• Using a mixture of different balloons can create an eye-popping effect.Balloons image by elmgrover from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  When you're sitting down and trying to plan a party, you can easily feel overwhelmed with all of the details involved. Besides the food, the guest list, and the activities, you'll need to make sure that the decorations are perfect for the occasion. Avoid associated stress by tailoring your decorations appropriately so that they can enhance the feel of the party and be one less thing to worry about.
  
  

Themed Decorations

• One of the easiest ways to come up with unique and eye-catching decorations is to create a theme and match the decorations to that theme. Of course, the theme will depend on the reason for the party. If you're throwing a harvest party for the neighborhood, you can decorate the party location with plenty of pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, cornucopias and scarecrows. At a doggy-themed birthday party for a two year old, you might tie helium balloons around a stuffed dog's neck as a decoration; for a ninety-year old's birthday party with a "When Tillie Was Born" theme, you would cover the wall with pictures of old musicians, movie stars and important historical events.
  
  

Personalized Decorations

• Personalized decorations can go a long way towards turning the focus of the party towards the people who the party is for. Whether the party is for someone's birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation or other life event, they will enjoy seeing their names and faces all over the room, demonstrating that people have come to celebrate their important milestone. You can customize balloons with names and faces, hang pictures from strings on the ceiling or plaster the walls with them, and back a large picture or collage of pictures on tagboard for party guests to sign. Even at the table, you can personalize the napkins, build the centerpieces around a picture of a bride/groom or a birthday girl or plaster the picture of the graduate on a sheet cake.
  
  

Welcome to the Party

• When you plan the decorations for a party, don't forget one of the most overlooked yet important locations to decorate--the entrance to the party location. If the party will take place at night, make sure to line the path with lights; if it will take place during the day, you can line it with balloons or draw footprints on the path (pawprints for kids' parties with a theme that involves an animal). Create a balloon arch over the entranceway, as well as a sign or banner showing that guests have come to the right place. Even if you won't be decorating this area much, at least twirl some ribbons around the mailbox or hang some balloons by the gate to show that guests have arrived at the right place.