How to Host an Oscar Party

I’ve got a special treat for you today. The question of the day is how to host an Oscars party. In order to help with that I’d like to introduce you to my new friend Morgan. Morgan is a fashion and film buff from New York who loves to write, share ideas, and connect. You can find and interact more with her over at Gray Gabbana.

Ah, the Oscars. The glamor, the glitz, the outfits, the films, the excuse to throw a great party! I’ve certainly learned a few tricks to make the Academy Awards a glittering night that makes my friends the celebrities!

Curtains, Carpets, and Crazy Decorating Fun

I’m pretty arts-and-craftsy, but you don’t have to be to have an inspired party! Taking black construction paper and a silver Sharpie marker, it’s easy to make your own invitations in the shapes of cinema tickets, movie reels, or clapperboards. When it comes to the actual party, I tend to go for the classic look myself: gold-colored paper tablecloths, inexpensive posters of the nominated (and classic!) films, and lots of confetti.

And, of course, there cannot be a night of enjoying the Oscars without a red carpet. Luckily, department and dollar stores usually carry disposable red carpets like this which are made of streamer-like material: durable enough for one night, but affordable enough that you don’t mind when someone spills a little champagne or hors d’oeuvres on it.

Red-Carpet-Worthy Food and Drink

Now, I like to make little dishes that match the films: for example, when “The King’s Speech” was nominated, I made mini shepherd’s pies. This year with “Dallas Buyers Club” up for so many awards, the theme will be food from the Deep South: I’ll fry up some catfish, make a lot of cole slaw, and lay out biscuits with jam! I also always like to base my desserts—cookies with frosting—on the Animated Picture Award: when “Up” was nominated, I baked balloon-shaped cookies, and this year with “Despicable Me 2” I’ll be making cookies in the shapes of those little minions. Hors d’oeuvres are great because you can chip away at them throughout the night when the commercials are on, or if you get bored listening to all the commentary!

And, of course, you can’t forget the drinks! These are also fun to match to the films—we ordered a case of good German beer when “Inglorious Basterds” was up for awards—but I prefer to match them to classic Oscar winners. What I’ve started doing, with success, is have a small bar available, with sodas, tonic, juices, and several types of alcohol to allow my friends to be their own bartenders! This infographic is a useful reference for this kind of thing. I do lay out recipes for themed drinks—this year the featured drink will be the San Francisco Cocktail for “Blue Jasmine”—that people can mix to their liking!

And the Award Goes to…

It’s really important to have a few games for people to play throughout the evening to get them excited for the awards. One of my favorite games is the voting game: pass out ballots at the beginning and get everyone to cast their votes for who will win Best Actress, Best Documentary, everything (and if you haven’t seen some of the films, it’s even funnier)! There should be a prize for the person who gets the most awards correct. I also enjoy putting in smaller, sassier categories: Best Dressed, Worst Dressed, Funniest Commentary. In this vein, it’s also important to mention the guest list—make sure to invite good friends who will get along, and who will enjoy playing games like this!

With a little planning, some fun food and drinks, and confetti thrown in the right corners, you’re sure to give yourself and your guests an award-winning night!