DIY 'Mad Men' Themed Party

If you want to host a party that is Doris Day meets film noir, "Mad Men" could be just the perfect theme for you. The television series "Mad Men" embodies the hard drinking, chain smoking, non-hippy 60s days of excess like little else. For the upper middle class, the clothes were stylish, the decor was sleek and fluid, the cocktail hour was de rigueur and the smoky haze could almost have been sliced with a knife. Give a nod to each of these things and your party theme should be a hit.

Invitations All you need to make killer invites to your "Mad Men" party is a pack of postcard card stock, a good printer, and decent straight line-cutting skills. Find a stylized picture of an image that fits the theme. A martini, a woman in a 60s kerchief scarf, a round-edged television set or just the logo from the show itself will work great. Print the picture on half of each card and the details for the party on the other half.

Cocktails Obviously, martinis were big around the 60s. Another popular drink trend back then was beverages geared specifically for women, like the Pink Lady, as opposed to more "manly" drinks which was pretty much any alcohol served straight and on the rocks. No "Mad Men" party would be complete, however, without the availability of the "Don Draper!"

Costumes For the women, anything Doris Day or Jackie O would have worn, such as knee length or shorter dresses, sleeveless tops with cigarette pants, and slim skirt suits. For the men, suits, suits and more suits, topped with fedoras. The occasional turtleneck will not go amiss, either. The men should slick their hair back and the women should put theirs into flips, ponytails or beehives.

Favors Since smoking has fallen much out of favor since the 60s, you are unlikely to have many guests wanting to light up for real, even if you use the same herbal tobacco-less kind they use for the show. You can still give the smokiness of the show a nod by passing out boxes of candy cigarettes to your guests, so that they have something to take out of that stylish cigarette case they used to spruce up their costume.

Decor A quick trip to a thrift or Goodwill store is usually all it takes to acquire some cheap 60s furniture to help add to the ambiance of the evening. Whatever party food you are having will taste better when served off of Tupperware and brightly colored casseroles dishes. In fact, a nice Jell-o mold and a casserole or two will look right at home on your faux 60s buffet table.