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July 9, 2011

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Chocolate Party Ideas - 7 Ways to Sweeten Any Celebration with Chocolate

Who doesn't love chocolate?! The rich sweet taste appeals to everyone from little kids to their great grandmothers. So if you're looking for that special ingredient to add something extra to your next party, why not choose chocolate? You can make it your entire party theme or just the crowning touch to your celebration. Here are seven ways you can use chocolate to elevate your party to the next level.

1. Chocolate invitations. Set the tone for your party by choosing invitations with a rich chocolate brown color scheme. It's become a trendy color in the past few years, so the invitations shouldn't be difficult to find. Add a drop of chocolate fragrance oil, chocolate scented perfume or even chocolate scratch and sniff stickers to the back of the envelope before mailing.

2. Chocolate atmosphere. Just about any candle shop will carry scented chocolate candles. Scatter small lit chocolate candles around the party for an inviting scent. Decorate with chocolate brown balloons. You can use other balloon colors to accent the brown, such as silver, gold and red. If you want to take it a step further, you can have napkins, plates and tablecloths in the same or coordinating color. Using your digital camera on macro mode, take super close up photos of candy bar wrappers or the inside of a box of chocolates. Make poster size enlargements of your candy pictures and display them at the party.

3. Chocolate fountain. This makes an elegant centerpiece and is a lot of fun. Although a word of warning, it also very messy. You can buy small chocolate fountains for a reasonable price and rent larger ones. For a cheaper alternative, consider a chocolate fondue pot. You can still dip pieces of fruit, cake, marshmallows, graham crackers and pretzels into the mixture. But since the fondue tends to be a bit thicker in consistency than the fountain chocolate, there is also less mess potential.

4. Chocolate games. If you're having an entire chocolate theme party, you might want to also include some games. Hide gourmet wrapped truffles for a sort of Easter egg hunt. You could fill a jar with M&Ms and have everyone guess how many candies it contains. The person that comes the closest can take home the entire jar as a prize. Play chocolate trivia by researching chocolate facts online. Use wrapped chocolates as game pieces for bingo or other games.

5. Chocolate tasting. You could build a whole party around this. Invite your guests to taste and rate a variety of chocolates. Break apart each bar of chocolate and display on individual plates. Make sure you label each chocolate plate with the name of the chocolate, country of origin, and anything else interesting about it. This way, your guests can distinguish between the samples, when they mark the cards you printed for their ratings. Don't forget to offer breadsticks and crackers to cleanse the palate between tastings.

6. Unique chocolate menu items. Instead of just the usual chocolate cake, how about chocolate croissants? Replace standard brownies with chocolate raspberry cookie bars. You can serve chocolate covered potato chips, white chocolate covered popcorn and chocolate dipped orange peel. Believe it or not, chocolate covered bacon is actually for sale. You don't have to go that far, but it certainly would be a conversation starter!

7. Chocolate favors. Whether you have a chocolate theme party or a regular traditional event, you can't go wrong if you send your guests home with chocolate party favors. Personalized chocolate bars are popular. The candy bar wrappers are imprinted with your message and sometimes even a photo. You can also find little mint size tins filled with gourmet chocolates with the top cover displaying a personalized design customized for the occasion. Your chocolate party favors don't have to be limited to the edible variety. You can also give away chocolate scented candles, lip balm and bath beads. Or how about a funny T-shirt or magnet with a quote about chocolate?

So, the next time you plan a party, think chocolate. Whether you add just a little sweet touch to your celebration by giving your guests chocolate party favors, or pull out all the stops and throw a big chocolate theme party, your guests will be delighted.

About the Author

Linda Kling, as the owner of Photo Party Favors, has offered ideas to people planning parties and celebrations since 1992. Visit her website for more information on chocolate favors, including personalized candy bar wrappers with gourmet chocolate bars, plus free printables, party recipes, more.

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