7 Inspirations for a Circus Themed Party

If you are looking for themes for a party why not try an old classic? Circus themed party’s have been around for decades and for a reason, there are fun and allow your guests to enter into a mysterious and magical place if only for the afternoon.  Try out some of these ideas for your next circus themed party.

1. Get Creative – You don’t have to have exotic or expensive food to keep your party in character. Try renaming plan items to put a twist on your menu.

  • Have a bowl of cherries and call them clown noses
  • Yellow cotton candy can be transformed into lions hair
  • Licorice instantly becomes trapeze tight rope

2. Menu – Serve the classics! What food reminds you of the circus? Remember walking into the county fair and you instantly get the feeling you had the previous year when you smell the kettle corn and hot dogs.  A major part of a memory is scent so since no one really enjoys the barn smell you usually smell at the circus let’s bring them the more appetizing scents like corn dogs, popcorn and pretzels.  Having an old fashion popcorn maker would be a great splurge.

3. Petting zoo – If you can afford a real zoo with the exotic animals one would see at the circus try a regular petting zoo. If you are having a party for children create your own petting zoo with stuffed animals.  Create exhibits for stuffed animal zebra, elephants, lions and giraffe and let the kids become the “circus keepers” by letting them groom, feed and water there exotic animals.

4. Props – Create easy picture perfect opportunity by creating fun props for people to use. Spray paint styrafoam dumbells to let kids feel like a heavy dutty weight lifter.  Have a top hat and red jacket for the circus master,  paint a wood board to look like rope and secure it 6 inches off the floor to let kids pretend to be trapeze stars.

5. Archade – No circus is complete without ring toss, ball throw and ???? . Set up stations and give out prizes to winners and/or participants as party favors.

6. Decorations – stick with the basic colors of the circus Blue, white Red and Yellow.

  • Pitch a tent – if your budget doesn’t include having a real tent drape red and white striped fabric as a background or create a low hanging shelter over the food.
  • Hang string across the room, or if outside across two trees, and hang trapeze artist.
  • Buy red and white striped popcorn containers for children to keep popcorn throughout the day. For a health alternative you can pop your own popcorn and buy a variety of seasonings to let kids create their own popcorn flavors

7. Check out My Pintetest – You can get additional ideas for decorating on my pinterest board.

Not sure what one wears to a circus themed party?  Let me give you some ideas.

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The Circus with Style

One of my favorite themed party’s is circus themed. Not sure what to wear? Check out some of my suggestions below.

Circus Circus
Circus Master
1920's Fair Goer
The Trapeze Artist

Bridal Shower Attire

Not sure what to wear to your bridal shower? Let me help with a few suggestions.

For a casual shower.

Bridal Shower Outfit #3

For a garden party shower.


Bridal Shower Outfit #1

For a formal hotel shower.


Bridal Shower Outfit #2

Click on an outfit to view more suggestions!

Dressing For Your “Last Night On The Town”

Your bachelorette party is supposed to be your “last night out on the town”. It’s all about having fun with your favorite girls, so don’t let finding something to wear drag you down. Take a look at these inspiration to help you get ready for your night out to remember.

Bachelorette Party Outfit #1

Local bar and pub.


Bachlorette Party Outfit #2

For a themed party!


Bachlorette Party Outfit #3

4th of July Party with a “BANG”

The 4th of July is vastly approaching and so is your planning preparation.  The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a great chance to get together and enjoy a great barbeque, fireworks and spend time with family and friends.

If you are looking to organize your own party this year use these 4th of July suggestions.

Appetizers

Consider serving appetizers since most guests struggle with travel, getting the kids together and parade traffic not everyone will arrive at the same time.

  • Have mini-burgers
  • Blue , Red, and White tortilla chips with salsa
  • Blueberry, strawberry and Banana fruit tray

Main Course

For the main course I would suggest sticking to the classics. Nothing says 4th of July like a good old hamburger and brats.  If you are looking for a twist on the classic consider these hamburger suggestions from punchbowl.com.

“The All American” – bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo

“Uncle Sam’s Favorite” – barbecue sauce, Cheddar cheese, onion rings, lettuce, tomato, mayo

“Hot as Fireworks – jalapenos, pepper-jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, chipotle mayo, hot salsa

“Declare Your Independence”- Set out a variety of burgers and toppings for guests to make their own burger creations. Encourage guests to come up with patriotic names for their burgers, then share the names and ingredients with other guests! Here’s everything you need to set up your burger bar:

  • Burger patty: beef, turkey, garden burger, etc.
  • Vegetables: lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, mushrooms, etc.
  • Cheeses: American, Cheddar, Swiss, Provolone, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Brie, etc.
  • Sauces and condiments: ketchup, mustard, Tabasco, A-1, Worcestershire Sauce, ranch, etc.
  • Additional toppings: relish, bacon, pineapple, guacamole, onion rings, etc.

