Seasonal Party Planning & Pizazz
It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy laid back gatherings with your family and friends! No need to worry about messy charcoal, painful sunburns, or rainy summer afternoons. Autumn allows for comfortable backyard BBQs, rowdy sports bashes, spirited Halloween happenings, and more. Sure, the stresses of winter’s elaborate holiday dinners and parties may be just around the corner; but, for now, let the light and airy fall season inspire your social soirées!
Tackle Your Football Feast
On game day, you’ll be too busy rooting for your favorite team to worry about setting up a fancy meal. Stick to a game plan of classic fan favorites ─ team colors, finger foods, and a big screen!
Sideline Signals: Guests will appreciate added touches, like food markers, on your themed buffet. Shut out the guessing game of which chicken wings are mild or hot by displaying small labeled footballs instead of traditional place cards.
Tasty Touchdown Treats: Score big by replicating an arena with yummy dips! Use guacamole for the grassy field and salsa or nacho cheese for the end zones; finish with sour cream yard lines, and cherry tomato ‘players.’ Or give your football fanatics a protein to cheer about ─ deviled eggs. Simply top the filling with thinly sliced chives to create a laced football design.
Boo-tiful & Bewitching Halloween DIY Decorations
Set the scene for a spine-tingling Halloween with do-it-yourself designs! You can get crafty with wicked-cool decorations like lantern bats, pumpkin balloons, and witch’s feet.
Fashionable Festive Favorites: Pumpkins can play dress-up on Halloween, too! Choose a pair of nylons or thigh highs with an interesting pattern, and then gently position your pumpkin inside. Trim off the excess materials, and top your creepy chic stem with a ribbon bow. These glam gourds are so easy to make…you’ll think it’s witchcraft. And no carving means no mess!
Sneaky Party Props: Cleverly themed decorations can achieve your desired look and also let party guests know which rooms are off-limits. Construct a spooky staircase by draping black cheesecloth and leaf garland with hair-raising rat cutouts. Or block off hallways with hanging lanterns and orange and black streamers.
Kooky Kiddo Creations: Spookify your home with cool pieces that won’t give your young ghosts and goblins the willies. Make a monstrous mantel with bright hues ─ like neon green, purple, and orange ─ and funky décor! Then, cast a spell by making a pair of witch’s feet faster than you can say hocus pocus; fill green striped stockings with crumpled paper and accessorize with prop shoes and a broom.
Sweet Treats, No Tricks: When your little monsters chant, “Trick-or-Treat…give me something sweet to eat,” serve them a witchy brew of eyeball stew in a plastic cauldron full of Halloween gumballs. Then, let your pumpkin lend a hand (or head) by displaying lollipops and candy skewers that create a spooky-sweet hairdo. Finally, drink up Halloween’s gooey goodness in mummy cups (aka plastic cups wrapped with white crepe streamers).
Giving Thanks On Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving traditions are all about cherishing family and friends. Harvest a warm and welcoming setting with bountiful place-settings, cheerful centerpieces, and subtle touches of holiday flair. Your loved ones will gobble up the goodness of turkey and fixings in a seasonal space to remember!
Celebratory Centerpieces: Construct a charming focal point just by mixing and matching a few classic items, such as a large candle, pine cones, leaf cutouts, and mini pumpkins. Showcase seasonal selections in a glass vase, positioned atop a charger with additional fixtures as desired.
Style Points: Smart hostesses love items that combine form with function. Add fun and flair to appetizer trays with subtle uses of decorative serving utensils, such as Thanksgiving themed toothpicks ─ ideal for cheese platters, cupcake toppers, or cocktail olives.
Savor Seasonal Flavors: A special meal calls for a special toast! For a turkey day twist, drop a few cranberries into each champagne flute. Enjoy the traditions of Thanksgiving with a little extra party pizazz!
Photos and concept designs courtesy of Party City. Stop by your local store for all your party needs, including invitations, themed decorations, costumes, and games.