Simple and Easy 50th Birthday Party Ideas

50th Birthday Party Ideas

After searching party stores and Pinterest for 50th birthday party ideas, Dawn Pasco created her own.

Be inspired by her rustic chic theme and DIY vodka bar for your own fun event for someone’s fiftieth birthday. For more recipes and entertainment ideas, go to Dawn’s blog, Joyful Scribblings.

I recently hosted a 50th Birthday party for my friend Christine.  We had a fun Girl’s Night with lots of laughs, an assortment of appetizers, and delicious cocktails.

Trusty Pinterest helped me plan for the party, but was a little disappointed in that I just didn’t see anything that wowed me.  Also I made a trip to Party City for inspiration, but once you turn 40, everything is Over The Hill and in black.  This party had to be fabulous, personal and rustic glam.

Party Decor

There were six of us, which fit perfectly at my table. First I tried to use things that I had on hand for my tablescape. Also, I borrowed a few items from friends. I started with a white tablecloth which I miserably attempted to iron. Who irons these days?

I decided the wrinkles are part of the rustic glam factor. Then I layered a burlap runner over it. I’m obsessed with burlap right now.

I had a few pictures of Christine from high school that her husband shared with me. After I printed them out on card stock, I attached them to glass vases with glue dots.

I had some black and white argyle ribbon that I also attached to the vase. Coincidentally the ribbon paired nicely with my chevron black and white napkins.

It was important to keep things simple in terms of a color scheme, so I  stuck with black and white, and used mercury glass candlesticks and votives for the glam factor. White candles in the vases and the candlelight gave the table a nice ambiance into the wee hours of the night.

I created a burlap pendant banner to hang on my pot rack which was inspired by Pinterest. It was so simple to make a triangle on the computer and print it out as my template.

Then I cut the triangles out of burlap and hand wrote “fab 50” with a black Sharpie marker directly onto the burlap. Next I used a glue gun to attach the burlap triangles to some twine.

Cocktail Time: DIY Vodka Bar

I set up a  DIY vodka bar so everyone could mix their own cocktail. There was an assortment of vodkas and juices to choose from as well garnishes such as: maraschino cherries, limes, lemons and olives.

Little bamboo appetizer skewers were an inexpensive purchase from Party City. I made mini pendants to attach to them that said “fab 50”.

Below I’ve included a chart for setting up your own vodka bar and a recipe for an Island Cake cocktail which was a popular choice among our group.

ISLAND CAKE COCKTAIL

I think these napkins express the theme of my party best.  ”I’m not aging, I’m evolving.”  There are a few more years until I reach fifty, but I’ve heard 50 is Fabulous, and so is Christine!  It was great I could be a part of her celebration.