Four tips to help you throw a fantastic murder mystery theme party
By Kelly Rockey
Murder mystery parties are fast becoming a favorite among those who love themed parties. Who can blame them, as these parties offer a delightful mix of murder, intrigue, and the thrill of figuring out “whodunnit?” We’ve found murder mystery parties are always guaranteed to be a lot of fun, and your guests will love getting into character and playing their parts as the mystery unfolds around them. Here are four great tips to help you throw an unforgettable murder mystery party.
1. Invite Guests in Style – Start your party off right by letting guests know exactly what to expect when they receive your mysterious invitation. You can create invitations yourself with a little creativity. Get some white cardstock and an ink pad and create your own fingerprint invitations. Another idea is to shape invitations into a magnifying glass shape using clear cellophane on the top covered by a white outlined circle. You can shape invitations into Sherlock Holmes’ hat, a gun, a knife, or a similar mystery-themed shape. Get creative and let your guests know right away that this isn’t any ordinary party.
2. Get Some Mysterious Decorations - Start by roping off a “crime scene” area using yellow caution ribbon and draw an outline of a body on the ground. Festoon the rest of the party area with black balloons, cobwebs, and black footprints cut out from construction paper. A great focal point is a big, old, creepy chandelier. Cover the tables with black, gray, or red tablecloths. Lay items such as magnifying glasses, ropes, candlesticks, toy guns, and toy knives on the tables as centerpieces.
3. Have the Right Music – Music is an important aspect of setting the theme of any party, and a murder mystery party is no exception. Match the music to your murder mystery theme. If your party is set in the roaring 20’s, play 20’s music. If it is set in the old west, then play old west saloon piano music. For a general murder mystery party, violin music works well to set the mood.
4. Send Guests Home with a Fantastic Favor – Make sure your guests leave happy with a small token to remember your party by. A wonderful favor idea is to set up a “mug shot” area and take a picture of each guest using a digital camera, then print those photos using your computer. Hang the “mug shots” on the wall for party goers to enjoy and send them home with your guests at the end of the night. Other great favors include magnifying glasses, flashlights, candlesticks, CD’s with music from the party on them, and mystery movie DVD’s.
With a little imagination, you can create a fun and exciting murder mystery party that your guests are sure to be talking about the next day.
This article was contributed by Kelly Rockey, who writes about Halloween costumes over at StarCostumes.com.