My daughter recently turned 16, and we wanted to have a party. It was a last-minute thing, and we pulled it together beautifully. She and her 15 friends, comprised of Band and Guard kids, enjoyed the Black Light Room and the Sweet Candy (Affiliate Link) Bar. We incorporated gluten-free and dairy-free snacks for the few kids with issues. And, of course, I could then enjoy the festivities without worrying about consequences the next day. =) This post shows How I planned and decorated her glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) Sweet 16 party.
We could have done one theme, but what's the fun in that? Instead, we had two party themes: a play on words theme related to Sweet 16 by creating a huge "Candy (Affiliate Link) Bar" AND a Blacklight room activity that allowed the kids to have fun with neon colors and paints. Now, let me show you how we created this fabulous party theme. We called it "Marina's Sweet 16 Glow in the Dark Party"!
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First, we started out by getting the stuff for the black light room. We purchased many of these from Amazon (Affiliate Link), but the Dollar and party supply stores were also helpful. We found many bracelets, wands, and necklaces there and some adorable candy (Affiliate Link) dishes and bowls for the Candy (Affiliate Link) bar.
Sweet 16 party idea
Below is a black light we purchased from Amazon (Affiliate Link).
Black Light Bar 150W LED Glow Party 5 ft cord
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Then, when everything came, we could assemble the items and see what we had. It was entertaining to go through the house with the black light to see what would glow in the dark. Did you know that Tonic water glows in the dark? It doesn't taste great, but it sure looks cool.
How to Decorate For A Party
We then set up the buffet tables and started prepping the arrangement. We created a menu that displayed on the table all the items we had on the candy (Affiliate Link) bar, complete with whether they were Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free, so no one had any questions about what they could eat.
My daughter made cupcakes (I'm not the baker in the family =) ) and iced them. She used them to make the number sixteen on the table. Doesn't it look cute? The tier to the right holds more vanilla cupcakes, and the top level has the mini cakes for gluten-free kids. Some cupcakes are gluten-free on them. I used the large muffin liners to keep each piece from touching the other pieces.
How to create a candy bar for your next party
To create the candy (Affiliate Link) bar, we found plastic champagne glasses at Marshall's and filled them will movie candy (Affiliate Link) we bought from the grocery store. We picked all types of candy (Affiliate Link) so it looked colorful and would fit in the glasses. I love it when a table displays different heights, so these glasses did the trick.
We also added chocolate brownies because who doesn't like chocolate? I cut them and placed them in cupcake liners. We added mini wafer cookies as well, just because I had them. To make another tier, I used double-stick tape and turned a plastic cup over, and added two plastic dollar store trays to the top and bottom. It worked great, and I removed it without issue after the party.
I had some small glass dip bowls to add to the other candy (Affiliate Link) we bought. The types of candy (Affiliate Link) we added were M&Ms, Dots, Sourpatch Kids, Skittles, taffies, mini Reese's cups, bubble gum balls, Jelly beans, and gummy bears. They look gorgeous when they are gathered together.
How to Create a Glow in the Dark Room
Now, on to preparing the Glow in the Dark Room. We used our garage. And, since we made the party start close to 7 pm, it was prime time for the room to get dark. The little 24 inches of black light eliminated the entire room. As you can see, we hung a white paper ball from the ceiling, which looked like a disco ball. My daughter made up two (one you can see in the picture below) selfie glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) frames. The selfie frame below had a woven battery-wired light throughout the outer edge, and she used glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) paint so it would pop in the picture. The kids enjoyed taking photos with it. The image below is the aftermath of the party. lol
The Glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) buffet table was filled with necklaces, glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) bubbles, glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) wands, glasses, and bracelets. They could even make balls and balloons, too.
I used a neon marker and labeled the paper plates so they could see what each was in the dark. It seemed to work, and most items were used or taken home with the kids.
