Saint Patrick was the man who introduced fifth-century Ireland to Christianity. March 17th is a day to be celebrated, and should be done in style. Follow these tips to throw a party that will make your friends and family green with envy!

The Invitation
It may be next to impossible to locate a pre-made St. Patrick’s Day party invitation, so why not just make your own? Any green pre-made blank card will do but if you want to be really creative try cutting shamrocks out of green cardstock or patterned paper using a cookie cutter as your stencil. Just cut out, write the details of your party on the front, and put in an envelope.

As with any party, be sure to send out your invitations two to three weeks in advance to ensure that your guests will be available to celebrate with you.

The Menu

From drinks to dessert, serving a green-themed menu for this holiday is a must. If you’ll be serving alcohol at your party a simple Guinness Beer with a few drops of green food coloring mixed in will do the trick. If you will be going the non-alcoholic route this recipe for St. Patrick’s Day punch will do the trick:

Combine in a punch bowl:

1 packet lime powdered drink mix (Kool-Aid)
1 cup Sugar (if using the regular Kool-Aid; skip if using sugar free)
1 2-liter bottle of 7up, chilled
24 ounces Pineapple juice, chilled
2 quarts water

After mixture is fully combined, drop a few scoops of lime sherbet into mixture and serve. Yields approximately 10 servings.

In addition to green beverages, you’ll need to make green foods too. Corned beef and cabbage is a St. Pat’s staple, but here are a few other simple ideas to add some green to your party:

Celery, asparagus, green peppers, and broccoli –serve with avocado dip
Frosted green cupcakes-you can even let your guests decorate them
Deviled eggs –just add a little food coloring to the yolks when combining
Mashed potatoes-add food coloring when mashing, making sure that the color is green-not gray!

The Table

Once your food is prepared you’re going to need a great place to put everything. A solid green or shamrock-covered tablecloth will ensure an easy cleanup for you and a pretty base for all your hard work as well. Go green here too, adding in plates and cups and even utensils in this hue. Spread gold coins across the table to represent a pot o’ gold and a few shamrock stems (you can find these at your local craft store) and your table will be something to remember. You can serve your food formally or buffet style-whatever you like!

Final Touches

Use green netting (such as tulle) and a little green ribbon to tie up various green candies in a favor your guests will love to take home. Add a few helium-filled balloons in various shades of green around your space and you’ll be ready to party!