Things You'll Need:
- Costumes
- Paper decorations
- Props
- Creative serving pieces
- Music
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Step 1
Decide on a theme. The theme could be anything from a Hawaiian luau or beach party to an evening in Las Vegas. Party invitations should reflect the theme and give those who are invited a clear heads-up of what to expect. Asking guests to come in appropriate costumes adds an air of excitement and reinforces the theme and look of the party. For instance, a Hawaiian theme begs the wearing of grass skirts and leis, whereas a Las Vegas theme might encourage attendees to come dressed as gamblers, famous nightclub entertainers or card dealers. Guests at a beach party could arrive wearing swimsuits/trunks, sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.
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Step 2
Purchase theme-appropriate, ready-made paper decorations at a local party supply shop. For a Las Vegas theme, you can find two-dimensional (2-D) paper roulette wheels, dice and one-armed bandits to hang from trellises or fences. For a beach theme, you should be able to buy 2-D paper fish, shells and buoys. Palm trees, hula girls, grass shacks and tiki dolls printed on cardboard would be a good choice for a Hawaiian-themed party.
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Step 3
Gather and display theme-appropriate props, such as a fishing net hung over the side of a house or above a patio as a canopy for a beach-themed party. You might even weave a few plastic fish, shells and coral into the net for realism. A pile of plastic leis in the center of each dining table, blow-up plastic palm trees standing in the corners of a deck and tiki torches in the yard will suggest a Hawaiian theme. Party supply stores rent working roulette wheels and blackjack tables, and these can add another dimension and more entertainment to a Las Vegas-themed party.
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Step 4
Purchase theme-appropriate serving pieces for the food tables. Use plastic sand buckets, for example, to serve potato chips, pretzels or fruit salad at a beach-themed gathering, and don't forget the tiny paper umbrellas for the beverages. Serving platters in the shape of a fish, pineapple or tiki doll would be fitting for a Hawaiian luau, and halved pineapples with the flesh scooped out can hold many food items including cold shrimp, mini-skewers of fruit and cheese, or even ice cream sundaes. If yours is going to be a large party, you may even wish to purchase a whole, ready-to-serve suckling pig on a spit. For a Las Vegas-themed bash, you can tape Monopoly money to the underside of clear serving platters, and use martini glasses poised upon laminated Monopoly money to hold various toppings for make-it-yourself ice cream sundaes.
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Step 5
Add appropriate background music to complete the outdoor party picture. You can find CDs of Hawaiian music for a luau, popular tunes by the Beach Boys for a beach-themed fest, and even the soundtrack from "Guys and Dolls" or Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra hits to bring the Las Vegas party to life.
