Let’s face it. The 2014 winter has been brutal. With the heavy snow and harsh winds, the idea of braving the elements for a night on the town doesn’t seem particularly appealing. And if you’re like me, you’re starting to come down with a bit of cabin fever from having to stay indoors all the time. But staying indoors doesn’t have to be boring. Along with all the brutal weather, this winter also brings the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia! So why not make the most of your time at home with a special Olympic Games Screening party? As the Olympics wind down, now is the perfect time to gather some friends and enjoy what you can until 2018!

Photo Credit: Vox Magazine
Gold Medal Moment
Before the party, give each of your guests the chance to feel like an Olympic athlete with this fun photo idea. Find an area where the lighting is good enough to take pictures and hang a flag with the Olympic logo to serve as a background. Provide some fake medals and a box of old winter sports equipment like skis, skates or hockey sticks for props. Then, give each guest the opportunity to have their picture taken. If you like, you can give prizes afterwards for different categories such as “Best Skating Pair” or “Funniest Moments in Unsportsman-like Conduct.”
Olympic Village Table Setting
Since the Olympics is all about different nations coming together, prepare snacks or appetizers that represent the different countries such as Swedish meatballs or Chinese eggrolls. (If this is an entirely adult party, feel free to serve a variety of imported wines and beers.) Don’t forget about desserts like French macarons and mini canolis. Place a postcard or mini flag by the appropriate dishes and drinks for decoration. And of course, no Winter Olympic table setting is complete without a torch centerpiece! Find a metallic bowl, urn or candle holder to serve as the base of the torch. Then, crumple some red, orange and yellow tissue paper to create “flames” and attach them to the base with tape. If you’d like to pay homage to Russia, the host country, try to find some Matryoshka (Russian nesting) dolls and arrange them around the torch.
Trophy Gift Bags
After a long evening of watching the games, why not let each of your guests go home a winner with a trophy of goodies? Purchase some inexpensive miniature plastic trophies online or at your local party store. Fill the trophy with gold and silver wrapped candy. Place the candy-filled trophy in a cellophane bag. Lastly, tie the bag with red, white and blue ribbons.
Instead of letting the winter blues get to you, go for the gold with a party to commemorate the 2014 Winter Olympics! For more event styling ideas or if you need assistance hosting your own party, feel free to contact me.
Leave a Reply