Step 1 was to make some crazy Kentucky Derby looking hats. I got my hats from a Boutique in Newport Beach, Target, and believe it or not, the 99cents Store!
The hats were really easy to make! Once you buy a plain wide-brimmed hat, you can add beautiful feathers, flowers, leaves, etc. All of these decorations can be bought at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and of course the 99cents Store! Simply tear the flowers off the stem, apply a hot glue gun toward where you want it to fit on the hat, and you're all set!
Step 2 Table decorations! To be a true Kentucky Derby party, checkered cloth, horse figurines, and red roses must be a huge part of the decorations! You can get checkered vinyl tablecloth at your nearest JoAnn's fabric, Hobby Lobby, or Wal-Mart! I got my horse figurines from a Dollar store. To get super cheap red roses, buy them at Costco!
Step 3 Food! The food prepared for a Kentucky Derby can be prepared proper, ie: tea cakes or more informal, which is the route I chose. Serving BBQ chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob, mint juleps, lemonade, kentucky bourbon balls, kentucky derby chocolate pie, shrimps and other sea foods were the perfect blend of foods and drinks I served! To top it off, I made horseshoe sugar cookies with buttercream frosting to accompany each guest at their seat!
Make sure you use your best China and silverware when serving food and drinks. For me, I wanted to jazz it up by using beautifully printed cups and plates, but it would be nice to stick to the tradition.
So there you have it! You are now ready to plan your first Kentucky Derby Party; GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY IT!
