College Theme Party Ideas

From LoveToKnow Party

If you’re an overworked student looking for a fun way to spend a Friday night, why not toss around a few college theme party ideas? You’ve been hitting the books all week and a party is just what the med-center intern ordered.

Parties are the best part of college life!

Great College Theme Party Ideas

Here are a few ideas for parties that you can throw, complete with suggestions for making them happen.

Spring Break Party

April showers got you down? Stuck in the Midwest during May? Why not bring spring break to you?

Tips:

Try decorating with bright, sunny streamers and balloons. Cut out a fake paper sun and hang it in the corner, potentially having people pose in front of it for photos.
Ask everyone to dress in their best beach garb, complete with beach towel and sunglasses.
Why not try a luau-style party? Roasting a pig on a spit might be overkill, so try making snacks with cocktail sausages and pineapple. If all else fails, order a bunch of pizzas with Hawaiian-style toppings.
If going with the Hawaiian theme, fake grass skirts can be bought in party stores year-round.

Christmas Party in July

A Christmas party in July? Sure!

Everyone loves Christmas, but it only comes once a year. Perhaps a Christmas pool party is in order.

Tips:

Visit your local grocery store to buy plain sugar cookies and tubes of icing in red and green. Go crazy decorating cookies like it’s December!
Red and green streamers are available at party stores any time of year, as are colored light strands. Decorate a tree in your yard just like it’s a Christmas tree – palm trees are particularly hilarious decked out in twinkling lights.
Consider renting a Santa suit and have someone dress up to hand out presents, or perhaps set up a photo booth where guests can have their photo taken with summer Claus.
Two words: Speedo Santa.

Toga Party

Toga parties have become a part of college history, like the one thrown by the Delta Tau Chi fraternity in the 1978 film Animal House. While your toga party probably shouldn’t be taken to the extremes shown in the movie, you can still have a lot of fun with the idea and not get anyone kicked out of school or wind up in jail.

Tips:

Don’t know what to serve? Try some food ideas for a Roman-style toga party.
Decorate in primarily white and gold, just like Caesar’s palace. Fake ivy from the craft shop will make a great garland to hang around the room, and it can be used to make head wreaths, too.
Visit the local thrift store to pick up an assortment of extremely cheap bed sheets, which you can then give to your guests to create their own togas. You don’t have to stick to white sheets – in fact, let your imagination go crazy with funny prints and kitschy styles!

80s Prom Party

Nearly every town has a thrift store that sells tacky taffeta prom dresses and ugly, outdated suits, so why not take advantage of your local bad fashion resources? An 80s prom party is sure to be a great time, with everyone decked out in their most atrocious party-wear.

Tips:

Just like in high school, your prom should have a theme. Under the sea? Riverboat casino? Whiney hipster alternative rock? The sky’s the limit.
A photo booth is a must for this theme. Set up a corner of the house with silly banners and an archway so that everyone can pose for their prom picture.
Hit up a local florist for ribbons and cheap carnations, and have a table set up where guests can pick up corsages. The tackier, the better.

Goth Party

Just because you’re not a goth doesn’t mean that you can’t express your emo dark side. Exorcise your inner demon by dressing in black velvet and white lace.

Tips:

Visit a party supply store and pick up some clown makeup so that your guests can paint their faces white. Don’t forget the black eyeliner.
When it comes to food, make it as black as you can with a little red thrown in. Dark chocolate cookies, black and red licorice, blood red drinks.
How about a goth contest? Prizes go to the most depressed goth, the most industrial goth, and the sexiest goth. Prizes should be, of course, depressing and emo.