The movie industry’s biggest night of the year is almost here! On Sunday February 22nd, some of the world’s most famous people will gather in Los Angeles to attend the 87th Academy Awards. Follow these simple steps to bring the glitz of Hollywood to your own Oscars viewing party!
1. Set The Mood
First impressions are everything! There’s no better way to make the first glance of your party a good one with the right decorations. Tonight, the color scheme to go for is black, white and gold. An easy way to achieve this look, without making the effort to craft DIY projects, is to visit the wedding section at a store like Target or Michael’s. You’ll be able to find plenty of metallic garlands and balloons that’ll make the room feel almost as glamorous as the Academy Awards!
2. Look the Part
Reese Witherspoon will spend hours getting ready for the show, complete with a team of stylists. On the other hand, the only effort you’ll be putting into your look that night will be choosing between favorite party dress to impress your guests or sticking to couch-potato glam. Either way, while you’re oohing and aahing (or maybe throwing tomatoes) at the red carpet getups on screen, you can glance down at your hands to awe in your own sparkly manicure! Two chic colors for the occasion are “Good As Gold” by Essie ($8, Target) and “Cleopatra In New York” by Deborah Lippmann ($20, Sephora).
3. Place Your Bets
During award shows, there is nothing more fun than seeing how close, or how far, your expectations and opinions match up with the Academy’s. Pass out cards to your guests with each of the categories and the nominees written on them and have your guests submit them to you. After the awards are over, tally up the votes to find out who will be crowned the true movie-buff. The prize will of course be the greatest honor available — bragging rights.
4. Hollywood Superlatives
The Oscars show is ultimately so much more than the winners! I mean, who could forget Björk’s infamous swan dress from the 2001 Academy Awards? It even has its own Wikipedia page! With that said, a lot of these memorable moments can sometimes be very predictable, while others catch us all off guard. Similarly to betting on the winners, you and your friends can try to predict who will win their own Hollywood Superlative! Some of your superlatives might include “Most Likely to Trip on Stage” and “Most Likely to be Sore Loser.”
*Spoiler Alert: The winners of these categories may or may not be Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio.
5. Food, Obviously
Let’s be real: free food is the real draw to events for most college students. Treat yourself to cupcakes from Sprinkles or upgrade America’s favorite movie theatre snack and set up a popcorn bar with more unique flavors like salted caramel or Sriracha-lime.
6. Be Your Own Paparazzi
Take a picture and make it last longer! Staple paillettes, metallic fringe or streamers to a large piece of cardboard or craft paper to make an eye-catching backdrop for your photos. If you don’t have the time or space to do this (hello, dorm life), pick up some cool printed gift-wrap instead. Some cute accessory props might include a clapperboard or a faux Oscar statuette are guaranteed to coax out the inner diva of the shyest guest.
The show will air live on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd and will also be available via Live Stream. Regardless of who goes home with that coveted eight-and-a-half pound statue, follow these tips and you’ll end up with some sweet Instagrams!
Also, check out this Pinterest board for recipes, printables, and more party tips!