Why not make your party a little special? Here’s a few easy ideas to make your celebration a memorable one!
- Think theme from beginning to end. Carry your theme through from your invitation to your tablecloth and dishware, decorations, music, and party favor.
- Let your invitation set the tone for your party. Will it be fancy and formal or casual and fun?
- Save the paper products for the kids. For a formal affair, bring out your best. For casual, use casual dishware or purchase inexpensive white or clear dishes from a store like Linens and Things or Target. If there will be children at the party, go ahead and put paper products for the kids in a pretty basket.
- Ditto for wine glasses. Consider purchasing an inexpensive case of wine glasses from a discount store like Target.
- Use seasonal place cards to identify the various foods you are serving as well as regular or decaf coffee and hot water.
- Display fresh flowers or floral arrangements. If cost is prohibitive, consider purchasing various bunches of inexpensive flowers in a monochromatic theme. Cut the stems short and place each densely packed bunch in a different vase. Either arrange vases in a grouping or line them down the middle of the table interspersed with votive candles.
- For a buffet table, display higher/larger centerpieces. For a sit-down dinner, smaller/lower centerpieces.
- Be creative and turn something you already own into your centerpiece. Here’s a few to try: fill in the base of a topiary with small ornament balls and tie a pretty bow at the base, float a single flower in a bowl with water; fill a container with glass balls (or other ordinary objects like apples) and water; fill a variety of glass containers with similar items - for example, one with peppermints, one with candy canes, and one with red and white square shaped mints.
- If serving a buffet, display your food at varying heights. It can be as simple as placing a lego container upside down under your tablecloth! Try a tiered dessert stand or cake plate for hordeurves.
- Also for a buffet, wrap each place setting in a cloth napkin and tie with a pretty ribbon. Set out in a basket on the buffet table.
- Give your guests a fun party favor like a burned CD, a small scented candle, chocolate truffles, a gourmet hot chocolate mix, or a Christmas tree ornament for each family. For a holiday party, consider lining your stairs with small poinsettias, and then giving them out as party favors as your guests leave.
- For a sit-down dinner, placecards and table decorations can also become party favors. Try a picture frame with your guest’s name in it, an ornament with their name on it tied to a napkin with a pretty ribbon, a wrapped gift centered on their dinner plate, or a glass candy cane hanging from their wine glass.
- Purchase personalized paper napkins with your family’s initial. Set them out in your powder room for guest hand towels.
- If you don’t want to be left with leftovers, purchase some type of disposable containers like Gladware and send your guests home with your extras.
- If you’re having a breakfast or brunch, purchase disposable coffee cups with lids and as your guests leave, offer them a cup of coffee for the road.
- If you’re having a cocktail party, set out a large tub of bottled waters for your guests to take with them as they leave. You can decorate the bottles with a silver covered wire with stars on it- available at any party store.
Do you have an idea for making a party special? I’d love to hear!
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Tags: how to make your party special, planning for a party, party preparations, making a party special, unique ideas for parties, terrific ideas for parties, adding special touches to parties












This is exactly what I expected to find out after reading the title . Thanks for informative article