Yes!! You’ve decided to throw a 70s party, a time of bold and brash outfits and the grooviest of tunes. Here’s the skinny on how to create a jivin’ atmosphere and you’ll be sure to have everyone on the dance floor before the night is through.
Invitations
Typesetting technology took off in the 70s and typography became big, bright and vividly colourful.
Party attire
The sexual revolution was booming and androgynous fashion got underway. Both men and women grew their hair and donned the bell-bottomed pants.
The 70s is also when the staple t-shirt hit the big time usually with some kind of prominent design or political statement on the front.
Everyone embraced bold patterns. Orange and brown were particularly popular colours.
As were bright florals.
Or if you want to sparkle a little more, go for a disco look.
If you don’t want to buy a whole costume, a good dig around your local thrift store is a great way to come up with some low-cost, hilariously creative outfits and then you just need to accessorize.
Afros and facial hair such as sideburns and moustaches were well and truly in. Guys can add these wig combos to a loud shirt and tight pants for a simple solution.
For women, hold one or both sides of your hair back with a vintage hair comb
and add hoop earrings to make almost any floral frock fit with this decade.
For make-up, all you really need is black eyeliner and mascara and shimmer eyeshadow.
Guys or gals can part their hair in the middle and be radical with a hippie headband, round shades and peace pendant.
Or if disco is your thing, bling it on.
Make your shoes loud. Men should definitely wear heels.
Have a handful of these to give out for those who don’t look dressed up enough.
Decorations
Adding a few 70s features can get your crib lookin’ goooood. Think lava lamps, dream catchers, beaded curtains and anything macramé.
from B069DE
If you can’t find beaded curtains, multi-color foil party curtains will do the job.
Nothing beckons people to start dancing more than a glistening disco ball to jive under. Depending on the size of your dance area, anything under 8″ may look a little weird. If you think you’ll use it again, the bigger the better. They can be easily attached to (and removed from) your ceiling with adhesive hooks.
Make sure you have a spotlight shining on it, preferably from up high. Let there be plenty of light in your dance area. The more colors the better.
If the party is in summer, hang raffia fans on a wall which guests can use to cool themselves down after some groovin’.
Transform a bare wall with a set of printable wall art.
Use simple hanger frames. When you’re bored of the artwork, simply change to other posters and reuse the frames.
Lay a few vinyl coasters around the place for drinks.
If you are worried about spillage on your sofa and chairs, or if they look too modern, cover them in floral, orange or purple curtains or bed covers from a thrift store. Vintage throws, particularly crochet, patchwork or Indian designs can also easily age any modern sofa.
Don’t forget to think about how to layout rooms to create the right space.
Food
The 70s was a confusing decade for food. On the one hand, people became more health conscious with increased interest in fruit and vegetables. Vegetarianism was on the rise.
On the other hand, mass-produced packaged snacks took off such as Kettle chips, Snak King, Trident Seafoods (think fish sticks), Otis Spunkmeyer and Mrs Fields cookies, Poprocks and Sqwinchers if your party is in summer and people are dancing a lot and need a boost.
There was also an obsession with molded gelatin-based or pulverised foods.
Increased global awareness of cuisine from different cultures, with a particular interest in Hawaii meant that anything with pineapple was considered cool.
There was also just some foods that seemed to become a fad for no good reason other than they just did.
Drinks
If you are confident in making cocktails, you can’t go past the Harvey Wallbanger, White Russian or Tequila Sunrise for this decade.
Otherwise, fill your bath, sinks or eskies with lots of ice and add some Budweiser and Miller beers; and some Mateus Rosé or Blue Nun wines. All very popular in the 70s.
Tableware
The better your tableware looks, the less you have to worry about decorations around the room.
See if your older relatives have old tableware lying around such as large plates, platters, or casserole dishes that can be used as serving bowls.
If not, try and score a few things at a thrift store. Dark brown, bold geometrics or floral ceramics are generally reminiscent of the 70s.
You also can’t go wrong with Pyrex which is durable and bound to be useful in the kitchen long after the party.
Tie dye cups, plates and napkins would work well with a plain colour tablecloth or non-covered table.
Or sprinkle flower power confetti over an old white sheet and use one colour tableware.
Orange is a safe option for the 70s.
Icebreakers
Set up a temporary tattoo station for those who feel like doing a bit of body art. You just need some damp cloths, a spray bottle with water and a bunch of tattoos.
Guess Who and Uno were released in the 70s and can help guests get to know each other if you have space where they could be played. Be ready to take them away for a while if it’s the same people playing over and over again.
Play Uno with a twist. It is a party after all.
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Music
Now for the critical element that will make this party out of sight.
Here’s the get-down must-haves for your playlist. You’ll love it so much you’ll want to play it again the next morning.
See tips on how to make a playlist and other things that will get people going.
Send them off with a smile
When your guests start to leave, have a bowl of sweet pick-me-ups so they go home with the warm fuzzies.
