Western Themed Party Ideas

I’ve shared some simple and practical decorating ideas, a yummy “home on the range” menu, DIY crafts, free trail mix bag toppers, and a themed activity that will have the kids panning for gold!

Host this party outdoors in the spring, summer, or early fall according to your climate, or bring it indoors year round.

Menu

Here’s are a few easy make-ahead menu options, and if it’s a Western theme, I think beef is the obvious choice.

I suggest crockpot southwestern style chili served with corn bread on the side (just use Jiffy mix for ease). Another slow cooker option is barbecue beef sandwiches.

Another favorite choice is baked beans with ground beef served over Texas toast. It’s hearty, delicious, and all ages will enjoy it.

For the kids, serve “cowboy grub” in tin baking rounds from the dollar store. We love homemade beanie weenies with biscuits. You can round it out with carrot sticks.

Sides

Side dishes can include corn on the cob with a toppings bar to dress it up. Toppings can include flavored butters, crushed corn chips, shredded cheeses, seasonings like chili powder and lime wedges.

A potato bar is also hearty and delicious. Provide baked potatoes or mashed potatoes and let guest top them with cheese, gravy, sour cream, bacon, chives, etc. Oven roasted potatoes is a tasty alternative if you want to forego the toppings aspect.

Drinks

For the grownups, serve beer and ranch water cocktails. Or create a combo with a fantastic pitcher of beer margaritas. This is also a good party for a bourbon bar or bourbon cocktails.

For non-alcohol options serve bottles of Sarsaparilla or root beer.

Dessert

For dessert, have semi-homemade pie pops or hand pies, along with double fudge brownies.

Fill a wide-mouth jar or galvanize bucket with chocolate rocks for a grab-n-go snack.

Party Decorations

• Cover the table with a checkered tablecloth or rustic burlap. Use bandannas as napkins, and mini horseshoes for a decorative detail.
• Make rustic flower vases by wrapping empty and cleaned soup cans with plaid fabric and twine.
• Order some bails of hay to use as seating around the party space. Drape some burlap or coordinating fabric over the top for a cleaner seat.
• If this is a birthday celebration, make a diy frame to hold a photo of the guest of honor. Give it the Western flair by wrapping it with rope, and attaching it with a hot glue gun as you move around the shape of the frame.
• Bottles of soda are made adorable by wrapping “bandannas” around the bottle neck, and topping with miniature hats from the craft store.
• Use tabletop-size bails of hay to help display food. They can be used as risers to lift dishes, plus the pie pop sticks can be pushed into them for a standup display. You can also make paper food cones to hold potato chips, and press those in, too.
• Other decorative items are “tumbleweeds” that are just twig balls.

Dress Code

This theme is so easy to dress for without being uncomfortable or too kitschy. The most iconic options are cowboy hats, bandana scarves, large cowboy belt buckles, bolo ties, and of course, jeans (Wrangler brand if you want to go all in).

Plaid shirts, denim shirts, and gingham or calico print dresses are nice and easy. Fringe vests, and leather or suede pants or skirts are perfect too.

Don’t forget the cowboy boots!

Party Favors

Make an easy trail mix for take-home favors and top with a printable sign that says “happy trails to you.” Download and print the FREE toppers.

As a fun interactive alternative, set up a trail mix bar and let guest make their own combinations. Provide paper sacks or glassine bags, and use small galvanized buckets to hold the ingredients, including a variety of nuts, M&M’s, sesame sticks, raisins, and pretzel sticks.

Activities

The perfect activity for your little cowboys and cowgirls is panning for gold. Fill a kiddie pool with some sand from the home improvement store, and water. Drop in lots of rocks and “gold nuggets” – rocks that we spray painted with gold metallic paint.

• Give your guests tin pie pans from the dollar store, and let them scoop and sift the water and sand to uncover the gold. You could include a small prize for the person with the most golden nuggets at the end.

For the grownups, set up a horseshoe game on the side lawn. And the whole family can do an old fashioned sack race.