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DIY Broadway - Themed Party Ideas and Decorations

"The Phantom of the Opera" is one of the 10 most iconic Broadway costumes of all time, according to Playbill. Whether you’re a theater lover or just have a finger on the pulse of pop culture, you’ll instantly remember the white mask covering half of the Phantom’s face, white tailored shirt and cape disguising his disfigurement from his beloved Christine.

Capture the magic of Broadway and the spirit of its iconic costumes, sets and makeup with your own theater-inspired party. Even if you're on a budget, some creative DIY Broadway party decorations will transform your house into a 42nd Street stage.

Phantom of the Opera

Turn your next dinner party into an evening of mystery with a gathering inspired by "The Phantom of the Opera." Ask your guests to dress up as their favorite character and be ready to trade songs and dialogue from the movie to piece together who the real phantom of the opera is.

Set aside an arts and crafts table for kids to make their own phantom masks with plenty of jewels, buttons and paints to liven up the fun. Buy the phantom's iconic half-white mask for each adult to wear as party favors. You may not be able to bring the Broadway show to your party, but you can pop the 2004 film into your DVD player for a midnight showing.

Cats

Whether you’re a cat lover or just inspired by great musicals and poetry, celebrate "Cats," one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, at your next party. Recruit a friend or makeup artist to help your guests look the part. If you’re not into a full-costume party, pass out cat ears or masks to add some flair, and use glow paint to add the infamous yellow eyes around your home. Let the kids put on their own "Cats" production to entertain the crowd.

A "Cats" party makes for a fun trivia night. Write out some questions and answers on cards, divide up teams and play for a gift certificate or donation to a local pet shelter. Need a good trivia question to get started? What book inspired Tony Award-winner "Cats"? Devoted fans will know it’s T.S. Eliot's 1939 poems "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."

Les Miserables

Invite friends over for dinner and a movie night with a "Les Miserables" theme. Create a French-inspired menu with fresh bread, cheese, wine and pastries, and serve your guests on tables decorated with French flags. Complete the meal with red velvet cupcakes frosted with white icing and blue sprinkles as a nod to France.

Play the soundtrack to "Les Mis" before the movie starts. By the time the night is over, your guests will feel inspired to devour the book. Send them home with the novel as a party favor and schedule a follow-up party as a special book club night with "Les Mis" at its center.

Broadway Glamour

Can’t decide among your favorite Broadway shows? Go for Broadway glamour and transform your party into 42nd Street nostalgia. Roll out a red carpet and add some velvet ropes leading to your front door. Add a pin-up board with Broadway flyers or find a theater-inspired template online to add the name of your party. Greet your guests like an usher and hand them a playbill with the list of events and snacks for the evening before ushering them to a designated area to chat with other guests.

The best kind of Broadway party actually happens on Broadway. Instead of creating your favorite play at home, take your guests to see the real thing. Telecharge can help you select from among the many choices, and ordering your tickets online will streamline your planning. Then, treat your guests to a fun evening of Broadway glamour.

DIY Christmas Ornaments

One of the most well-known Christmas traditions is surrounding yourself with loved ones and decorating the tree together. So, break out the hot chocolate, collect your supplies, and get creative! Crafts are another great way to bring people together. They don't have to be perfect, the fact that you made it with love is beautiful enough. 

Everyone who celebrates Christmas has a story about an ornament breaking on the floor, waiting for someone to cut their foot on. With this repurposed sweater tutorial, those worries can melt away. These ornaments won't break, and they add a warm, homey accent to your christmas tree. You can even try a different pattern and add embellishments. Turn it into a sweet christmas party activity buy having everyone make a personalized ornament to take home for their own tree. Indoor ornaments can also be added to a wreath, or even a garland on a wall, bannister or mantle. 

 Not all ornaments have to be indoors, and during the winter it can be very difficult for birds and other little critters to find food to sustain themselves. These outdoor birdseed ornaments are a great idea for all of you nature lovers. 

For more Christmas decoration inspiration, follow us on Pinterest and check out our Christmas board. Happy crafting!  

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Animal Friendly Thanksgiving Tips

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and some of us may have guests who are vegan or vegetarian. Accommodating dietary restrictions can seem like a bit of a hassle for someone cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal, but your guests will greatly appreciate the thoughtfulness and extra work. A vegetarian at thanksgiving generally has one thing that they can't eat: turkey. Unfortunately, that is the main dish and while some people are happy with eating sides, making something hardier to replace turkey can't hurt. 

