Must-See Eye Candy: 21 Gorgeous Theme Party Decorating Ideas

By Chandni Reddy
From a glam summer potluck to a laid back tiki lounge party, our favorite bloggers and event planners share their expert tips for staging a memorable bash

1. '80s Night
The Theme: '80s Party
The Stylist: Michelle Burt of Maddycakes Muse
The Look: "A colorful '80s theme to showcase that you can have a great party on a small budget! My centerpieces glasses were bought at The Dollar Tree and so were the daisies. I mixed a few drops of acrylic paint in water until I got the desired color. Since the '80s were all about neon I used neon colors everywhere. I used ring pops as napkin rings. I found cassettes at Goodwill and spray painted them in neon colors. This took many coats of paint. Then I used a paint pen to write the names and used as name cards. I liked using items that were common in the '80s and repurposing them. I used lanterns all of the time. They are inexpensive, come in every color and pattern and instantly colors and fills a space! Plus you can reuse over and over again. I just bunched them together and hung with fishing wire from my dining room chandelier."

2. Tiki Lounge
The Theme: Tiki Lounge Party
The Stylist: Beth Beattie of Beth Beattie Branding, PR and Events
The Look: "I really believe an invitation sets the tone of the party. We did a fun tiki lounge invite with raffia detail by Meri Meri. When guests arrive at an event, I like to greet them with a specialty cocktail and decor near the front. For this theme, it was margaritas in custom cups and napkins with tiki umbrellas. We also made two wreaths out of tiki umbrella picks for the front door. The centerpieces were arranged in pineapples with cymbidium orchids and ginger atop brightly-colored turquoise and lime linens, napkins and chair cushions. The party favor was flip flops with custom hang tags that guests wore while dancing the night away."

DIY:
Tiki Umbrella Wreath
Supplies:
-- Foam wreath from Michael's or local craft stores
-- 30 umbrella picks from Party City
-- Ribbon
-- Scissors

1. Open the umbrellas and cut half of the wooden toothpick part off.
2. Then push into the foam wreath. Choose colors to your liking and arrange as close or far apart as you wish.
3. Once you've covered the front with umbrellas tie a ribbon around the top to hang.

Pineapple Centerpiece
Supplies:
-- Pineapple
-- Floral foam
-- Palm fronds
-- Green cymbidium orchids, ginger flower and any other flowers

1. Decorate the pineapple
2. Soak the floral foam in water
3. Cut the floral foam to fit inside the pineapple
4. Arrange the cymbidium orchids, palm fronds, and ginger to your liking, sticking the base of the flowers into the floral foam

3. Summer Potluck
The Theme: Potted Summer Potluck with a Twist
The Stylist: Cheryl Najafi, author of You're So Invited: Panic Less, Play More, and Get Your Party On!
The Look: "Say goodbye to boring, predictable and Tupperware-strewn potlucks with this charming garden-themed party. Bedeck your buffet table with an assortment of garden pots -- some upside down to hold dishes, some right side up and lined with food-safe plastic liners to take your guests' eclectic dishes and unify them into a single beautiful presentation. Accent with a colorful assortment of seasonal fruits, veggies and flowers, and then continue the earthy theme by repurposing (brand-new) garden stakes as food markers and garden trowels as serving spoons. Keep your beautiful buffet table from being buried under a sea of mismatched plastic by helping your friends transfer their dishes before they are brought to the table."

DIY:
1. Consider using garden burlap as your table runner.
2. Set various-sized pots upside down to hold platters. Mix elevations to add interest. Place moss and vegetables around pots to complete your display.
3. Set additional plastic-lined pots of various sizes right side up to use for serving food.
4. Use brand-new trowels and terrarium tools as serving spoons.
5. Use garden stakes to hold recipes and mark dishes. If needed, place masking tape on stake to write the name of the dish.
6. Terra cotta-, green- or brown-colored plastic drip saucers that go underneath pots can be used as chargers. Place pretty leaf-shaped plates on top.
7. Decorative adds include garden gloves, garden boots, fresh vegetables, ready-to-plant color spots, bags of potting soil and burlap.
8. Mason jars with handles are perfect for serving lemonade.

4. Masquerade
The Theme: Gold and Silver Masquerade Party
The Stylist: Amy Oren of Blowout Party
The Look: "I wanted my masquerade party to shimmer so I used glitter and metallic wherever I could! The tablecloths and backdrop were a metallic gold fabric and I attached glittered circles of gold and silver to the backdrop. The platters were all gold or silver and even the desserts were sprinkled with edible glitter sprinkles! I used tall gold and silver candles for a luxe look. To add decadence I used feather plumes in mosaic vases and embellished them with crystals and gold masks. Lots of candelabras were used to add height and drama. All the desserts were served in mini wine glasses of different shapes and sizes."

Get it now: Feathers available at Plumes N' Feathers

Read more!

Related Content:
We Love, You Need: The Best Jogging Strollers of 2012. Which One Should You Buy?
21 Totally Affordable Ways to Revamp Your Bathroom (All Under $140!)
20 Totally Affordable Ways to Revamp Your Bedroom (All Under $200!)