Ideas for 40th Birthday Party Themes, Decorations and Invitations

Turning 40 can be both frightening and exciting. Any way you look at it, the 40th birthday is a memorable one. The best way to plan a 40th birthday party is to include lots of festivity and fun. Here are some great ideas to bring out the kid in any 40 year old birthday boy or girl.

40th Birthday Themes

Color themes work well for 40th birthday parties. Pair black with another color such as silver, gold or white for an elegant party. Choose all black for an "over the hill" party. Or choose multiple bright colors for a festive 40th birthday party. Pink and yellow make great color party themes for women. More masculine colors such as blue or green for men turning 40.

A retro theme is also great for a 40th birthday party. For a 70s retro party, choose hippie and disco style decorations and favors. For an 80s theme party, decorate in bright colors with plenty of bold prints or patterns. For a 90s party, decorate grunge-style with dark or dingy colors like steel or rust with lots of texture. Choose festive party music that matches the decade of your theme. For 70s, choose disco songs from Donna Summer and the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever. For an 80s party, select Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson. For a 90s party, choose grunge bands like Nirvana, Blind Melon and Better than Ezra.

40th Birthday Decorations

Get lots of balloons to match your chosen color scheme or other party theme. Also make table decorations that match your chosen theme. For a woman's 40th birthday party, make a simple centerpiece with flowers or balloons in a feminine color. To make a 40th birthday centerpiece for a man, choose something that fits his interests, such as sports, movies, cars or music. Play up the fun of a 40th birthday party, and don't be afraid to choose decorations with kids' themes or toys. Just upgrade them a bit to make them seem more grown up.

If you've chosen a retro party theme, you could create a 40th birthday centerpiece around the decade of the party. To make a 70s party centerpiece, make a disco ball by attaching small squares of glittered silver posterboard to a large Styrofoam ball with glue. To make an 80s party centerpiece, build a giant Rubik's Cube from cardboard boxes or make a large Pac Man sculpture from a round hat box. For a 90s party, put together a centerpiece with the words "Party Like It's 1999" or make a centerpiece out of Beanie Babies.

40th Birthday Invitations

You can easily design your own 40th birthday party invitations on your home computer. Just create an 8 1/2 by 11 inch document in a photo processing software program. Divide the image in half, then use the right side for your birthday party invitation design. Black is a good color for a 40th birthday party invitation, especially if you'll be making an elegant invitation or an invitation with an "over the hill" theme. You can also do a retro 70s, 80s or 90s style invitation, especially if your birthday party will be on a retro theme. You can also format your 40th birthday party invitation like a ticket stub for a concert.

Use birthday party invitation wording that emphasizes the importance of turning 40. Think of something funny or sexy to say on the front of the invitation. If you have trouble coming up with birthday invitation sayings, check out the 40th birthday party invitations online for ideas. You may also be able to find invitation wording ideas on a website with funny poems, such as PoemSource.com. Also make sure to say whether the birthday party will be a surprise.

Find more ideas by reading Beautiful Handmade Birthday Cards You Can Make Yourself and The Best Free Printable Birthday Party Invitations Online.