The Super Bowl is probably the most watched sporting event of the year in the United States.
Whether your favorite team is playing or not, watching the football game and fun commercials with friends is a great reason for a party.
Here are a few tips for decorating your home (or any other location) for a Super Bowl party.
photo courtesy of djanimal flickr.com/photos/7292738@N06/14685101108/in/photostream/
Who is Invited?
First, figure out who is attending.
Will there be kids?
Will there only be people there to focus on the game, will there be people who are coming to party and don't even know which teams are playing, or both?
Be careful inviting die hard fans of opposing teams to your party so you don't turn a fun occasion into a tense situation.
Food
Food is probably the most important aspect of your Super Bowl decorations because everyone expects to eat at a party.
Yes, food can be decorative.
You can serve food and drinks that are the colors of the football team that you hope wins.
You can make a cake in the shape of a football.
Potato skins, homemade pretzels, deviled eggs, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, meat loaf, bean dip, and many other foods can be made to look like a football.
If you want something a little fancier, consider making chocolate dipped strawberries and decorating the chocolate with white chocolate to look like a football.
You can make a tablecloth out of Astroturf to look like a football field.
The napkins and plates can also be your favorite team's colors.
If you are not hoping a particular team wins, consider dividing your food serving table into 2 sections, one side with food and drinks in the colors of one team and the other side in the colors of the other team.
If you only have a few of your closest friends attending that are very focused on the game, a little food decor may be all you need.
If you have a medium to large group of friends coming over to party, then you should spend a little more time and effort on your decorations.
Television
The television will be the focal point of any Super Bowl party.
If possible, move TVs from the private rooms in your home (bedrooms, office, etc) to the public areas of your home so the game can still be watched in the kitchen, on the back porch, in the garage, or wherever the party might expand.
Feel free to decorate around the television with streamers, pennants, or whatever else is festive, just make sure to not cover the screen in any way.
If not everyone there will be focused on the game, make another area of your home available for those people to socialize without disturbing the football fans.
Fun Decorations
You don't have to use boring store bought Super Bowl merchandise as decorations.
Super Bowl parties are about having fun, so add some fun decor to your party.
Consider getting yellow bandanas, cloth napkins, or handkerchiefs for your guests to throw if there is a bad call.
You can also decorate with pom poms for the kids (or adults) to use when their team scores.
Don't forget to welcome people to your party with a door sign or maybe some decorations on your mailbox.
Clothing
Yes, clothing is part of your home's decorations because you are in your home.
You don't have to buy a football jersey, but it would be nice to wear clothes that are the color of your favorite team.
If you are not hoping a certain team wins, perhaps you can dress in colors of one team and your spouse can wear the colors of the other team.
You can even dress in something more fun and unique, such as a tutu or feather boa in your team's colors.
