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Celebrate with
An Italian Party Theme

Italian party theme

Host a party with an Italian party theme and you're guaranteed to have a night full of good food and good fun! There are so many ways to go with an Italian theme party, but when you think Italian, you know there will be good food, good drink, good music, and great times!

Italian Party Invitations

Sending great invitations can make your guests feel special before the party even starts. Here are some ideas for making your own Italian party invitations, plus some that you can purchase online:

Italian Flag Invitations -- For this Italian party invitation, use small small Italian flags as your invitations. Write your party information on the central white stripe of the flags and either send them off.
Italian Graphic Invitations -- To make your own Italian party invitations, choose cardstock or stationery in a neutral color and use your computer to add a graphic that fits with your theme, such as wine, olives, an Italian flag, an Italian chef, or even a mafia character.
Tablecloth Invitations -- Make a fold over card from heavy red paper. Glue a piece of red checked scrapbooking paper on the front leaving a solid border. On top of this layer, add a third piece of white paper that has your invitation message. You might choose to write something with an Italian flair, such as "Mangia! Come Enjoy a Taste of Italy!" On the inside of your card, write all of your party information.

**General Party Invitation Tips** -- If you choose to make your own invitations, don't forget to include the date, location, and time of your event. It is also helpful to put the RSVP by date, and either your phone number or email.

Birthday party invitation, Pepperoni Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza Invitations

Italian Grapes Invitations

Italian Party Invitations

Italian Party Decorations

There are different ways to go when decorating for an Italian party theme, depending on the feel that you want your event to have. Generally, you can't go wrong by giving your party the atmosphere of an Italian restaurant. Here are a few tips for Italian party decorations:

Hang an Italian flag on the front door, or use red, white, and green streamers or balloons to welcome your guests. You could also make a sign saying "Benvenuti!" meaning welcome in Italian.
Cover your tables with red checked tablecloths or with table covers of red, white, and green.
Hang travel posters (often available at your local travel agency) of famous Italian landmarks.
Decorate your table with an edible centerpiece of breadsticks, antipasto, cheese, and wine.
Another idea for an Italian party centerpiece is to use a variety of glass jars and containers filled with different pastas. Tie ribbons to each for a splash of color.
Tie raffia to small terra cotta pots planted with basil and add decorative name tags to each as personalized Italian place cards.
Use red, white, and green plates and napkins on your table. Shindigz.com even has fun glass leaning tower of Pisa mugs!
Set the mood by using wine bottles as candle holders around the house. For an extra authentic feel, use straw covered chianti bottles and allow the candles to drip over the sides to create a rustic look.
Write your guests' names on small Italian flags and use them as place cards at the table.
Use a chalkboard, posterboard, or large piece of paper to post the evening's menu as if you were in a restaurant.
MUSIC -- Set the mood for your party by playing some fun Italian music. Some artists to consider include Frank Sinatra (of course!), Dean Martin, Louis Prima, and Lou Monte.

Another fun idea is to use a portable CD player in the guest bathroom with a "Learn to Speak Italian" CD playing. Your guests might pick up some new words in their spare time!

Italian Party Theme Menu Ideas

Italian party food

There are so many great food choices for an Italian theme party out there that it would take years to list all of the possibilities. If you are hosting a dinner party, a traditional Italian meal has a number of courses, starting with antipasti/insalata (appetizers and salads), primi piatti (first plates, which are usually some type of pasta), and secondi piatti (second plates, which usually consist of a main dish with meat or fish). Finish up with dolce (dessert or sweets).

A fun, interactive menu option for an Italian party theme is to have a make your own pizza station, where you put out a variety of toppings for your guests to create their own personal-sized pizzas. (This works best for smaller sized parties since cooking could take a while.) This option is also great for kids, so if your party guests are of two generations, a pizza making party is a great way to go.

ITALIAN PARTY DRINKS

The Italians are known not only for their food, but also for their drinks, and an Italian party theme is a great excuse to try them all. You might consider starting off the evening with a few types of gin martinis, and then for dinner offer some great Italian red wine. After dinner Italians find it customary to finish up with a shot of grappa, or a yummy frosty limoncello, which they believe can act as a digestive aid -- bonus! For those who prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, cappucino or espresso drinks can be a nice finishing touch to your meal.

Italian Party Theme Activities

Looking for some fun things to do with your guests at an Italian theme party? Try some of these activities:

Bocce -- If it's a nice evening, hold a traditional game of bocce (or lawn bowling) to kick off your event.
Guess the Italian -- Copy pictures of famous Italians (historical figures, political figures, soccer stars, Italian Americans, etc.) and see how many your guests can identify.
Italian Trivia -- Think up a range of questions that relate to anything Italian and hold a trivia game to see who knows what.
Learn the Tarantella -- Have a fun-loving crowd? Find some Italian folk music and teach everybody to do this traditional group dance. (This can be especially fun after the martinis and wine!)
Watch an Italian Movie -- If you have a more sedate group, find an old Italian movie (think Sophia Loren), make some popcorn with Italian seasoning, and settle in for a movie night.

Italian Party Theme Costumes

Another way to spice up your party's theme is to ask everyone to come in costume. Be as specific or as general as you want. For example, you might say, "Come as your favorite Italian" or "What do you think of when you think Italian?" You might get costumes ranging from the Pope to gondoliers to Mafia gangsters to Renaissance characters. Be sure to have your camera ready...the pictures from this could be priceless!

Renaissance Lady Adult Costume - Small/Medium (2-8)

Renaissance Lady Costume

Zoot Suit Black/Red Adult Costume - Large

Mafia Costumes

Pope Costume

Italian Party Favors

Want your guests to take home a memory of the evening? Here are some suggestions for fun Italian party favors:

Mini Oil and Vinegar Bottles with Personalized Labels

Italian Chocolates
Small pots of basil tied with ribbon (these also work well as place cards at your table)
Glass jars of pasta tied with raffia
Bottles of Italian wine
Italian Cookbooks

If you enjoyed these Italian party theme ideas, you might also enjoy these parties:

Pizza Party

Fiesta Party

Jamaican Party

Share Your Party With Us!

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Your Party Theme