How to Make Glow in the Dark Sweet 16 Party Favor Gifts
Now, on to the favor gifts. I decided to make it easy this year. I found cotton candy (Affiliate Link) bins that were on sale for $1.00 each at the craft store. Woo hoo. So, I printed out a round label (Affiliate Link) on full sheet labels (Affiliate Link) after I wrote "Thank you for coming to Marina's Sweet 16 Glow in the Dark party" on them and attached them to the top. Don't they look cute? Again, by turning some of them upside down, I could raise up the gifts.
Cotton Candy (Classic Pink & Blue Blend, 12 Count)
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
The party was a huge success, and it did take us time to set it up and get everything, but it was something my daughter and I appreciated the time we spent together to share with her friends and family. I hope this glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) Sweet 16 Party idea helps you get inspired to have a party and share your home with your family and friends.
Here's more information on glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) parties Glow-in-the-Dark Party Ideas
Checklist
Here is a checklist (Affiliate Link) to help you. Feel free to share it on Pinterest so others can use it, too!
First, determine how many people you want at the party. Will there be family and friends or just your daughter's friends?
1. Find a dark space, like a garage or basement, for the black light and the number of invitees.
2. What glow-in-the-dark items do I want to buy?
- black light unit (Amazon (Affiliate Link) Affiliate Link)
- glow sticks necklaces (Amazon (Affiliate Link) Affiliate Link)
- glow sticks bracelets (Amazon (Affiliate Link) Affiliate Link)
- glow sticks wands (Amazon (Affiliate Link) Affiliate Link)
- glow sticks glasses (Amazon (Affiliate Link) Affiliate Link)
3. Create a food area (candy bar, cake area, etc.) and decide on the candy you want to buy.
Pick small, easy-to-grab candies. You do not need a lot. These candies can also be used as toppings for ice cream sundaes or ice cream bars. Below are the ones we used for candy (Affiliate Link). Below are all Amazon (Affiliate Link) Affiliate Links - if you buy something, I will receive a small commission from them. Thank you.
- M&Ms
- Dots
- Sourpatch Kids
- Skittles
- Taffies
- Mini Reese's cups
- Bubble gum balls
- Jelly beans
- Gummy bears
- Cotton candy
Does your food need to be gluten-free or dairy-free?
- Buy cupcake liners to help you create single-serve items.
- Buy cake or cupcakes.
Decide on what to do for food.
Ask your daughter what their favorite food is and create a meal for the guest around that food. Below are options for food the kids love.
- Pizza
- Pasta and sauce - a pasta bar with different sauces?
- Burgers and hot dogs
- Taco bar - This is how I created a taco bar for my family gathering.
What activities will the kids be doing?
What activities do you want the kids to do during the party? This will keep them busy and out of trouble.
- Selfie frame
- Glow-in-the-dark (Affiliate Link) washable body paint
- Crayons, markers, or paint that glows in the dark so they can draw pictures while they are in the dark.
I hope this checklist (Affiliate Link) helps you plan an unforgettable Sweet 16 party.
Need help organizing a large party? Check out our FREE checklists to arrange a LARGE party.
If you wish to visit our other theme parties, please feel free to see them below.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Below are some more party-planning ideas and recipes!
Linda Samuels says
From your description, it sounds like you had as much fun thinking about and preparing for the party as your daughter and friends had AT the party. That's wonderful! So often we can get so stressed out when planning for the good stuff that it can take away from the joy. I love the two themes you came up with to make a very special party for your 16-year old daughter. Steve and I always enjoyed making themed parties for our daughters. Your post brought me back to those great memories.
Seana Turner says
Well how fun!! What a lucky girl to have such a fun Mom. I can picture the girls having a wonderful time. I never thought of a "glow in the dark" party, but I can see how fun it would be. I have memories of going into the back of a store called "Spencer" when I was in school. They had a black-lit room, with various objects you could swirl around.. fond memories:)
Sabrina Quairoli says
I remember the Spencer store when I was a kid. =)
The kids had such a great time. The glow in the dark body paint was a huge success. Mixing creative projects with glow in the dark products is a recipe for success in our house. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.