Note that there are specialty sites online which offer both black lights and decorations designed to glow under their light for sale.
Glow sticks are quite cheap — a pack of 25 12 hour glow sticks can cost you as low as £10. [1] X Research source
Both fluorescent paper and markers are cheap, costing only a few dollars per pack. To make sure that your decorations glow under a black light, you may want to bring a black light with you to the store to test them.
The price of a string of Christmas-style lights usually varies based on its length. For instance, 100-light strings may cost $10 or less, while 300-light or longer strands can cost upwards of $20.
As an example of what you might want to get, a pack of a dozen plastic 80s-style neon sunglasses (which look like Ray-Bans but have bright plastic sides) can sell for as low as $6 or $7.
Though it’s sometimes hard to find, glow-in-the-dark body paint isn’t usually terribly expensive — a decent-sized multicolor set is usually $20 or less.
Try to have a playlist of music picked out before your party begins. It can be fun to get together with your friends and pick out songs for your party, and when you’re done, you’ll be able to simply set your playlist on shuffle during your party and forget about it. Try to factor in the music tastes of your guests while you’re making the playlist.
“Party platters” loaded with snacks like cheese, cured meats, and crackers can usually be found pre-packaged at grocery stores. These can be quite convenient and usually cost $20 or less (depending on their size). However, your guests will also appreciate it if you prepare food for them, so it’s up to you. For your drinks, you’ll want to use cheap plastic cups, rather than glasses or other “nice” cups. Cheap plastic cups don’t have to be washed after the party and you don’t have to worry about any of your rowdy guests breaking them, making them the obvious choice. Make sure that you get enough food and drinks for everyone that’s attending.
It can be a smart idea to ask your guests to RSVP ahead of time. Doing this allows you to get an approximate head count, which will let you know how much food and drink and how many party favors to get.
Black plastic garbage bags make a great low-cost solution for covering your windows.
In addition, if you’re throwing a big party, you may want to get a noise permit to legally protect yourself. The rules surrounding noise permits vary from locality to locality. For instance, in some locations, noise permits are required for parties with more than a certain number of people. [2] X Research source
Unless you’ve got a designated DJ, you’ll probably want to keep your playlist on shuffle. Having the music stop after every song while you try to pick a new one can make things awkward for your dancers.
Access to water is especially important for party-goers who have taken ecstasy (MDMA/“Molly”) or another party drug. In addition to the inherent legal and physical dangers of using these types of drugs (which are well-documented), they can also easily lead to deadly cases of dehydration and exhaustion, so it’s important to offer lots of water and rest opportunities if this is occurring at your party. Even publications written by drug aficionados will recommend this. [3] X Research source
Confusion Dizziness/vertigo Weakness Fainting Headache Cramps Pale skin Nausea