Desert

Use Better Crocker’s Recipe for fruit pizza but with a twist by using the fruit to design an American flag.

Or consider some of these tasty Pinterest treats.

Which include Chocolate sprinkeled pretzel sticks and strawberries.

 

 Entertainment

Pull out the old backyard games. Big hits include:

  • Bean bag toss
  • Horse Shoes
  • Latter golf
  • Bocce Ball
  • or create your own 4th of July game

Beverages

Get inspired with Independence punch

What you need:
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Blue Gatorade Frost
  • Diet 7-Up
  • Ice cubes
How to Make it:
  • Fill your container with ice
  • Pour In the Cranberry Juice.
  • Next Pour in the Blue Gatorade Frost, BUT make sure that when you’re pouring the Blue Gatorade Frost that you pour straight onto some of the ice to gently add the layer. If you pour it directly into the juice it will mix!
  • Next, pour in the Diet 7up, also pour onto an ice cube to prevent them from mixing.

Last but not least every good party needs a great playlist. Here is a patriotic lists of music to add to your ipod. (created by punchbowl.com)

  • “Spirit of America” — The Beach Boys
  • “Travelin’ Soldier’ — Dixie Chicks
  • “Star Spangled Banner” — Jimmy Hendrix
  • “R.O.C.K. in the USA” — John Mellencamp
  • “Independence Day” — Elliot Smith
  • “America” — Neil Diamond
  • “American Pie” — Don McLean
  • “Fireworks” — Louis Armstrong
  • “America the Beautiful” — Frank Sinatra
  • “4th of July” — Shooter Jennings
  • “Shed a Little Light” — James Taylor
  • “American Girl” — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  • “Light the Fuse”— John Mayall
  • “Stars and Stripes Forever” — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
  • “Yankee Doodle” — Broadway Quartet
  • “You’re a Grand Old Flag” — Mormon Tabernacle Choir
  • “God Bless America” — Celine Dion
  • “American Woman” — Lenny Kravitz
  • “Red, White and Blue” — Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • “The West Point March” — United States Army Band
  • “This Land Is Your Land” — Pete Seeger
  • “Born in the USA” — Bruce Springsteen
  • “God Bless the USA: Proud to be an American” — Lee Greenwood

Throwing a Themed Party

Now let’s be honest who doesn’t enjoy a themed party? I know some people think they don’t like them but really they do.  So let me give you 10 easy steps to throwing a memorable themed party.

Step 1: Pick your theme

I know that this sounds like a simple tasks but there are so many options to choose from. Here are some different categories as well as my favorites from each one.

Image by Lakeside Reflections

Image by Lakeside Reflections

Decade Themed

  • The 1920’s  – have your guests dress in flappers and incorporate fun old fashion drink ideas.
  • The 1960’s – get back into the groove with bell bottoms and tie-dye
  • The 1990’s – Retro, remember all those things from your past that you are embarrassed of now. Let them out, where those jean jackets, hot pink pants and plastic sunglasses.

Movie Themed

  • Alice in Wonderland – Play crochet with plastic flamingos and melt wax into tea cups to create your own excentric tea party.
  • Dr. Seuss – Use pool noodles to create Seuss trees, wear your hair in wires with braids, be Seuss like.
  • Glee – Have a karaoke bar for all your friends to sing and dance.
  • Harry Potter – Keep water and dry ice in caldron to create a misty environment, serve up butterbeer and chocolate frogs.

 Games and Toys

  • Candy Land – Create a game board on your sidewalk or floor, use pool noodles to create large candy canes and create oversized gum drops out of bean bag chairs.
  • Barbie  – Have all your friends dress up like their favorite Barbie or Ken, such as Malibu Barbie, vet Barbie or bride Barbie.
  • Superhero – Dress up like your favorite super heroes, classics include Captain America, Batman, Superman and more.
  • Angry Birds – Set up wood structures and a sling for your friends to play life-size angry birds.

Additional Themes

  • Casino /Vegas
  • Christmas Themed
  • Circus
  • Around the World
  • Academy Awards

Step 2: Create the Agenda

Have a general idea of how you want the party to flow. You should have your agenda in place before you do any shopping so that you can prioritize the list and make sure you have everything you need.

Some agenda items include:

  • Time for food and snacks
  • Socializing
  • Games
  • Backyard fire pit, desert time such as s’more making or ice cream bar.
  • Any other activites you want to include in your party

    Picture by Wazzupolitan.com

Step 3: Create your List

Your list should include

  • Napkins
  • Plates
  • Decorations
  • Food
  • Drinks
  • Games
  • and anything else you might need for the day

Step 4: Create your Guest List

You should be sure your guest list is one of the frist things you do when planning your party. This gives your guest enough time to RSVP and to prepare costumes, present or food items.

