Monday, February 16, 2009

BBQ Dinner

BBQ Invitation Ideas (from www.party411.com)
Create a bandana invitation; take your invitation and wrap it in a bandana. You can use this theme throughout the day with bandana plates and bandana napkins.

Send each guest a piece of Tupperware with the details of the barbecue shindig inside. Invite each family to make their favorite side dish or dessert (to be placed in the Tupperware) to compliment your culinary creations. (The guests keep the Tupperware as a favor).

Invite your friends by hand-delivering specially made "barbecue bibs" entailing all of the party information. Roll the bibs and tie them with red and white ribbon for a festive look.

Hand-deliver barbecue sauces to your potential guests. There are so many different sauces to choose from that you can probably send everyone a different one. Create a label with party details and stick it around the bottle. Hand deliver or send.

BBQ Decorations
BBQ's often follow a western theme or a summer/patriotic (red, white, and blue) theme. You can find both themes at party stores. Some of the types of decor items for the more western themed BBQ are: cowboy hats, bandanas, western music
For the patriotic theme: flags, glowsticks, sparklers, paper garlands, fans, red, white and blue hats, tiaras, noisemakers and leis for each of your guests!
Set food on top of gingham or red tablecovers.
Since the festivities will most likely take place in the backyard, make sure to hang some lanterns throughout the party using fishing line. Another fun idea is to use festive b-lights in the shape of Western Boots and Cactuses, flamingoes, watermelons, or anything else that will add fun and color to the party.(from party411)

OK, so what BBQ or outdoor party is complete without those pesky flies and ants. While we can all do without the real ones, why not use plastic ones to spread around the tables as confetti or to freeze in your ice cubes. In fact, put them everywhere-on plates, at your entrance, in the beverage containers. It will start to become very funny, providing hours of amusement to many! (from party411)

BBQ Seating Cards
Roll up and ribbon-tie one bandanna for each person as a seating card. Tie off the seating card with their name and table number and you have a party favor, too. Or attach a flashing American flag pin, or a patriotic star LED ring, to the card. Another option is to attach cards to plastic pinwheels and stick them in buckets of sand. (from party411)

BBQ Centerpiece
So many different centerpieces can be created for this type of party. Since the party will be taking place in the heat of summer, set a plastic pail in the middle of each table and fill each one with a variety of different sunglasses. Each person can choose a pair to keep as a party favor!
For a creative centerpiece, use an old-style metal coffeepot, baskets lined with with bandannas to use as a bread basket , some old-style metal coffee cups, and several bottles of fancy barbecue sauce. Just put these all together in the center of the table. Tie off the baskets with
helium filled balloons in solid colors or shaped ones.
For another great centerpiece idea, set
a utensil holder in the middle of the table holding a variety of grilling tools. Tie a balloon to the tip of each tool to give your centerpiece some height.

BBQ Games
Balloon Popping Contest (from shindigzparty.wordpress.com)
Divide guests into two equal groups. About 25 yards away, place two bags of inflated balloons in colors to match your theme colors. These balloons should be overinflated to make popping easier. At the sound of a ringing bell or whistle, the first two relay contestants, one from each team, run to the bag and remove one balloon. Each must sit on it until it pops. Once the balloon pops, the player runs back to the starting line, and tags the next player in line. The first team to complete the course wins. Not a quiet game…but a guaranteed favorite! This one may sound like it is just for kids, but your party will live on in your guests’ memories forever if you play this game!
Limbo
The young and the young at heart always enjoy the classic beach game of “limbo.” Try using a string of twinkle lights, a strand of sparkly garland, a bamboo pole, a flashlight (lights out), or any item to match your theme for your limbo stick. For a fun variation on the game, make it a little more challenging by adding a “Super Stomach” to guests as they take their turn. Have a couple of oversized shirts, and some fluffy pillows on hand. Get ready for some howling laughter!
Hula Hoopla
Hula hooping isn’t just for kids or 50’s Sock Hops…but it will make grown-ups feel young again! Purchase or borrow a couple of hula-hoops. They are available at discount chains for about $3.99 each. Let guests know that at a specified time there will be a “hula” contest, and encourage them to practice during the party if the mood strikes.
Name Game
Provide each guest with 5 small pieces of paper, and a pencil. Ask them to write down the names of 5 famous people…leaders, movie stars, authors, sports figures, politicians, artists, inventors, scientists, etc. Fold the papers, and put them into a hat. Seat guests in a large circle. Each round is limited to 30 seconds, so have a watch with a second hand available. The first player pulls out a name, and tries to get the person beside them to guess the name. After the name is guessed, the clue giver can continue pulling names out of the hat for the full 30 seconds. Here are the rules: They can talk, but can’t point to items. They can’t spell out the name, but can say the letter the name starts with. They can reference just about anything, but the person’s name. As an example, if the name is “Sammy Sosa”, the clue giver might say…”The guy who had almost as many homeruns as Mark McGuire in the 1998 baseball season.” “He plays for the Chicago Cubs”, etc. Both the clue “giver” and the clue “guesser” get points for as many names as they guess in the 30-second time frame. Have each participant track his/her own points. The turn then passes to the guesser, who now becomes the clue giver, and his/her neighbor becomes the new guesser. This game is a blast to play, and really is not as difficult as these instructions would make it seem! Give it a try!
Other ideas include watermelon seed spitting, decorating chef’s hats or waterballoons! Tell us about your BBQ party ideas.
BBQ Favors (ideas from party411)
Some of the most popular favor ideas for a barbecue party are items that glow. Barbecues begin in the daylight but usually last well into the evening. Everyone loves to walk around the party with a variety of body parts glowing so had out glow jewelry.
Send everyone home with their very own "Kiss the Cook" apron. For a laugh, use paint that won't wash off of clothing and put a child's handprint on each
apron.
Plastic pinwheels, plastic foam plane gliders, kites, bubbles, jump ropes, outdoor chalk and water toys are great favors for kids.
Personalized soda bottles, BBQ sauce, BBQ tools or outdoor mugs are all useful and appreciated by adults.

2 comments:

Maria said...

Love the bbq ideas!! I just found your blog, love it!

Anonymous said...

Great tips! These can help me a lot in organizing the upcoming lawn parties.
I Buy Barbeques