High school graduation happens only once in a lifetime, at least for most of us. And for the young person, it may be the most exciting and at the same time nerve-wracking experience he or she has ever had. Make it special and a lot more fun by helping your teen throw a graduation costume party.

Start by learning the time the graduation ceremony is anticipated to end, so you can plan when the guests will arrive. Second, you will need to talk with your teenager about the theme. What about a 1920’s gangster party or an Arabian nights party?

Once you have your theme, you will need to send out invitations. Homemade invitations are a lot more fun than premade cards. If you have selected a theme for the costume party, you can make the invitations even more fun by using special paper and scrapbooking supplies to theme the invitations to match.

Make sure to indicate, on the invitations, that it is a themed costume party. The guests will need to know what they are expected to wear.

Now comes the fun part- planning the party. You will need food and drinks. If you have the Arabian nights party, why not plan on ordering some middle-eastern food to go? If you have the 1920’s gangster party, how about some cocktail glasses (with sprite) and some cocktail weenies to match? Finger foods are always a hit with the teens.

Lastly, you will need decorations to fit the theme of your party. For Arabian nights, how about some colorful pillows for seating? For the 1920’s gangster party, black and white will work for an old-fashioned piano lounge feel.