The Oscars — the most important awards ceremony of the year— are just around the corner, and the best way to celebrate one of the more elegant sides of American pop culture is to host an Oscars-viewing bash and bring some red carpet glamour right into your living room.
So invite some friends over on Sunday, turn your television to ABC and try a few of these ideas for a red carpet night of your very own for the 88th Academy Awards.
Glitz and Glamour
Add sparkle to Academy Awards night with glitzy decor. Purchase metallic confetti or streamers, and scatter them around the space where you’ll be watching the awards. Silver and gold balloons are another great option for upscale decorations. A strand of holiday lights placed around the edge of the room also adds a festive, elegant feel to a party space.
Upscale Outfits
One of the best parts of the Academy Awards is the red carpet fashion. Have your guests come in their favorite high-class attire for the awards. Nothing is too fancy for the Oscars — encourage guests to break out their old prom or formal dresses and tuxes for the occasion. As the host or hostess, you’ll need a comfortable choice to both feel elegant and be able to run the party smoothly. Try a comfy sports coat or sequined jumpsuit for a convenient, yet more formal look.
Fine Dining
Treat your guests to all the comforts of a five-star restaurant. Target, Walmart and Party City sell cheap and elegant dinnerware options such as metallic silver and gold paper plates, plastic champagne flutes and fancy napkins. Make simple but elegant hors d'oeuvres for your guests to snack on throughout the night — think shrimp cocktail tray, pita chips with hummus, garlic bread and petit fours. Finally, a bottle of champagne is the perfect way to top off the night.
Guessing Games
Play different guessing games with your guests during commercial breaks. Display photos of past Oscars dresses and tuxes, and have guests guess the star who wore the look by writing their guesses on slips of paper. Award the guest who has the most correct answers with a box of movie theater candy. Have guests write down their predictions for the different award categories or place bets on the names that they think will take the title.
Screen-worthy Snacks
The Academy Awards can get lengthy, especially as the night draws closer to the big categories. Keep your guests from losing interest with movie-themed snacks throughout the night. Boxes of movie theater candy are a great way to hit the spot. Set up a cinematic concession stand in the party room, complete with popcorn in individually themed containers and soda in classic glass bottles. Place candy bowls throughout the room that are filled with treats dusted with edible gold leaf.
Cinematic Additions
Add a movie theater vibe to your party space with low lights, red tablecloths and classic popcorn containers used as holders for red and white roses or maybe your TV remote. Stick to a black, white, red and metallic color palette to fully theme your event. Complete the ambience with movie posters on the walls and a red carpet (use a red blanket, tablecloth or piece of fabric if you don’t have a true "carpet") rolled out for guests to walk along when they enter. A few photobooth items such as feather boas and fake Oscar figurines are perfect for a festive awards event.