Arabian Nights Party

 Here’s some advice and tips for holding an Arabian Party that your guests will surely love.

Invitations

Send out initiations in the shape of a genie’s lamp. You can do this easily by folding a sheet of gold or yellow paper in half and cutting it in the shape of a lamp. Make sure the fold is at the base of the lamp so that it folds out neatly.

Make the invites fun by granting the guests 3 wishes…
Below is an example of what you might write.

1st wish – They have been granted an invite to the party.
2nd wish – They have been granted delicious food and gifts.
3rd wish – They have been granted lots of fun!!

Costume Suggestions

There are many costumes you can wear for an Arabian theme. Think of characters like Aladdin, sheiks, Lawrence of Arabia, genies, and more.

Buy cloth to use as a headdress and robe and make a fake Scimitar sword using cardboard and foil.

Decorations

Holding the party in the backyard is perfect for an Arabian feel if you set tents out like an encampment.

Give the house the feel of a tent by hanging sheets from the ceiling and draping them down to the walls. Hang cloths in the doorways also.

Set an Arabian mood by placing oil lamps about. Make a large sitting area using throw rugs and cushions. You could use incense to give the room a smoky Opium Den look.

Try to play Middle Eastern music for the night. You might be able to find a radio station that plays this.

Food Suggestions

Use empty wine bottles and decorate them with paint and toy jewels to make Genie Bottles to serve drinks from.

Make a punch using blue liqueur or food dye and try to decorate the punch bowl as an Oasis. Scatter sand about the bowl and make a small fake palm tree to stand behind it.

Have snacks and food set in small canvas bags lined with napkins. Use sand to scatter about the bags and surround them with toy jewellery and chocolate coins to look like Aladdin’s treasure.

Serve exotic food and large meat platters. Offer Turkish breads and a huge collection of dips.

Games & Activities

Hiring a Belly Dancer for the party is an ideal way to capture the Arabian mood.

Belly Dancers are more popular than ever these days, so you should have no trouble finding one in your local area.

There are many Petting Zoos and animal hire companies that cater for parties. See if you can find one that can loan a camel for the day!

For inspiration try using the following films and themes:

I dream of Genie
Lawrence of Arabia
Ishtar
Aladdin
Arabian Nights
Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves