I apologize if I’ve thrown the word LOVE around too much for any previous party, but when it comes to parties… I absolutely truly and deeply LOVE me a good roller skating party! So much so I even demanded one for my birthday 2 years ago… and will again soon, trust me. :)
Of course, a Roller Rink Party doesn’t have to be roller skates, it could easily be rollerblades, but something about roller skates really hits home in the nostalgia department, which is also why I love making it retro styled. You can make it modern if that’s your preference, or do a mixture! I love mixing a retro, vintage feel with some modernism via blacklights and glow products.
So first things first - the rink. Since your local Skate World or roller rink is not currently an option during quarantine, there are many ways you could make a roller rink at home! An unfinished basement, flat driveway, or cul-de-sac would work great. In this tutorial, I used the party base as the garage, and had it spill into the driveway. I chose to concentrate the decor into one corner of the garage, versus sparsely decorating everywhere, but a few more fringe curtain sets could have completed the wall, or just use string lights (or Christmas lights) to add instant ambiance to the rest of your garage. You could even outline the section of your driveway that will serve as the “rink” with lights.
If you keep your garage door up, it will most likely become a dream to hang things from!
Finalizing your rink is very important, but coming in at a close second- the outfit. I feel like retro socks are a must, and scored these socks at Justice. I bought enough for all the attendees, told them to wear shorts or leggings, and gave each guest a pair as part of their favor, and it really made the photos super adorable!
Bombers, athletic shorts, and high socks are a classic go to, or bright spandex leggings or shorts and an oversized sweatshirt/top also work great. A quick “retro roller skating outfit” Pinterest search will give you lots of options.
If you have time and patience, customizing roller skates is a great present to gift the birthday boy or girl that could help them feel extra special at their party! I came to learn about customizing skates with ModPodge & glitter when I exhausted my search for cute kids roller skates that didn’t cost hundreds of dollars.
I bought a basic white pair from my local roller rink (I will include some online retailers below), bought some colored laces, and got to customizing in the birthday girl’s favorite colors. You basically mix ModPodge and glitter and apply with a paintbrush in coats until you achieve your desired color. I wanted to do each skate half fuchsia and half orange, and used painters tape to make clear lines.
When completed, I added some vintage broaches to complete the look, but you could even hot glue gun any embellishment. Old Christmas bows also look adorable on skates and add a lot of whimsy!
I added some glow-in-the-dark glitter embellishments to the skates and they lit up pretty well!
Speaking of glowing… if you can host your event in an enclosed garage or at night, swap out your regular bulbs for blacklight/UV bulbs and you will have yourself a proper glow affair!
I recently did a Glow-in-the-Dark Neon Dance Party, and many of those concepts can easily transfer over to a skating party.
One of my favorite purchased elements were these color changing LED balloons. I’ve only seen these white balloons sold individually at Party City for $0.99/balloon, but you could hang these color changing punch balloons from the garage or ceiling like lanterns. You could also easily achieve this look by putting a glow stick inside a latex balloon.
I also think these glow in the dark plates/cups/utensils were a great addition and were made well and sturdy enough to be reused (they don’t come with napkins).
Light up crowns were a hit, and glow in the dark body paint were both super fun and an additional activity or station that can take place during the party.
White and neon decor illuminates best if you are going the glow route! Mylar and foil.. not so much.
Now for the cake! This cake was made for a frosting-averse birthday girl, and layers were connected with a crushed oreo chocolate ganache, and served with a dollop of whip cream (vanilla ice cream would be ideal, but we didn’t have freezer access at this venue). I lucked out on a post-Christmas sale and got these roller skate ornaments from Papyrus 70% off!
As always, please pay close attention to all CDC and governing guidelines to assure your fête is safe for all! If you try this party at home, please tag/hashtag @feteandfinery! I would love to see your pictures!
Items in stock as of 4/25/20 and shipping within 1 week:
Toddler Rainbow Striped Tube Socks - Etsy
Glow in Dark Plating/Cups/Utensils
Martha Stewart Mylar Chandelier (Silver)
Light Up Balloons (Multicolor)
We are in this fight against Coronavirus together, even though we are apart. Until it’s safe for us to gather & celebrate together in-person, there are still ways to make life’s many special moments and milestones special and uniquely yours. For more Party-in-Place free tutorials, click the images below:
