Decorations Are Like Bait

Fishing Lure

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.

Fish Face Theme Cake

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. ***

Need ideas for a corporate Christmas party? Planning a children’s Christmas party? Here are simple but effective Christmas party ideas for the planner who has to please  a ho-ho-whole lot of people.

Now is the time of year when Halloween planning subsides and Christmas party planning takes over. You may be one of those people who attends a ton of these parties every year but has never thrown one. Maybe you're the Christmas party queen or king and people look to you for their party ideas. Well, we've taken some hassle away, whether you're the belle of the ball or the newbie host. These ideas will make planning an office Christmas party or kids Christmas party much simpler.

Corporate Christmas Party Ideas:

Themes are where it’s at for any Christmas party, especially an office Christmas party. Adults need a little incentive to participate and fun themes provide that motivation. Festive themes with an adult twist are big hits, like a “Christmas Cocktail Party” or “Saint Nick’s Pub Party” where guests can enjoy a round of “North Pole Karaoke” and belt out favorite Christmas songs.

Christmas Buffet Fit For A Reindeer

Corporate Christmas party games are as much fun as they sound. Christmas party games are a chance to bond with coworkers you may not see often. Offering door prizes is incentive to play and to attend. Big or small, door prizes are a surprising boon to holiday cheer.

Keep in mind that departments make great teams. Be careful not to treat the games like team-building activities (even though they are). A relaxed environment and semi-competitive spirit are as essential to Christmas party games as mistletoe is to the decorations.

Children's Christmas Party Ideas:

Want tips for throwing a kids' Christmas party? Take your cues from the little ones. Here are the top ten kids Christmas party ideas that we have found.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #1: Use bright colors in the decorations, foods and giftwrap of any door prizes or presents. Kids love bright and happy colors, such as blue, yellow, orange, purple, green, red and pink.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #2: Take a hint from pop culture for the theme. Look at popular television shows, books, movies, sports and music to decide which theme is right for yours kids Christmas party. For example, if your kids are into The Jonas Brothers, have a "Christmas With The Jonas Brothers" theme. Your theme should flow smoothly between your decorations, music, games and gift choices.

Nutcracker Themed Adult Christmas Party

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #4: Games rule. If you plan to have games, have lots of them. Children usually have short attention spans, so keep the games short, fun, lively and switch it up often.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #5: Encourage parent participation. Enlisting the help of other parents will prove beneficial once the excitement of the little ones takes over.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #6: Play fun Christmas music. Find Christmas CDs released by young pop stars and mix these with the traditional songs on the playlist. You can also throw in some seasonal favorites from older pop stars for the parents’ ears. Another alternative is to hire musical entertainment for the night and provide them with a list of classic songs you’d like to hear.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #7: Sleepovers make the best Christmas parties. If you’re brave enough to host this kind of children’s Christmas party, your kids will be forever grateful. Get ready for a late night. Don't forget to invite a couple of parents to help, even if they don't spend the night.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #8: Keep gifts and door prizes simple. A $1-5 budget per gift is perfect for a varied group. Children of all ages and family incomes will feel welcome and comfortable.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #9: Have a plan for skittish animals. If you have a pet that is not keen on large groups, have a place for  he/she/they to go during the party. Trust me, this is a rarely-mentioned but gem of a tip.

Kids' Christmas Party Idea #10: Keep it moving. Switch often between playing a game, grabbing a snack or other activities. This will keep the children's attention and prevent parents from hearing the “I’m bored” whine.

Whether your audience falls into the “adults only” or the “you must be this tall to ride” category, hosting a Christmas party for them will be the most delightful (and busiest) part of your holiday season. There’s nothing like watching your friends, family or coworkers line up to play a holiday game and seeing their faces light up like Christmas tree lights. With these simple Christmas party ideas, your holiday hosting will be a night or day full of cheer.

For more party planning tips, visit www.WeddingAndPartyNetwork.com.

You may also be interested in these Christmas Party Ideas:

Throwing A Fun Gingerbread House Decorating Party
Holiday Office Party Etiquette: Celebrations For All To Enjoy
Traditional Christmas Meets Contemporary Atmosphere

You are not alone. Many times, Dads feel left out when it comes to planning kids parties. What they don't realize is moms are tired of planning every party for their child. This year try reversing the roles. Dads let the moms sit back and watch as you do it all.

Dads don't panic you can plan it. Yes you can.  For dads looking for children's party ideas, I've got four easy steps to building a great party.  Use the following steps as the building blocks in constructing a great kids  party.

