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1. Borrow music CDs from your library.  Maybe you need dance music to liven up the crowd. You might want easy listening melodies as a background for conversation or Hawaiian songs for a luau theme party. Your public library should have it available and ready to lend to you. 

2. Decorate with balloons.  Balloons are festive and cheap, especially if you fill them with air, instead of helium.  Search online and you will find instructions for making impressive balloon arches, garlands, columns and more.

3. Rent a helium tank.  If you prefer helium filled balloons and you need lots of them, it’s cheaper to rent a tank and fill the balloons yourself.  However, if you’re only buying a few, you can save money by purchasing them already filled at the dollar store.

4. Light lots of candles around the party for instant, inexpensive atmosphere.

5. Keep your little, white Christmas lights handy.  String them around the buffet table, doorway, centerpieces, potted plants, just about anywhere to create an elegant look to any party, without spending a lot of cash.

6. Buy a reusable ice sculpture mold.  These can cost under $20, are easy to fill, fit in your freezer, and can be used over and over again.  Find them online for a low cost, yet fancy touch to your celebration.

7. Forget flower centerpieces. Yes, they’re pretty, but expensive.  Instead try tealights floating in a large shallow glass bowl filled with water.  Or you could place framed photos of the guest of honor on the table for a nice tribute.  You can even display party favors as the centerpiece.

8. Make your own invitations.  With greeting card software on your computer, your printer and a little creativity, you can save money by doing these yourself.

9. Browse online for cheap invitations. If you’re not the crafty type, you can find great bargains online for invitations.  Do some searching, and you may be surprised at the deep discounts available.

10. Go with photo invitations that feature the guest of honor. These can even cost less than regular paper invitations, if you hunt around the internet for the right company. You can also trim the price by choosing a smaller size, like 4 x 6 or 4 x 8 inches.

11. Invite less, save more. Sure, it’s nice to have a big bash.  But if you’re watching your wallet, nothing cuts expenses faster than shrinking the guest list.  Think quality over quantity.  It’s better to have a smaller party, than no party at all. 

12. Cut costs on party favors. You can obviously eliminate them if your budget is extremely tight, but if you decide you want to send your guests home with a little thank you gift, you can make them yourself.  One simple idea is to use occasion appropriate gift wrapping paper to wrap Hershey candy bars as a thoughtful giveaway.

13. Order cheap favors online. If you don’t want to make your own, you don’t have to resort to the dollar store for favors. For around the same price you can find inexpensive personalized items, some even with a photo.  You just have to be willing to do a little searching.

14. Consider having your party from 2 – 5 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday. No one will expect a big meal during those hours, so you can get away with just serving coffee and cake.

15. Invite your guests for just appetizers or dessert.  Your invitation can say something like “please join us for an open house with hors d’oeuvres”.

16. Go with a buffet, if you want to have a full dinner for a lot of people.  Include inexpensive, but crowd pleasing pasta dishes and casseroles.  Find recipes you can make ahead and freeze.

17. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Make it a potluck and request that guests bring a dish.  If you can, borrow rather than rent chairs, chafing dishes, outside tents, etc.  Enlist a friend to help you serve.

18. Be kind to the environment and your budget by using real plates, glasses and silverware. Of course, disposable paper plates, cups and plastic forks make clean-up easier, but they add to your expense. Use what you have, wash the dishes and save money.

Yes, you can have a great party without spending a lot of money. With a little creativity, time and effort you can cut expenses. But that’s not all. You can leave your guests with the impression you actually splurged.

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Image a party where you transport your guests to a tropical paradise for the evening. If sea breezes and tropics are what you are looking for, a luau party is the answer. To help you get started in planning the perfect party, here are a few key luau party planning tips.

A Perfect Luau Party

As with all parties, start off by setting the date and location. A fun touch is to include a tropical theme in your invitations. Think grass skirts, bright, colorful tropical flowers or even sea shells for the artwork. Free online services such as Evite make sending and tracking invitations a breeze.

To keep the planning and organizing fun and manageable, for a large luau party, its best ask for volunteers and assign party tasks. For example, one person may focus on music and props, while another may take charge of food preparations.

Tropical Feel

Creating that refreshing and zesty feel of luau is main requirement that you need to fulfill. As a general rule, that ambiance should be attained by using decorations with bright tropical colors.

While a luau party it is usually held outdoors, specifically in a poolside setting, a luau can also be held at the deck or in the backyard.

For added feel of luau atmosphere, colorful cloths and fake grass skirts can be used to decorate tables. Indoor ferns can also be placed in certain locations within the venue. To make miniature totem poles, coconuts can be painted with fun faces and attached to a plank by using hot glue or electric drill.

Even without fresh flowers, colorful artificial leis made from paper will also do. Brightly colored streamers and balloon bouquets can also be used to lend the party a more glitzy look.

Luau Themed Party Favors

Flowers can be arranged in dried coconut shells as table fixtures, but you must set aside enough assortments of flowers for leis and other party favors. Create your own leis, bracelets and anklets as party favors for your guests. You can add some tiny seashells or colorful beads to your leis for a more personalized look.

Tasty Luau Dishes

Luau dishes can be as simple or as exotic as you may wish. At least one or two traditional luau foods may be enough to seal the festive atmosphere, like grilled pork standing as your main course. Adding more luau flavor to your party requires you serve a pile of pineapple, papaya and banana on the table.

Remember that a luau party seeks to accommodate all types of taste buds, so avoid limiting your choice of foods. You can have an assortment of foods and side dishes ranging from usual BBQ items like hot dogs and ribs to fish and veggie meals.

