Hope you all had a good one! We certainly did, although I was playing hostess with the mostess as I had drawn the short straw as the party house! Although 12 people had casually confirmed their attendance (ALWAYS DO INVITES! No one can back out of a written confirmation!) it only ended up with 4 people attending, including myself and my boyfriend (alright so 2 people actually came!!) but they were the best 2 and as always it ended up being an amazing night, things always work out hey!
So if you ever end up like me, having taken on responsibility as host, here are a few useful party ideas to break the ice and not break the bank!
1. Photobooth
My initial plan was to have everyone take a photo with a Polaroid camera on the way into the party in a photobooth style frame with accessories. (I'd even set up a little staged area with banners and everything!). Nevertheless the 4 of us still enjoyed dressing up and being silly! Now, you can either buy the photobooth accessories yourself online like the one below:
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/gingerray/product/photo-booth-party-props
Or alternatively if like me you come up with these ideas at the last minute you can make your own! I found an old photo frame in the garage, took the picture out of it to create an empty frame that people held up for the picture (if you wanted to be really clever you could somehow attach the frame by hanging it from a ceiling!). The accessories I found in my collection of fancy dress, again if like me your friends' 16th, 18th and 21st birthdays all consisted of crazy fancy dress themes you won't have a problem here. I scrounged together a builders hat, police hat, top hat and rather fancy pirate hat, a large pair of goofy glasses, a pirate eye patch and a couple of santa hats (keep in the festive spirit ay) and finally an assortment of pink moustaches that I stuck to the end of kitchen utensils to make moustaches on sticks (I told you it was random!). Anyway these were the results ... (the parents even joined in about 2am when they returned from their party, brilliant!!)
2. Canapes
Don't cook a massive meal! Firstly it's far too much effort and once the drinks start going down that's when things get burnt! Secondly we all know everyone is there to get p*ssed anyway and no one will actually finish their meal! This is exactly what canapes were made for and now even the local Tesco sells them. I actually got them from the Co-Op and they included mini chicken pies, smoked salmon and cream cheese bites, mini toad in the hole, mini burgers, satay chicken skewers and of course your good ol' cold sausages and cheese/pineapple on a stick!If you live in London, head to COOK, they ahve the best selection of fancy canapes EVER (see below)!!
http://www.cookfood.net/menu/entertaining/canapes
3. Jelly shots
I must admit I am the queen of jelly shots, it's like my party trick, I'm now expected to make a batch to take along to any party I'm attending! Simply just buy 1 pack of jelly, break it up in a jug/bowl, add 1/2 pint of boiling water and mix until the jelly has dissolved. Next the recipe states to add 1/4 pint of cold water and 1/4 pint of vodka but that's no fun so I simply forget the cold water and add 1/2 pint of vodka...then pour into shot glasses (makes about 20!) Pop in the fridge for a good few hours until set. Then just before serving top each one with a swish of whipped cream and finally add sprinkles or chocolate buttons or whatever tickles your fancy! Voila!
4. Selfie stick
The most popular Christmas Gift of 2014! Such a simple idea too, it's things like this that make me question our intelligence, all those selfies where our arms just aren't long enough and someone is always cut out! Now if we just had some extending device that would hold our phone....DUH! Anyway, yes I was one of the millions who unwrapped their Christmas presents to find a selfie stick in the mix and OMG has it been useful! Especially at a party, you can capture all the best moments, check out some of ours below and buy yours HERE now:
5. Party games
Time to dust off your old party games, yes the ones you have stored away in a cupboard somewhere, you knew there was a reason you kept them and this is it! I'm talking twister, catchphrase, Yahtzee, bug in a rug (the rhyming one where you make up a rhyming phrase, the next person draws it, the next person then writes what they think the drawing is, kinda like chinese whispers but on paper, even funnier when every one has had a tipple!) Or for the more sophisticated simply purchase one of these popular murder mystery dinner games, really great fun for lots of people!
http://www.murdermysterystore.co.uk/
6. Dubsmash
The new app that's sweeping the nation! I don't think I can look at a Facebook feed without someone's Dubsmash clip appearing. If you haven't heard of it (don't lie, of course you have ;)) it's a new app full of well known quotes and song clips for different moods that you can film yourself either mimicking or as background music to an action. Seriously great fun when everyone's had a few!
7. Fireworks (optional of course!)
Didn't think fireworks were on sale after bonfire night? WRONG! Although again I was late coming up with the idea so running around to your local Macro, homebase and dodgy firework store on New Year's Eve was not a good choice, however after a near fight with a holiday making family in Lidl we successfully purchased the last box! Now for the safety announcement, like you have a designated driver on a night out, you need a designated firework lighter who is not under the influence of alcohol, otherwise you may end up lighting the box upside down like we did....oops! (video link below)
http://instagram.com/p/x4lXWyqZQP/
Happy Partying!
Lexie
xxx