STEP 1 – Party Theme

Start with a theme (a concept for the party – pirates, star wars etc.) which help focus the other basics steps and guide us in planning the party.  For our example, the party will have a construction theme.

A construction party consists of the parents helping the party attendees to build an item.  You can choose to build any number of things.  For children ages 3-5, build a truck or a car with construction paper. Using pre-cut paper trucks and cars have the children color and draw in wheels or special features. You can cut cars and trucks from your old car magazines and let the kids glue them to old milk cartons as a way to build their own car.  For kids 6-10, build bird houses out of Popsicle sticks. All you need are popsicle sticks, glue and some craft paint.  You can buy bulk popsicle sticks at most craft stores. These are just a couple of theme suggestions. When choosing a theme draw from your own and your child's interest.

STEP 2 – Party Invitations

Invitations should include a minimum of four things: Who, What, Where, When.

Begin by setting the date and the place. Once you've got that you can decide about whom to invite. Most experts say for children 3-5 invite their age plus 1. So, if your child is 3 invite four, 4 invite 5, 5 invite 6.  With children 6 and over you can use the rules given or invite the amount of kids you feel comfortable entertaining.

Invitations should be personally delivered or mailed at least 2 weeks prior to the event.  I also suggest picking an invitation that displays the theme. For our example it needs to be something that represents a construction theme.  Hanny Manny invitations would be a good example of a construction theme or even ones that have Tonka Toy backhoes or dirt movers on them. You should be able to find kids theme invitations at party or stationary supply stores.

STEP 3 Party Decorations:

When choosing decorations work from your theme. You'll notice that when you were choosing your invitations the party store carried theme decoration as well. You will find that items like napkins, posters, plates, cups and other theme party decorations will compliment the Hanny Manny or Bob the Builder invitations you have already selected.  If you can't find character or decorations based on your theme, use colorful streamers or balloons to dress up your party area. Although not necessarily a decoration, party favors are a must.  Now is the time you will want to pick up the party favors. The best kids party favor is a small gift bag containing candy, toys or fun items for each child.

Step 4 Party Food:

A little food goes a long way with kids since most kids 3 to 10 years old would rather play than eat. I recommend with younger kids in this age group you serve cake and ice cream only.  But the cake should be specially designed around the theme. As for drinks, I suggest bottle of soda and water or juice boxes.  Be sure to contact your bakery one week ahead, so they can create your party theme cake.

So there you have it dads. A blueprint for building the perfect kids party. Go out and build one today!

These tips for planning a kids party were brought to you by the wonderful local party vendors in the United States and Canada.

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.

Beach Theme Party Cake

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.

Rent a space to hold the party.
Although you could hold the parties outside, I recommend an indoor space. Why? Because you will be using a lot of electrical equipment. Outdoor locations are great but they make it more complicated with the chance of weather. Electronics and bad weather do not mix well.

You will need to rent a stage
All rappers need a stage. If the place you have secured for the party does not have one, you'll need to rent one. The stage rental place should also be able to help you with the lighting and a sound system, as well. Remember this is the Ultimate Rap Party and every rap artist needs the right atmosphere. So, you’ll want lots of lights and a great sound system for the rap artist to work their rap skills on.

Gotta Have The Lingo
Print of some rap lyrics from the Internet. Have your teenager help you pick out the songs from their favorite rapper. Have them printed on some colorful paper to hand out to the party goers. They can choose a rap lyric sheet to take to the stage to show off their skills or even free style. Don’t forget a video camera or hire a videographer. You’ll want to catch all the rapping action!

Party Decoration: Gotta Have The Bling
Flashy – that's the goal of the decorations. So bling is a must. Use any type of bling like item you can think of as the room's decor. Take a que from Rappers who like styling cars. Giant posters of cars and maybe posters of your teens favorite rappers can be used to decorate the party room. Don't forget strobe lights. A stage, lights and a rapper atmosphere will have the party goers flowing with their own rap lyrics about this ultimate rap party.

40th Birthday – You're Not Old – You're Like Fine Wine & Cheese – Better With Age

Having  reached my fortieth year (a milestone birthday), my sister threw me a great party. It was subdued, yet a fantastically wonderful party. My Sister invited my husband and a few of my dearest friends over to celebrate my birthday. The black ad white invitation arrived by mail, asking us to attend a wine and cheese party, and to dress in evening wear attire.

She decorated her home with flowers that coordinated with the wines we were going to taste. The serving table was decorated with flowers such as red roses behind a Merlot wine,  white roses for a Chardonnay wine. It was fragrant and beautiful, her home looked like a fine restaurant. The food was delicious yet simple, the rich cheese, the fresh fruits all served by a waiter dressed in a purple shirt with black pants (purple is my favorite color). The best part was the most decadent seven layer chocolate cake she served for desert.

