by MeMeME

Created on: March 18, 2009

Having a manicure party is a great option for all ages and occasions- from tweens to adults, birthday celebrations to bachelorette
parties. A manicure party is a great way to relax, talk with friends, and get your nails done for free. There are just a few essentials that will ensure manicure party success, and hosting this type of gathering can be easy and inexpensive.

PREPARATION

The one thing that can ruin a manicure party is an accident, namely food, polish, or polish remover spilling on furniture, carpets, and floors. To avoid this, you can either have your manicure party outside on spread out blankets (make sure it's a blanket you don't mind getting ruined), or inside on a sheet or blanket-covered table. If you don't have any blankets, you can head to a discount shopping center or party store and buy disposable tablecloths. This is a great option because it is inexpensive (disposable tablecloths are usually less than $5 each), and you can color coordinate the tablecloth with your party's decor.

EQUIPMENT

You can't have a manicure party without nail polish- and lots of it. If you'd like, you can do a color theme such as pinks, pastels, dark polishes, or simply offer a rainbow of colors. The number of polishes you have at your party will be determined by the number of guests in attendance, and whether guests will do their own manicures or partner up and give each other manicures. If it's a solo-style party, have at least one polish available per guest; when partnering up, have at least one polish for every two guests. Nail polish can be bought for less than $1 a bottle, but can be as expensive as $20 per bottle. A cost-effective option is to ask each guest to bring at least one bottle of their favorite polish to the party, that way you're not stuck footing the bill for all of the nail polish.

Another essential is to have at a manicure party is nail polish remover. Be sure to have three bottles on hand at a minimum, at least one of those bottles being acetone-free; some people have allergies and sensitivities to this chemical. Cotton balls, paper towels, cotton swabs, nail files and buffers, nail clippers, cuticle clippers, and orange pedicure sticks are good to have on hand as well. If you want to get a bit glamorous, go to your local craft or beauty supply store and get some small rhinestones and nail glue to embellish your fresh manicures. You can also find nail design sticker sheets at most beauty supply stores.

FOOD AND DRINK

Whether or not you serve alcohol will be based on the age and preferences of your guests, but offering one or two types of mixed drinks or simply offering a bottle of wine works well. Keep water, tea, punch, or lemonade on hand for those who don't drink alcohol, and of course, never serve alcohol at a party for minors.

As far as food, small nibbles are best, such as chocolates, finger sandwiches, cookies, cupcakes, crackers and cheese, pieces of fruit, and pizza bites. You want your guests to be able to easily pick up their food in between giving and receiving manicures, so food that can be eaten without utensils is best.

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