Make sure to keep in mind the type of people you are inviting. You want to make sure that the people you invite will participate. For those that wont you may want to have extra small things that they can wear or use if they show up unprepared.

Step 5: Invitations

This is the best way to communicate to people your theme. Your invitations should be in line with your theme as well as direct instructions as to what they should come with, what they should wear, and what the general idea for the day is.

Example: Fiesta theme, your invitation can be a mexican flags and say “Come prepared to dance and drink and be sure to wear your favorite sombrero.”

Step 6: Create a Budget

Creating a budget will help in knowing how much you can spend on games, food and decorations. You want to stay within your budget. So plan your budget early on  because it may also determine the amount of people you invite to your party.

Step 7: Decorations

There are lots of great places  you can find decorations for themed parties. PaperWarehouse, PartyCity as well as general places like target and the grocery store. Sometimes the best thing to do is to be creative and have an open mind when envisioning your party. You may want to take a look around the house first to see if there are any items you currently have that fit into your theme.

 Step 8 & 9 : Keep the Party Moving & Have a Backup Plan

Make sure that you have extra games, extra food and a back-up location in case you have unexpected rain. The best way to keep your party moving is to make sure you have things to keep kids busy, have drinks to people to mingle with and make sure that all major issues are being handled.  Back-up plans are crucial to a good party. Not only for location but also for games. In case one game bombs maybe have a few extras in your back pocket just to make sure.

Step 10: After party

No I don’t mean the “after party”. what I mean is what do you plan to do when the party is over. If you have a lot of things to clean up make sure you have some help, if you have tables or decorations that need to be returned make sure they are put in the correct spot for easy return. Most people are willing to help after the party ends but just make sure you have a plan in place.

Happy Planning!

The Perfect Mix

Weddings and parties are all about the extra touches. If you are interested in adding something that your guest will be talking about consider incorporating a specialty drink.  Below is a list of my favorite specialty drink recipes. (you can also find great drink ideas at the bottom of Lolita Glasses)

The Something Blue

  • 2 oz Hpnotiq
  • 2 oz white wine
  • 1 oz Ginger ale

Wedding Cake

  • 3/4 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz Amaretto
  • 1/4 oz orange juice
  • 1/4 oz pineapple juice
  • 1/4 oz cream

Blushing Bride

  • 1 oz peach schnapps
  • 1 oz grenadine
  • 4 oz Champagne

Wedding Belle

  • 3/4 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge
  • 1/2 oz cherry brandy
  • 1/2 oz orange juice

Honeymoon Cocktail

  • 3 oz Benedictine
  • 3 oz Apple Brandy
  • 2 1/2 oz lemon juice

Love Birds

  • .5 oz Grenadine
  • 1 dash Dark Rum
  • 2 oz Sweet & Sour Mix
  • 1.5 oz Vodka

Or create your own cocktail mixture and call it something fun like “Mrs. Mathson”. The possibilities are endless and the end results are a hit!

Throwing a “Green” Party

In my household we are recyclers, composters, energy savers and water reducers. So why not take it to the next step and use these tips to throw a more environmentally friendly party. Incorporating “Green” decor into your event can not only be great for the planet but also your budget.

* Use old wine corks for escort cards or decorations. Those of us wine enthusiasts have random wine corks being stored in containers around the house so why not put them to good use… as well as get them off your kitchen counter.

* Invest in solar lighting. Not only is solar a great green alternative to your household outdoor lights, it’s free, and most solar lights are now easily moveable. Allowing you to customize the lighting for your event.

* Make homemade Popsicles. It’s a fun alternative to store bought ice cream treats. Plus you can create your own personalized flavors.

* Use potted flowers as your centerpieces.

* Create your own candles by using the wax from old candles that you just can’t seem to get yourself to throw away. Melt them together to create unique scented candles for your guests to take as favors. Be creative with your container as well  by trying an oyster shell or old teacup.

* Use your bird bath as a wine cooler. Simply fill it with ice and use it to chill your wine. When the ice melts it can be magically transformed back into a birdbath.

* Use licorice to quench your thirst in replacement of straws. All you have to do is snip the ends off and viola instant straw.

* Use old canning jars for vases and fill them with wild flowers. Not only is this beautiful its also very trendy right now.

* encourage your guests to carpool. It will give them some extra time to spend together!

The possibilities are endless. You can come up with hundreds of your own ideas just by gathering things around the house, so have fun with it.  If nothing else your quirky items will be a great conversation starter!