Brilliant Ideas: How to Throw a Star Trek Party

Trekkies have been playing on this theme for decades, but with the release of the Star Trek movie it is now acceptable, even cool, for members of the general public to hold Star Trek parties!

On the cheap, you can create a generic "space" theme as your backdrop. Cut out star and comet shapes from construction paper and tape to the walls (if you're feeling really saucy, blacken the walls with dark colored paper first). Use tennis balls, foam balls (super cheap at craft stores), or any other balls you fancy for planets- paint them and hang them from the ceiling with ribbon or string. If you're feeling particularly wild, you could use cardboard boxes adorned with your drawings of buttons, switches, and screens to emulate the instrument panels on the bridge of the Enterprise. Place these along some of the walls.

Serve cookies in the shape of moons and stars - or just let them be circles and dust them with colored sugar crystals to make them look like different planets. If you serve crackers and cheese, cut the cheese (no, not like that) in to moon and star shapes.

Serve things you normally would but call the dishes something new, like "Spaced Out Salad" or "James T. Pork" (that last one may or may not be the name of an adult film star - I do not know).

Serve punch with dry ice in the bowl for cool, smoky effects. For a really out of this world cocktail, try the following:

Bailey's Comet

Butterscotch Schnapps

Bailey's Irish Creme

Goldschlager

Float on top: Sambuca

Light on fire and sprinkle with cinnamon to see the tail sparkle! (see video below)

You may want to start with these and switch to something less fiery once you've had a few.

Remember not to let your spaced-out guests drive home!

No Star Trek party would be complete without character costumes. Klingons, and Vulcans, and Borg - oh my!

The host/hostess MUST dress up! A woman can easily throw together an Uhura costume with a short dress, high boots, and a poufy hairdo. Captain Kirk (or any of the subsequent captains, for that matter) can be replicated by donning slim-fitting black slacks, black shoes, and a solid color shirt. Top them off with communicator pins and you're good to go. You can fashion a faux communicator out of paper, cardboard, foil, or whatever you can think of - or pick up a 'real' one from Amazon.

You can really go all out and score an official Star Trek uniform from Amazon below (use it again for Halloween). You're gonna look so cute!

 Make sure to create a cool playlist chock full of as many spacey songs as you can think of. "Space Cowboy," "Ground Control To Major Tom," and "Rocket Man" are just a few to get you started.