IT'S A GUY THING
Part III of IV
© Melissa Nowakowski April 2008
THEME: Back to Basics
For the "Mr. Fix-it" or the guy who just loves to work with his hands, this party theme is easy to do, creative and a whole lot of fun.
THE VENUE: Choose a venue that incorporates wood or metal beams and fixtures. Our favourite Toronto venues that suit this style are The Brant House (with its wooden beams) and the The Gladstone (with its exposed brick), but you can just as easily do this theme in your backyard or party room as well.
THE STYLE: Choose natural colours and elements for this theme whether it's relying on the nature in your backyard for colour inspiration (greens and browns) or combining black, red and grey for maximum impact.
Getting back to the basics is all about using everyday materials to create fun and interesting accents for the party. Instead of ordinary table linens, use layered pieces of wood as a table topper or graphing paper in place of linen. Use old hub caps as charger plates, metal bolts or triangular rulers as napkin rings. Use decorative molding, tin cans (with holes poked through the tin) and old lighting fixtures to act as containers for pillar candles, votives or tapers. Or fill large tin cans with moss and willow branches or leafy branches from a tree (remember keep it natural!).
THE ENTERTAINMENT: Any background music will work with this theme whether it's by a DJ, stereo or otherwise.
If you truly want to incorporate games into the mix, try a "Mr. Fix It Relay". Devide your guests into teams of three. Have three tables set up: one with paper mache materials and loose balloons, one with plastercine or clay and one with a vast number of materials (cardboard, construction paper, glue, nuts and bolts, scissors, pieces of wood and pipe, etc). The first person on the team runs to the paper mache table and has to blow up a balloon and then cover it with paper mache. When finished they tap the next teammate who runs to the plastercine table. That member has to create an object of your choice out of the clay, then run back to the front and tap the next teammate. That teammate then has to run to the third table and build a trophy or "cool looking structure" using ALL of the materials on the table as a gift to the guest of honour, then run back to the start of the line. Of course, the team will be timed. The team with the best time wins.
Prizes can be anything from tools to Mike Holmes books. It's a fun game but be sure to stock up each of the tables in between teams to be fair.
THE FOOD: Stick to the basics when selecting meal, appetizer and beverages -- chicken, steak, ribs, grilled vegetable paninis and overall grilled veggies like sautéed mushrooms and potatoes can be creatively prepared and served. Why not serve a Panini with a beer in a metal lunchbox to the guests or brown bag them with the guests name scrawled across? Or balanace wooden beams across cement blocks to act as platter tables. If hosting this party in your backyard, there's nothing that pleases men more than a BBQ and nothing more simple. Keep drinks fun and easy such as coolers, beer, wine, etc.
THE GIVEAWAYS: Personalized tape measures or mini screwdriver kits go a long way in pleasing Mr. Fix-Its. For added flair, use work gloves to store the giveaways instead of gift bags.
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