I don’t know about you, but my Sunday nights typically consist of blankly staring at the pile of homework that “I was going to start on Friday” (yeah right), taking an unhealthy amount of Buzzfeed quizzes to figure out things more important than my homework like “What prime number are you?” and holding in tears as I realize the weekend is basically over and Monday is upon us. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably looking for a way to beat the Sunday blues. What better way to keep the weekend going than to throw a party! Better yet, an Oscar themed party! Sunday March 2nd the 86th Academy Awards are being hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. Here are all the tips you need to throw a red carpet worthy party:
Go Glam! Save the sweats for the library, encourage your guests to dress in their Sunday best and follow a red carpet dress code. Dust off that little black dress and pretend like Leonardo Dicaprio can actually see you from the other side of the TV screen. Inviting some guy friends to the party? Tell them to take a lesson from Justin Timberlake and rock that suit & tie!
Roll out the Red Carpet: Have you blown your entire bank account on Girl Scout cookies and swimsuits for spring break? Not to fret, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to embellish your living space with some Hollywood style! Go to a local party store and buy red and gold balloons, plates, cup, and napkins. Don’t forget that no Oscar party would be complete without a red carpet of course! Roll it out in front of the doorway and take turns playing paparazzi taking pictures on it.
Food: Taking selfies on the red carpet can really work up an appetite. Offer a variety of finger foods and treats to snack on throughout the entire evening. Go the extra mile and tie in the names of some of the nominations with your cuisine. Serve your guests delicious miniature Dalls Buyers Club sandwiches, or set up an ice cream bar titled “Americone Hustle.” Or go classic with some popcorn and candy, every moviegoers favorite!
Cast Your Vote: Once all the guests have arrived, hand out printable ballots for everyone to guess the winner for each category. As you watch the show, keep track of the results on your ballot. If you want to up the stakes a little you can give away a prize to the guest who guesses the most categories correctly.
Games: While you’re waiting for the show to return during commercial breaks, stay entertained with this modern twist on charades. Download the app “Heads Up!” which you may have already seen if you watch The Ellen Show. Basically the app will ask you to select a category and one guest will hold the iPhone up to their forehead. There is a time total of 60 seconds where a word appears on the screen and the rest of the guests shout out clues and act out the word as you try to guess the word. Once you guess the word correctly, tilt the phone down and another word will appear. As an added bonus, the app uses the front camera of the phone to capture your friends Oscar worthy performances!
After you put all of these tips together, you will have a party that will blow your friends away. Enjoy!