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Party Planning
- Theme Party Ideas
- 60's Theme Party Ideas
Party Resource Guide
Presented by Event & Wedding Planners
Back to
the 60's!
Remember the Beatles? John Lennon Glasses and Hippie Wigs?
Peace Signs and Afros? Woodstock & The Grateful Dead? Then play
the music and have a great 60's party. Find all you need to
bring back the memories.
Peace Now!
Remember the late 60's and bring back the music.
Celebrate the time.
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SETTING
THE MOOD
The key to pulling off a coordinated
event: Evoke your theme throughout the affair. Whether that
theme is as general as a season or a feeling, or as specific as
a special flower, it should be the subtle thread that ties
everything together. Your location, invitations, flowers, menu,
cake, and favors should all cleverly reflect one common concept.
Then, get as creative as you can!
Our party planners have found
some wonderful items to help you set the mood for your 60s party, starting with
invitations that will give your guests a sneak preview of your
groovy plans. Rest assured that you'll have a funky full
house!
As an alternative, consider attaching
a computer generated or hand written tag with all the details to
a pair of
sunglasses (must be hand delivered). Use your imagination! Use
curling ribbon, satin ribbon, yarn or pipe cleaners to attach.
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60s
PARTY
DECORATIONS
You will find lots of great budget
priced decorations, centerpieces, tableware, favors and more
from the vendors listed on this page. Whether your party
location is in a basement, a kitchen, a school gymnasium, or a
Country Club here are a few party tips for pulling together your
funky 60s or 70s look.
Remember the the tops of your
tables provide a very large surface area, covering them with a
themed table cloth or a
solid neon color table cloth and
themed
tableware is the fastest and most economical way to
change the look and feel of your party area. For a 60's party,
try a table cloth with a Neon
Geometric pattern
or
Woodstock pattern the Psychedelic look is the key.
Spandex tablecloths & chair covers are an
excellent choice for a 60s theme too.
For an original touch on your
party table, create centerpieces like the ones shown above. A
neon colored spike heeled shoe sitting on a record surrounded by
a neon boa or place a cylinder vase on a record surrounded by a
neon boa. Sprinkle confetti on the table for an additional
touch. Tables were set with black satin floor length table
cloths with neon satin overlays in lime, orange, hot pink &
purple.
Decorate the room and take a ride
back to the Hippie Generation with
Peace Decorations .
Add one or a few of the following
touches to your table:
For an original touch on your
party table, use a pink paint pen to draw random dots or
squiggles on the handles of clear plastic
cutlery.
Tie the plastic flatware together with curling
ribbon …big impact at a little
price!
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60's MOOD LIGHTING
Never did an occasion call for mood
lighting more than a retro party does. To create an authentic
psychedelic 60's mood in your home, or party
location, start with a few light fixtures. The most popular?
A Disco Ball
or
Rainbow Disco Ball is a retro party "must have".
Use as a centerpiece, accent for a buffet table or hang from the
center of your dance floor.
Black
lights and
MINI BLACK STROBE LIGHT
are in demand, and the others provide great color
and atmosphere, and can be added as needed according to your
room size. Good lighting for your retro party takes care of a
good portion of your decorating needs. These light fixtures will
never go out of style, and are a great, but small, investment.
You'll be able to use them at a future Halloween party, and any
time the mood to dance in your living room strikes! Kids love
them, and baby boomers will find themselves transported back in
time.
Every groovy party needs a
Lava Lamps (available in antique shops). Add a floral ring of colorful
daisies around the base to dress your lamp up for a formal
event.
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SPECIAL TOUCHES
FOR YOUR 60s THEME
Divide your party into two
areas. Have one designated as your "dance" area,
and the other designated as your "food" area. Use
a living room, family room, basement, or even garage as the
dance floor. The disco area should be dimly lit, and your
food area can be well lit, for guests wanting a break from
the action.
Never underestimate the power
of decorating with Balloons, as they can
transform any size room into a cozy space in minutes at a
very low cost. You need not use helium, and will save money
using this tip. Inflate
Groovy Balloons. Tie a 5-8
foot piece of Curling Ribbon to the end of each one.
Using scotch tape, masking tape, or straight pins, hang
balloons down from the ceiling so they hang at different
lengths. Curl the loose end of the ribbon with scissors.
