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By Elizabeth Chastain

Saddle up your horses for a rootin’ tootin’ good time. Make this a hoe down that your city slicker cowpokes will be talkin’ about for years to come. Yee ha!

WESTERN PARTY IDEAS FOR INVITATIONS

Cow Bell Invites – Either paint your guests’ names on the outside of each cow bell or create some labels and attach them to each bell. Cut 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of aged looking scrapbook paper into four pieces. Type or handwrite the party details. Hole-punch the pages and attach one invite to each cow bell with twine. Hand-deliver the invites. To make it more fun and get the party interest rolling, deliver the invites dressed in western attire.

Cowboy Hat Invites – Create the paper invites as noted above, attach one to each colorful cowboy hat with instructions to your guests, to be sure and wear their “invites” to the party.

WESTERN PARTY IDEAS FOR DECORATIONS

First of all, if at all possible try to hold your party in a barn or at a ranch, which will obviously give you an instant western feel and backdrop for your party. If this isn’t doable, then roll up your sleeves and get ready to transform your party area into the Old West.

Hang a welcome sign that read’s something like, “Welcome To Pete & Sandy’s O.K. Corral.”

Sprinkle hay on the floor.

Make painted signs out of old pieces of wood and hang them in your party area. The signs can say things like “Giddyup”, “Chuck Wagon”, “Howdy Pardner”, “Haberdashery”, “Dude Ranch”, “Old West”, etc.

Use western style rope as garland or barbwire garland to decorate and western-up an area.

Lay plastic or rubber snakes (the more realistic the better) around the grounds to add an authentic western feel. If they happen to scare a guest or two, all the better.

Place various sized cactus plants around the party area.

Cover your tables with denim or burlap fabrics, or in the alternative use gingham.

Create a floral centerpiece using an old metal coffee pot.

Line cowboy hats with bandanas and fill with chips, trail mix, and nuts or bowls of munchies.

If you have a fireplace or fire pits, be sure to light them up.

WESTERN PARTY IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES

Bull Riding – Rent a mechanical bull and let the fun begin. Just be sure you set it up in an area where people will be safe–perhaps a little padding on the floor is in order. Also, this will obviously, serve as a great western focal point decoration. When not in use, you could dress up your bull with a fun western cowboy hat decorated with flowers and flowing ribbons.

Line And/or Square Dance – Hire a line dance and/or square dance teacher and have all of your guests learn how to kick up their heels in style. Then you can allocate a portion of the evening to dancing.

Lasso – Set-up an area with a “cow head” for your cowpokes to practice their lassoing skills. You can also turn it into a competition and award prizes.

Horseshoes – Set up an area for a good old-fashioned friendly game of horseshoes.

Card And Board Games – Set up tables to accommodate four people and put checkerboards and decks of cards on each table and let your guests mingle and play games at their leisure.

WESTERN PARTY IDEAS FOR FOOD

When it comes time to rustle up some grub, if you’re looking for an easy meal, serve your buckaroos chili, cornbread, and a green salad.

If you’d rather serve up the Chuck Wagon special, then opt for anything barbecue. Ribs, chicken, tri-tip, or steaks are a great start. Round out the meal with a green salad, beans, corn on the cob, and garlic bread.

About the Author: Scoot your boots and find more Western Party Ideas by visiting birthday-party-ideas-101.com, a party planning website written and edited by Professional Organizer, Elizabeth Chastain. Copyright: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links, and this copyright notice remain intact.

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