Hat Party

Want to find a party theme that will allow guests to have fun and use their imaginations? Host a hat party! Hat parties are a simple but quirky way to create a theme for a birthday, housewarming, or other fun occasion. Here are a few hat party ideas to help get you started.

• Invitations: Send out free online invitations announcing your hat party. Find an invitation design that is either in the shape of a hat or has a hat on it, like the one above that's available on Punchbowl in several different colors. Make it clear on the hat party invitations that all of your guests must wear hats—and that they are encouraged to be creative and have fun with their hats.

• Hat Ideas: You may want to give your guests a few hints about the types of hats that you'd like to see. For example, you could have an entire party with guests wearing various trucker hats. If you really want to go crazy, don't limit guests. You might see winter hats, top hats, baseball caps, sun hats, Kentucky derby hats, cowboy hats, pirate hats, and much more!

• Activities: It's fun to see everyone's interesting and unusual hat choices. Once guests get settled at the party, go around and have each guest give a quick hello and tell everyone why they chose their particular hat. This will also serve as an ice-breaker for guests who may not know each other. Later, give out prizes for Most Unusual Hat, Most Colorful Hat, Ugliest Hat, etc. 

• Menu: Make your food and drinks as whimsical as your party theme. Fingers foods are the best because they are easy to eat and easy to prepare the day of the event. A great tip for serving your party food is to use paper party hats as bowls. Let your guests fill them with things like popcorn, pretzels, chips, or crackers. What’s more fun than eating out of a hat? For desserts, make cupcakes in a variety of flavors. Top each cupcake with either a candy or plastic hat. These are a great way to impress you guests.