The 1950s were a fun era of rock n’ roll, diners and dancing, so why not incorporate all of this into one party? Add a 50s theme to any celebration, whether it’s a special occasion or just because. If you or someone you know is turning 50 or 55, a 1950s theme may be the perfect theme to add to the birthday party! Transform your party space into an old 1950s diner, serve diner delights and dance the night away with friends. Use these 50s party ideas to get you started!

Create a 50s diner look with black and white checkered decorations.

 Because most diners in the 1950s had black and white checkered tile floors, you can incorporate black and white checkered decorations into your party décor. Begin your decorating process with a scene setter. Place a rock n’ roll 50s scene setterover an open wall in your party space. This scene setter may also serve as the backdrop for a photo booth! Just be sure you have a few fun props handy. If you don’t want a scene setter covering up most of your wall space, you can stick 50s theme cutouts onto the walls. These cutouts come in a variety of shapes, such as vinyl record, a car, music notes and more! They’ll fit perfectly with your 1950s theme.

To really create the 1950s diner setting, add a carhop cutout onto one of the walls in your party space. In another area, stick soda shop table props onto the walls. And no 1950s party is complete without a jukebox, so position a jukebox cardboard standup somewhere in your party space!

Finally, add a few hanging decorations to your party space. Since vinyl records were the way of listening to music during this decade, hanging record decorations from the ceiling makes for an adorable addition to your party décor! Hang pink and blue record swirl decorations, or make your own using plastic records and some ribbon. You can also add a few rock and roll paper lanterns into the mix. Hang them from your ceiling, just as you did the vinyl record decorations, and they’ll coordinate perfectly with your other 1950s décor.

image via catchmyparty.com

Provide your guests with delicious diner foods.

At your 1950s party, it only makes sense to serve your guests diner-style food—plus, it makes it easier on you! Grill burger patties and lay out a few toppings for guests to add themselves, such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Offer each guest a packet of french fries, and serve milkshakes or root beer floats. Serve your snacks in red plastic food baskets with a red gingham napkin—just like they used to back then! Serve your drinks in matching solid red cups.

images via blog.hwtm.com, lovepaperpaint.com

Continue with the black and white checkered look by placing a black and white checkered table cover over your dining table or snack table. If you want to add a few table decorations, place a few banana split decorations on your snack table, or use them as a table centerpiece for your dining tables. You can also use a napkin dispenser as a centerpiece for your dining tables.  

Hand out some cool party favors to your guests.

If your guests are not arriving in costume, greet them with a few 50s party favors they can wear throughout the party. Give everyone a Back to the 50s Button they can pin onto their clothes. They can either be a “Pink Lady” or they can love “Rock & Roll.” Hand all of the ladies a black and white polka dot scarf to wear around their neck or tied around their ponytail, along with matching cat eye sunglasses. You can also gift each guest with a pair of fuzzy dice to hang from the mirror in their car.

At Windy City Novelties, it’s our hope that this article inspires you to create a fun and unique party for your loved ones. For more helpful tips on organizing your event, email our dedicated party planning experts at [email protected]. You may also subscribe to our emails for weekly party planning ideas, featured products and more at https://www.windycitynovelties.com/customer/account/create/