My sister, always the best hostess, hired a wonderful singer/guitar player who softy played through out the night. As we drank the wines and sampled the cheeses, we swayed to the music even singing along occasionally.  This party is a relaxing way way to celebrate a 40^th birthday. 

Sometimes we think a milestone birthday party means big and grand, but big is not what every 40 year old wants. Some like a more subdued party that is rich in food, drink and close friends and family. My sister gave me what I needed a relaxing celebration of my birthday.  Keep this idea in mind you may have a friend or family member that wants to quietly celebrate their age. This allows you to celebrate their milestone without stressing them out with big party.

Decorations from a Twilight Sleepover Party

• Apple mylar balloons or crescent mylar balloons
• Plates, napkins, cups and other dinnerware with Twilight prints or in golden and black colors
• Chocolate brown tablecloths, latex balloons and other decorations
• Twilight themed flowers

If you don't want to see the faces of Bella and Edward on all of your party supplies, use a color theme instead. Think very earthy and dark like a Halloween theme. Use chocolate browns, topaz and golds (Edward's eye color) and black.

Twilight Punch – It's easy to create your own blend of Twilight punch. Make sure the punch is blood red. You may want to add a small bit of food coloring to achieve this color. If you are worried that the punch will stain, use only a small amount and keep in mind that blood red lips will be an appropriate costume effect for the movie release.

Another tip for the punch is to use sparkling ginger ale instead of regular. This is carbonated, of course, but adheres to the image of the vampires' sparkling skin.

Have A Local Baker Create A Twilight Party Cake

Twilight Party Entertainment – The enchanting theme of the book makes your Twilight party the perfect time for an illusionist (skilled magician). If you'd rather stick to entertaining each other, throw in the first movie.

You can also play a Twilight trivia game similar to a popular bridal shower game. Create mouths with fangs using velvet and a permanent marker or visit your local party store and see what Vampirical tags they have. Ask questions to each player who loses a pair of fangs for each wrong answer. The last person with a fang is the winner. If it comes down to a tie or a tiebreaker, make sure each has a chance to answer at least one question.

Your Twilight party is going to be awesome. Your tween will think you're the coolest parent alive. If you're hosting a Twilight party for yourself, your friends may snicker a bit but the Twilight enthusiasts in the group will know how much you rock. Have fun!

As the end of summer quickly approaches and kids get ready to start back to school, this is a great time to re-connect with your neighbors by throwing a fall block party or back-to-school block party.

Vacations, family reunions, sports camps, games and all the other activities of summer keep many people on the go with not a lot of time for interaction with neighbors. But once school starts, families seem to slow down a bit and stay home a little more. Families play together in their yards and take evening walks to catch up on the day’s events.

Fall is a great time to chat with neighbors, and even if you’re new to the neighborhood and don’t know many people, a block party is a great way to introduce yourself to your neighbors. So, why not get together with a few willing neighbors and plan a block party to bring everyone back together?

Block Party How To:

Survey The Neighbors

Approach a few neighbors to see if they would be willing to help you organize the block party. Print a simple flyer inviting all your neighbors to help plan the party and distributor around the neighborhood. This way no one can say, they “didn’t know” or were “left out.” You can deliver one to each home with the date, time and location of the planning meeting.

Encourage Help – Lure Them With Food

Host a planning meeting at your home with light refreshments. Make sure introductions are made so that those planning the party know each other.

Mingle At A Block Party

Assign people various responsibilities related to the party such as advertisement, food, recreation, set-up and clean-up.

Determine how much money you are willing to invest and if the group will divide costs evenly or if certain people will pay for certain expenses. It is important to be very clear about the financial part of the party so that there is no opportunity for misunderstanding and awkward situations that can affect people for years to come.

Pick Your Location

Decide where in the neighborhood the block party will be. Are there certain homes children gravitate to? Is there a house with a large yard and a pool? Is there a clubhouse available? Would a cul-de-sac be the best for safety reasons?

Pick A Party Theme

Determine what kind of block party you’ll have – essentially a theme. Are all your neighbors elderly people? Singles? Families with small children? Consider the tone you want to set—family friendly? An adult only cocktail party? A get-to-know-you relaxing atmosphere? The answer to these question will determine your party's theme.

Plan The Menu – A Party Must Have Food

Cocktails and appetizers? Potluck? Burgers and hot dogs? Grilled steaks and chicken?

