10 Party Themes & 10 Tips for Throwing a Stress Free Party

Good morning! This past weekend I was busy planning my son’s high school graduation party! Eek! How did that happen? ;) Anyways, it reminded me all all the parties I’ve hosted over the years starting with his 1st birthday party 18 years ago. Oh how I love a good party! Annnd the planning is almost as fun as the hosting for me. ha! So today I thought I’d share 10 fun (& easy) party themes & some of my top tips for throwing a stress free party! Enjoy! :)

Click on the party pictures, & it will take you to the party post where you can
get the menu, more party ideas for that theme & free printables.

1. My first tip is to pick a theme! Once you have a theme everything else will fall into place.

2. Next plan a budget, & then stick to it! I remember with my son’s first birthday party I went all out (even though we were poor college students & had no money!!). Going into debt for a party will zap the fun right out of it! I have since learned that simple is better & sticking with a budget will help ease the stress. I have also learned that cake & balloons are just about the only thing you have to have!

3. Keep the menu simple, & then be sure to make lots of it! I like to keep it simple in the food department. Offer a few choices for your guest, but don’t go overboard. I also buy just a little more food than I think I’ll need just in case. Leftovers are always good to have. ;)

4. Prepare as much as you can before the day of the party! I try to do as much as can as early as I can. The day before I will prepare as much food as I can & clean the house. A few weeks before you can work on decorations & party favors. On the day of the party all I want to worry about is setting up the party table & putting the food out.

5. Keep the decorations simple. Remember most decorations will be thrown away after the party. So keep them simple & inexpensive. I usually make a simple banner & blow up a few balloons.

6. I usually always serve my parties buffet style. My guest can grab their food & come back as often as they want. Make sure you have plenty of paper products on hand, too ~ plates, cups & eating utensils.

7. Invest in serving trays & platters that you can use over & over again. I’ve purchased quite the collection of white platters over the years. They work perfect for parties & make the buffet table look cohesive.

8. Plan games & fun activities for your guest. You’ll need some activities to keep your guest entertained (especially if you have lots of kiddos at your party!). My tweens & teens love doing a photo booth at parties. Hang a fun backdrop & have a basket of props ready. So fun!

9. Take advantage of free printables & designs that you can find online. Oh my! You can find so many fun things to print out & make for your party. They are so simple easy to do! Just search party printables on Pinterest. If you own a [ad] Silhouette you can buy party package bundles & cut out the cutest themed decorations for your party. Easy peasy!

10. I always love to make simple party favors for my guest. It could be a bottle of bubbles with a cute tag or an ornament at a Christmas party or a bottle of fingernail polish for a tween party. Let your guest know how glad you are that they came to your party!

Remember, most of all, have fun & enjoy! Parties are meant to put a smile on your face!
Let me know your best party tips in the comments below. I’d love to hear them. :)

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This post was created for Ginger Snap Crafts by Ginger Bowie.