This roasted mushroom recipe is simple, yet filling. This particular recipe is only vegetarian friendly, but with a few quick fixes it can be turned into a vegan recipe by using unsalted vegan butter instead of regular unsalted butter. The meatiness of the mushrooms can replace turkey and still be flavorful and satisfying. Other ways to add flair to this recipe would be using different herbs and maybe flavored olive oil. 

 

Reminders and Tips: 

• keep track of the ingredients in recipes that appear to be vegetarian, like mashed potatoes. If it includes something like chicken stock, you may want to warn the vegetarian guest(s). The same goes for stuffing recipes that may include bacon or other meat products that could be unseen or hidden within the recipes. 
• Make little notes indicating your vegetarian and vegan options at the dinner table or buffet and allow your veggie/vegan guests to serve themselves first in case curious carnivores want to try those recipes.  

 

For more vegan and vegetarian friendly recipes, follow us on Pinterest and check out our Thanksgiving board. 

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DIY Autumn Decor

Keeping guests interested is an important part of creating a successful event, and visually appealing decor is a great way to focus their attention while molding the atmosphere. Autumn is well known for being the harvest season, and your decor can reflect that by placing flora throughout your event space. Luckily, there are endless ways to create floral accents, and you can even make them in your own home. 

These little projects are about bringing the wonder of nature indoors, and you can choose to do that literally, with a beautiful bouquet to use as a centerpiece or an eye-catching accent for a thanksgiving dinner or other fall celebrations. Unfortunately, plants don't live forever so if you need decor that's going to last, try to bring the outside in artificially, like this decorative leaf bowl and this pumpkin made of jar rings (seen below). 

Not only is this piece visually appealing, but it also gives off the aroma of fresh cinnamon sticks. Refreshing visual appeal with scent is minimal effort and goes a long way.

If your decor is related to Thanksgiving, you may be interested in this blessing pumpkin. If you'd like to create a re-useable version, switch it up with a plastic pumpkin and cover it with a layer of chalkboard paint. Just wipe off the chalk messages and use it again next year.

Find more autumn decor inspiration on our Pinterest. 

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Backyard Decor to Take Your Holiday Gathering to the Next Level

When the temperatures begin to drop, it is easy to forgot about your outdoor decor, but the holiday season soon comes along to remind you that there is still plenty of use to get out of that backyard, and lots of merry making to be had. Certain key pieces of decor are needed to spruce up your backyard area during the upcoming holiday season, but it's not too late to add a bit of holiday cheer and festive charm.

Accent with holiday colors

Cranberry Luminarias: Not only quaint but inexpensive to make,cranberry luminarias are gorgeous little details that add a pop of color and warmth to any outdoor scene. They are very easy to assemble as well. Place them in the outdoor seating areas to allow for guests to see their way to the party.

Evergreens au-naturel: Keep the heavily adorned Christmas tree indoors, but station a few others on the patio in the buff. No need for bulbs or tinsel. Mini evergreens are eye-catching when they are allowed to be themselves. Fit them into an ornate basket or antique tin tub for a chic, country appeal on the patio.

Pine cone arrangements: Not only do pine cones add texture and authenticity to exterior arrangements, but they are free, laying around everywhere you turn, and they come with their own intoxicating fragrance. A few pine cones and some tinsel can go a long way to creating interesting door wreaths.

Work with existing features

Transform the pool: Though too chilly for swimming, your backyard pool doesn't have to go to waste. Place a dozen tea light candles to float in the water to make the nighttime backyard scene glitter and glow. Or, if you have small children and want to opt for safety, a quality pool cover can secure the pool and be versatile in design. Create the illusion of a giant present by capping the pool with a simple pool cover then criss-crossing an over-sized ribbon over it.

Light up the patio: Since the patio is there whether you decorate it or not, you may as well make it work to your advantage and utilize that space optimally. 'Tis the season to be sustainable. Line your patio walkway with traditional colors but with a modern twist. There are hundreds of LED Christmas lights on the market that use less energy than the classic lights, so opt for an eco-friendly electric option. Solar Christmas lights are another great option. Whatever you agree on, use your sustainable light source to highlight the walkway into the yard or up to the outdoor patio. Your guests will appreciate your attention to detail and the environment.

Whether your home is ready or not, here come the holidays, so it is best to be prepared. Make an effort to work with what you have and add colorful accents that bring your outdoor space together and boost the holiday cheer among your family and guests. Create a merry environment without cluttering it too much with tacky decor. Elegance and creativity can join forces to spread peace and joy, at least in your backyard space.

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