together.

Special Tribute For A 50th Birthday Party
Ask guests for only one gift: a few words. As guests arrive have them write something about the honoree. During the birthday toast read the guests' comments out loud. These words of kindness create a memorable moment for all to remember regardless of how comical or elegant the event.

Creating a memorable and fabulous 50th birthday party takes a little planning but in the end it will be well worth it.

If you missed the first kickoff of the official football season, don’t worry! You can still kick off the next big game with a fun football themed party. Grab your team colors and have a blast. Bring on the face paints and team jerseys. Warm up the foosball table. Practice your dart throwing abilities. Warm up your vocal chords and practice your cheerleading moves. These are some tips for a great game day blowout. Below are some great ideas to match your team colors. Just pick your team, invite your guests with party invitations shaped like footballs, rustle up some snacks and get the party started!

Red, White, Blue (Patriots, Giants, Texans, Titans, Bills)

These are probably the easiest colors with which to decorate for an event. Recycle some of the old Fourth of July decorations for a festive event. Check with the city before setting off any fireworks Read the rest of Score Big With A Football Themed Party »

Tropical Beach Party – Sweet Sixteen Party Theme

I had imagined my daughter wanting one of those huge MTV sweet sixteen parties, so I was surprised and relieved that she asked for a tropical beach party theme, and would only like to invite 10 friends.

We live thousands of miles from a beach; so, I was concerned about finding a location for a beach party. I called my local country club (which has a swimming pool) and they were able to rent the pool to us exclusively.

With a location found, I moved on to beach decorations. I called my florist to see if I could buy or rent a few palms or tropical type plants. Indeed they did. I got two Sago palms, as well as some hibiscus plants. Read the rest of Sweet Sixteen Tropical Beach Party Theme »