Block Party Food Table

Remember, the purpose of the party is to bring neighbors together and bringing something to share gives people a sense of belonging. Don’t assume it will be a burden to have a potluck meal—many conversations get started over a great dish.

Decorating, Mingling and Entertaining

Decide how you’ll decorate. Block parties were a big part of the 50’s era, so why not decorate retro-style with galvanized tubs filled with iced-down beverages, red and white checkered tablecloths, patio furniture, and 50’s music?

Block Party Decorations

Provide games and activities for children (if needed). Entertaining the children gives adults more time to interact and it helps the children get to know one another, too. For small children consider a moon bounce, inflatable slide or pony rides.

If you have older children and teens, a pool is a great place for them to hang out and play. If you do choose activities such as these, adult supervision is a must so that parents feel confident their children are safe.

Create A Neighborhood Directory

Give your neighbors a Neighborhood Directory. Have someone take digital photos of each family on the block. Have the family fill out a card with address, phone numbers, email addresses, names and birth dates of each family member and compile all information in a Neighborhood Directory complete with family photos. Once compiled, hand deliver copies to each neighbor and thank them for participating in the block party.

This is a great time to get feedback from the party, as well as make another contact with your neighbors. The photo directory helps to cement who people are so that when you see them on the street you can call them by name.

In this day and time of high technology, busy lives, and people living more independently from each other, making the effort to have a block party is a great way to show your neighbors you care. You might be surprised to find that everyone appreciates knowing their neighbors, especially those who may be going through a serious illness, a family problem or are just lonely. An invitation to a block party might be just the opportunity someone needs to slow down and strike up friendships with those who live close by—our neighbors.

A special thanks goes to:

To the Montgomery, AL caterer who let us use the photo of fruit & cheese.  Thanks A Social Event Caterers!

To the Tampa, Fl caterer who let us use the photo of brightly colored chairs.  Thanks G Elliot Catering!

How does a charity party work? Choose your charity and go from there. For example, my pet charities are PAWS (our local animal rescue group) and The Children's Home (a home for neglected & troubled children). Once you decide which charity, comply a guest list, a party theme and what you want to contribute to the charity. Your contribution could be items from a food or clothing drive or to raise money.

The Children's home is in constant need of clothes, toys and household supplies. The goal of the Children's Home party would be to collect these items. At this charity party, everything would revolve around the party theme kids. All the decorations would reflect children. For decorations, I would choose bright primary colors for my streamers and tableware. The focal point of the party would be a kid's theme cake like Sesame Street™. On the invitations, I would ask that guests to bring a donation of clothing, toys or household supply for The Children's Home.

The same basic principles will apply to a charity party for PAWS. An animal rescue charity party can easily be decorated using dog biscuits that are strung together on fish line. Serve the food like dips for vegetables and chips in new clean dog and cat bowls. Serve dog bone theme cookies made by a local bakery as the sweets for the party. Send out invitations that tell why and what the name of charity is and ask guests to contribute by bringing items the charity needs: dog food, cat food, cat liter, ect. The bowls used for the dips can be given to the animal rescue as well.

Charity parties can be extravagant or causal, for large groups or small. They can help celebrate birthdays or just for the fun of it. But, one thing to keep in mind is to have a good time while you help a good cause.

Food: All Asian and all yummy. I suggest going with Chinese food because most people are familiar with this type of Asian food as opposed to Thai, or Korean. But by all means if you want to go full Asian, select a few dishes from each style of Asian cuisine. Chinese food ideas are: pot stickers, fired rice, Mongolian beef, and so forth.

Decorations: Decorate with red:  red balloons, red table cloths, red plates. Everything in red. Add in a few dragon symbols and posters and if you can find some swords. (All men love weaponry right? These can be for play (kids swords) if things get a bit wild, or they can be real swords (just for decoration.)

Entertainment: Rent some kung fu fight movies or even some Godzilla movies.

Drinks: Buy some Asian beer and sake and set up a drink sampling area where the bachelor party goers can sample the different beers and wines of Asian countries. You'll also need some non-alcoholic drinks as well such as green tea (oolong teas will do just fine) plus some sodas and water.

Dessert: Fortune cookies of course. I suggest making your own or employing a bakery shop do make some but insert your own fortunes. Typing up the little fortunes makes them more personal. Suggestions for fortunes: "You will have a wedding in your future", "Happiness is love", and anything you can think of that will add a personal touch will be great.

And to end this great bachelor party, give the bachelor a matching set of kimonos, one for him and one for his bride to be. This is a fun but non-traditional more subdued party that all can enjoy.