Tie-dyeing was briefly very
fashionable in the West in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as
part of hippie style. You can get cheap muslin fabric, bedding
(duvet or comforter) and tie dye them, as well as curtains, &
etc to create a wonderful inexpensive room that fits the 60's
period. If you are decorating a large area, garage, or sparsely
decorated basement, drape tye-died fabric across ceilings or walls
for a spectacular look.
Directions on how to tie-dye
fabrics is available on the internet, a couple of my favorite
links are:
How to Tie Dye - Complete Instructions
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/howtotiedye.shtml
Easy Tie Dye
http://www.kinderart.com/textiles/easytiedye.shtml
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60's
PARTY MUSIC
You shouldn't even consider hosting
a 60's party without having plenty of authentic music on hand.
Without a doubt one of the most
controversial eras in United States history, 1960s bands told
stories of rebellion, social consciousness, love and other
concerns of the day. The hard-hitting lyrics from legends
including Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and more gave our nation
something to think about. However, the fun had not gone out of
music in this decade. Many a 60s music bands delivered hit after
hit of upbeat, catchy tunes that were loved the world over. The
Beatles' "Love Me Do" and Herman's Hermits' "I'm Into Something
Good" led the British invasion. Event planners like myself, love
1960s bands simply because they evoke so many feelings with the
music they cover. From dance tunes to whimsical songs to
political statements set to music, a 60s music band can make any
event an enjoyable walk down memory lane.
For much of the 60's and 70's, the
best way to get some of the hottest music was to order it from
K-Tel through an "800" number, yes, I'm dating myself! Today,
compilations of the best music from the 60's and 70's are
plentiful and inexpensive.
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60s PARTY
GAMES & ACTIVITIES
Here are some totally groovy
games and activities that will work for many different age
groups. Relax, get funky, and enjoy a few of these at your
next Retro party!
Borrowing from the concept of the
tried and true game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, we suggest a
fun game of "Tape the Pick on the Guitar." Use a
TYE DYE GUITAR INFLATE (12 PK), and cut guitar
picks out of construction paper or use the real picks. Blindfold each participate as his/her
turn arrives, spin, point in the right direction! For older kids, try a game of
"Pin the Peace Sign on the Hippie." Same
concept…a little more grown up.
If you weren't around to do
the Hustle, the Bump and the Bus Stop the first time around,
find a friend or neighbor who was and recruit him or her.
Teach these popular and simple steps to your party guests
and enjoy the fun!
Divide the guests into two
equal teams. Create two starting lines with masking tape,
and secure two
GROOVY GUITAR INFLATABLE (12) in place
about 10-15 yards away. Line the teams up with the disco
wardrobe at the starting line. At the signal to begin, the first
player on each team quickly dresses up, runs the course, and
then returns the wardrobe to the next player. The first team to
complete the course wins. A Disco wardrobe like:
AFRO WIG ,
6MM 48" HIPPIE BEADS,
NEON PEACE SIGN GLASSES,
PSYCHEDELIC FEDORA
,
PEACE SIGN BEADS, &
MORE
will lead to some "hustling" to the finish line.
Young girls will love to
create "wreaths" for their hair using fresh
daisies. Put a smile on their glowing faces, as you remember
how much you enjoyed this as a child.
Play volley ball, dodge ball
or keep-away with an
Inflatable
Beach ball.
Re-runs of the best shows from
the 60's and 70's are plentiful. Set your VCR to tape a few
episodes of the Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, Gilligan's
Island, and I Dream of Jeannie. Adults will love the
opportunity to re-visit some of their favorites. Make a game
of it with the adults. Tape 15-25 episodes of one show, and
then see who can remember the outcome the fastest. Fast
forward as soon as someone guesses, and keep track of
points. The prize . . . the tape of course!
Take some time creating
memories to last forever with a great photo opportunity
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60s
FOOD IDEAS
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For food ideas, the field is wide
open at your retro party! Go ahead and serve food that you WISH
were served in the good old days. Feel free to showcase your own
personal preferences, talents, and style. The only thing that
wouldn't be appropriate for a retro theme would be a formal
meal. No good china allowed here! |
- Serve pizza, loaded hoagie
sandwiches, a Mexican taco bar, appetizers - your options
are unlimited!
Regardless of the ages of your
guests, however, we do recommend that you include a theme cake
on your desert menu. Try a Guitar Cake to
bring big smiles.
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