Looking for a way to shake up your next shindig? Set the tone with a silly, sexy, scary, or just plain celebratory theme?

Party themes make party planning easy. Once you’ve got a theme, you can find food, drinks and decorations to fit. Themes are especially great for costume parties because they help guests determine what to wear.

If you decide to make your next party a theme party, be sure to follow a few rules. First, pick a theme that is broad enough to appeal to all of your guests. You might be a big fan of Battlestar Gallactica, but if you make that your theme, you’re limiting your guest list to only those who follow the show. This is bound to leave some of your friends and family feeling left out.

Second, be sure the theme lends itself to easy costumes to put together. You don’t want to frustrate your guests by forcing them to spend a lot of time, money and effort coming up with an elaborate costume in order to join your celebration.

Finally, for your own sake, you might want to choose a theme that allows for cheap decoration ideas. Something too specific or too elaborate, and you’re likely going to have to shell out a lot of cash and/or spend a lot of time setting the stage, when the real point is to relax and have fun.

Theme Party Ideas:

The hardest part of planning a theme party is, usually, picking the theme. Here are some fun, easy ideas to get you started!

1 – Fiesta

Fry up some fajitas, mix up some margaritas and pin up a piñata for some Mexican-style merriment.

2 – ABC

No, this is not an alphabet party for preschoolers; it’s a grown-up gathering where guests wear Anything But Clothes. Go for garbage bags, plastic wrap, towels, blanket…anything goes, but clothes!

3 – Color

A color-themed party is more than just having your guests wear a certain color; guests should be encouraged to find a costume based on anything to do with that color. For example, if red is the color, guests could come dressed in a Red Sox uniform or a can of Red Bull or even as Scarlett O’Hara.

4 – Tiki

Turn your porch into paradise with tiki torches, a tiki bar, and a few fake palm trees. Serve up pineapple, pork and mai tais, and have your guests wear their best grass skirts!

5 – Toga

The quintessential costume party, a toga party can be fun at any age. Plus, your guests are almost guaranteed to have an extra bed sheet around to use for a costume.

6 – Halloween

Costumes are practically mandatory at a Halloween party, but who says Halloween can’t be the theme of a costume party any other time of year? Have your guests dress up as their favorite Halloween icons—witches, vampires, ghosts, pumpkins and mummies.

7 – Pimps and Hoes

It may not be politically correct, but this party is definitely entertaining. Guys are pimps and girls are their pros. Or, even more fun, switch the roles!

8 – Murder Mystery

Buy yourself a murder mystery kit, assign roles, and encourage guests to dress and act the parts. Or, if you’re feeling really creative and you have the time, create your own murder mystery game.

9 – Decade Do-over

Pick a decade you’d like to relive, and relive it! Dying for disco? Flipped for the ’50s? Excited by the ’80s? Choose your decade, tell your guests, and party like it’s 1999 (or ’89, ’79, ’69…)

10 – Vegas

Rent some casino games and encourage your guests to dress in their fanciest attire and play the night’s high rollers.

11 – Wigs & Hats

Instead of full costumes, encourage guests to simply wear their craziest wig or hat (or both). This is a great option for folks on a budget.

12 – Clothes Swap

Rather than throwing out your old clothes, swap them for new ones at a clothes swap party. Invite your guests to wear unwanted items (over appropriate undergarments) and then trade these pieces for other guests’ items.

13 – Rubik’s Cube

A variation of the clothes swap, a Rubik’s cube party involves guests dressing in items of various colors (e.g., a green shirt, blue jeans, a white sock, and a red sock) and then swapping items with other guests until their outfits are of a single color.

14 – Around the World

Wear clothing from a specific cultures around the world. Consider making different rooms of your house into different countries with the appropriate food and drink from that country. Lots of fun to be had from just the drinking alone!

15 – Bond

Tell your guests to pick from a variety of characters such as Blofeld, Dr. No or Goldfinger, Octopussy, Honey Ryder, and Mary Goodnight to maintain diversity so the party wont be filled with Bond look-alikes wearing tuxes. You can even hand out missions at the beginning of the night to make it more of an interactive event.

(Photo Via: Good-times and Murder Mystery)