Throwing an 80's party -- how to keep it cheap

[krissy2803]

Bartles and James wine coolers would be a great addition. I think it would be appropriate to put them in the trunk of your car.....drive around......let them warm up a little.....before you park on a country road....drink them.....with a few friends.....lose your car keys.......start to panic because you may have to call your dad....and you know he will kill you! Was that a dream or did it really happen to me

OMG!! I could have written this post!
Except you would have to add something herbal.

 

[Shelby5514]

Don't forget the Little Kings and the Peach Schnapps.

 

[defendthehill]

Don't forget the Little Kings and the Peach Schnapps.

Little Kings has got to be the worst beer of all time!!! Why the hell did I drink then????

 

[mommycrawford]

Don't forget to get everyone to line up for the "Thriller" dance...think 13 Going on 30

 

[sk!mom]

Actually an 80's party could be much cheaper than a standard adult party. You can go totally flashback and serve all the cheap alcohol most college kids drink and serve it in the bottles in the case of Wine coolers or beer and in cheap plastic cups for mixed drinks. Get some Tab (do they still make it?) for mixed drinks. No expensive bottles of wine or barware needed.

The record album bowls are cool and you can fill them with doritos and other inexpensive junkfood.

Much cheaper party food than the bar and appetizers you would need for a typical adult party.

Have a TV playing 80's bands. Get concert DVD's. The Live Aid boxed set is a good one. Lots of 80's bands on that one.

Set up another TV with flashback video games. A plug and play is pretty cheap but you may know someone who has one.

Shoot if we knew each other irl, I could loan you a Plug in play of 80's games and the Live Aid DVD. Oh, and leg warmers and some big neck sweatshirts. So definitely ask around, you may be surprised what friends could loan you.

 

[GIGI&MIMI]

Bartles and James wine coolers would be a great addition. I think it would be appropriate to put them in the trunk of your car.....drive around......let them warm up a little.....before you park on a country road....drink them.....with a few friends.....lose your car keys.......start to panic because you may have to call your dad....and you know he will kill you! Was that a dream or did it really happen to me

But you would walk the mile+ to the payphone and call collect or the nearest house to use their phone. Do they even have payphones anymore?
Jungle Juice out of a garbage can with lots of fruit in it. I miss 2 liters of peach coolers more than you can imagine.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Once a year each community of teachers at my school hosts a breakfast. Last year we did the 80's.

We did:

*Giant Pac Man from posterboard eating dots all the way around some troublesome cabinets we can never figure out what to do with

* Life size Michael Jackson on butcher paper for "Pin the glove on Michael Jackson." We filled in the Thriller outfit, got a face from the internet, added yarn hair and made sequin gloves using glitter and cardstock

* Geometric shapes cut from neon cardboard around the room posted on walls

* Donkey Kong arcade machine - my teaching partner has one at home, we hauled it up there

* 80's Music - went with 84-86ish - when MTV was just becoming popular

* Table decorations - old VHS movies from the 80's, old CD's from the '80's, 8 1/2 by 11 color prints of TV/Movie/Music stars from the 80's as placemats

* The male member of our group wore a neon yellow shirt under a black suit jacket - it was all that we could talk him into

* Female members wore neon clothing, rubber neon bracelets (dollar store) and white lace gloves with fingers cut off (dollar store). I wore a t shirt I made using an iron on that said CHOOSE LIFE a la Wham. I tucked my jeans into my neon socks and wore my daughter's Converse. I also curled my hair and used a ton of hairspray, blue eye shadow and pink lipstick.

We had a great time. Enjoy your party!