Q&A for How to Plan a Party

Make sure you budget money for the essentials first, like music, food, and drinks. You don't want to spend a lot on decorations and then not have enough money left over to buy food for your guests.

If you serve alcohol at the party, it's important that your guests don't drive home after drinking alcohol because they could more easily get in a car accident and hurt or kill themselves or others. Taking away their keys gives you the opportunity to help them make a good decision by not giving them back their keys unless they are sober enough to drive safely.

It depends on her age and interests. For example, if she likes horses and books, get her a horse book. If she has a favorite band, you could get her a poster. If she's girly, buy her a makeup kit, if not, maybe a soccer ball.

Get them broken up into teams and play an icebreaker game. Make sure people in the teams don't really know each other. After the game, they'll all feel more comfortable together and you can play the music for the dancing.

Consider the age of the guests and try to find something that you think might interest them. Start by checking somewhere like the Dollar Store. You can also buy cheap bags to store the party favors for your guests.

You can have her go over to a friends house or, if that doesn't work out, then have her play a game in her room that will keep her occupied for a little while. I've always found it works to put my little sister up to a "very important task" (in her eyes) like organizing her dollhouse or making a form of paper craft.

Have a nice fancy dinner. Since it's only two people, you can go all out with them.

Consider something that interests you or something that is currently popular. For example, you could chose a super hero theme, and have all the guests dress up as different super heroes. You could also do an "Around the World" theme, and have different foods from different countries.

Serve breakfast in bed and remember to keep it simple. You could give presents that your mom will enjoy and if your mom is a fun mom or loves music, be sure to put on her favorite songs. At the end of the party, give your mom a simple hug or kiss to end it calmly and lovingly.

You should chose a place that can accommodate the amount of people you will be hosting. You could always host the party in your own home or garden. If this is a larger party, you could always host it outside at a park or beach. Some places will also allow you to rent out a large room to host your party in.

It's your party, so the kind of party is completely up to you. If you like dancing, then have a dance or karaoke party. If it is a party for little children, choose something they will really love, like a clown party or a dinosaur party. If you want to have a small group, you might want to have a dinner party. There are plenty of suggestions on wikiHow, just do an internal search.

Get some nail equipment, and varnish, and get your friends to bring some of their nail varnish too. Set up the space where you want your salon to be, and also an area for others who aren't interested in a mani-pedi fest. This area could include board games, music, coloring pages, and other activities.

Don't make it a huge party -- just have a small hangout with your friends. Ask them to come over for a few hours. Make a dessert together and watch a movie.

Anything that people might like: cookies, bookmarks, a small thank-you card, lip balm, votive candles, sweets, key chains, stationery, etc., depending on your crowd.

You could try the indirect route and drop lots of hints about how much you'd love a surprise party when your birthday (or some other occasion) comes around. Or, you could ask directly.

Talk to her about it, or pay attention to what she has been doing/enjoying. If she's been watching movies, have a movie marathon. If she's been playing games, have a game night. But it isn't necessary to do a theme party. You can just do a normal party. Ask her what she would like.

However many seems reasonable to you, your parents, your budget, and the space you have allotted. Sometimes people try to invite a lot of guests so that they can get a lot of presents or so they can look good, but you should only invite people who you really like and are close to. Certain parties are more conducive to a lot of guests than others. For example, a spa party or sleepover should only have a few guests because of the cost and/or space concerns, but pool parties can accommodate a lot of people.

Follow the instructions listed in the article above. You can pick whichever theme you would like, and include whichever activities you would like.

You can make a key holder and ask people to put their keys there when they come in if they plan on drinking. That way it doesn't seem too forceful or awkward.

Unfortunately, it was your party and you have to take responsibility for the damage that was done. You made a bad judgment call and will have to accept the consequences.

You could have a gymnastic contest to see who has the best skill or a show full of tricks. You can serve healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables.

You don't have to buy much! You can make the decorations on your own and just stick to cheap appetizers for food (like cheese and crackers, a fruit plate, etc.). You could also keep your party small and invite fewer than 15 people, which will also help keep your costs down.

You'll find some good tips in wikiHow article Plan a Party (for Tweens) .

For a party for kids, plan on at least $300 for large parties and about $125 for a very small one.

Dollar stores are good. They have a lot of party things there (it might depend on which store you go to, though) and they are a good place to check.

It depends on what type of theme it is. Some cost more than others as it's more effort. Sometimes it's how many people you need to serve. Set a budget you can all agree upon and that you can afford.

Provide activities for all different ages. People of all ages enjoy dancing and karaoke. A simple craft would be fun for all ages as well--you can have the youngest ones pair up with older adults for this if necessary.

You may give an edible gift, like chocolates. Wine is also an appropriate gift.

Tell her that your parents restricted the number of people you were allowed to invite.

If you live with other family members or adults, you can ask them to help you plan it. If you're by yourself, you can send email invitations to her friends/family and maybe make things for her (such as food and decorations) that she likes.