Serving alcoholic cocktails and fruit juices should still be done with creativity to be consistent with the luau theme. In fact, decorating drinks with freshly diced fruits and cute little umbrellas may just be the finishing touches of your grand luau masterpiece.

Say Aloha

So there you go with your luau party theme! Just keep in mind that a fantastic luau relies on tons of your creativity. Inviting more friends in the luau party theme planning may also sharpen the desired effect of the party. It will also foster stronger and warmer ties built on enjoyment on friendship – and that is the aloha spirit.

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No matter what type of party you plan, you will need to have a plan of action if you want everything to go smoothly. If this is the first time, you have planned a party or you have planned many before this guide will give you ideas of how to prepare for a party and what needs to be done before the big day arrives.

Theme – Event – Holiday

The first section of how to prepare is all about the reason you are throwing a party. Is it for a special holiday, birthday, graduation, anniversary, or bridal shower? You will need to decide the type of party you wish to plan. Even if you plan a bridal shower or a birthday party there are many things to take into consideration such as the age of the participates, if you desire to use a theme, do you want the party indoors or outdoors, do you need to rent a location for the party, and so on and so forth. When you have all of items planned out, you are ready to start taking notes.

What will you serve?

Now that you know what type of party you desire to give, the location, and you have a guest list prepared, you need to decide what types of treats will be served. Do you only want snack items or do you prefer a large 6-course meal? This is where a good caterer will come in handy, unless you wish to do all the cooking for the entire party. Party planners can also aid in helping you with all the particulars if you have doubts.

What you need

Okay you are ready for step two. If you are renting a location for the party, you will need to learn what they include in the rental. You will need enough seating for all guests, the dinnerware or what is needed for the food or snacks you plan to serve, drinks, cups, games if you desire, prizes for games, music, and of course decorations.

Invitations

Invitations should always be sent 6 weeks prior to the event. This way the guests will have plenty of time to RSVP and make plans to attend. You can create your own invitations, buy ones already made, or have ones especially created for your party. On the invitations, you should include the location, date, and time along with directions for those that may not know where to go. If you have any other particulars such as a themed party, you should also include this with the invitation, such as if you plan a beach party for a bridal shower. Each guest should come dressed for the beach with gifts appropriate for the party.

Plan – Plan – Plan

Now, it is time to sit down and plan the event from the beginning to the end. You should know exactly what will be done first all the way to the leaving of each guest. Of course, you cannot plan to the exact moment that you will proceed onto the next thing on your list due to such things as how long it will take to open gifts, etc…, but you will have a schedule in hand and things will go more smoothly.

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If you’re looking for a fun, unique idea for your next party or celebration, then why not create a time capsule? This personalized treasure chest of current history, culture, trends and special memories is an easy and captivating activity for you and your guests.  Here are the top do’s and don’ts for making a personal time capsule.

DO tell everyone invited to the party that they will be creating a time capsule.  Half the fun is the anticipation.  It gives your guests a chance to plan what they would like to contribute.  If they are going to be writing something to add to the contents, then they will have a little time to think about what they want to say.

DON’T limit making a time capsule to just milestone occasions.  Of course, this is perfect for a first birthday party, graduation celebration or a wedding shower. Yes, it’s a great gift for any special event, but  you can also put one together for no reason at all.

DO choose the right container for your time capsule.  Boxes are too flimsy.  A big metal popcorn tin is ideal.  If your objects are small, a large metal cookie tin would work.  You could also use plastic food storage containers.  The idea is to use something sturdy, that will protect your treasures and keep them cool and dry.

DO include cultural and historic documents of the day.  Items such as newspaper headlines and clippings, a copy of this week’s TV guide, magazines like People and Newsweek, a supermarket receipt listing prices and a current top 40 music chart are all great.  Look for contemporary trends and fads in magazines and on the internet, and add pictures of them to the pile.

DO take photos of personal landmarks that might not be there when you open the time capsule.  How many places have you frequented in the past that have disappeared over time, only to be replaced by banks, mini-malls and parking lots?  Document places of interest that currently hold some meaning to you, and add them to the vault.

DO involve all your guests in the process.  If the time capsule is to commemorate the birth of a baby, then give each person a notecard to write their feelings, hopes and dreams for the child.  Or if you’re creating a time capsule for a graduate or a couple getting married, then everyone could write predictions of where they think the guest of honor will be by the time the capsule is unsealed.  Another fun thing to include is lists of favorites.  It will be interesting to see how those lists change over the years.

DON’T be surprised by your guests creativity.  Ask them to bring something small and significant that is either personal or represents the times to add to the time capsule.  You just might be amazed to see the clever things that they’ll supply.

DON’T just throw your items into the time capsule.  Certain things like photos, newspaper and letters can deteriorate over time.  Instead, place them in acid free envelopes, zippered plastic bags or even vacuum sealed bags for protection before including them.

DON’T add anything that could leak and ruin the contents.   Stay away from food of any sort, batteries and of course, liquids.

DO decide when your time capsule will be opened.  If you are making one for your daughter’s first birthday, you might want to wait until she’s 18 or 21 to open it.   Or if you’re creating one with friends on New Year’s Eve, you could decide to gather together again in 5 years to revisit the contents.

DON’T even consider burying your time capsule.  Between the harsh elements outside and the possibility you could move, you might never retrieve it.  You also could forget exactly where you put it.  Instead, tuck it away in a nice safe place inside, until you’re ready for the big opening night.

Putting together all of the elements that make up a personal time capsule is a great party activity.  It’s a wonderful gift for a milestone occasion.  And it’s also rewarding if it was created for no special reason.  But the best part is yet to come.  One of these days, it will be opened!

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