[shaggywdc]

Last year I did a Dantes Inferno themed party, and it went way better than expected. It was my first year hosting and decorating (something I've always wanted to do). I put a lot of time and money into my decorations, and I got a lot of praise for it. Despite how great my rooms looked, the night ended in just a lot of drunken shenanigans.
At first I was a little frustrated. We didn't get to the games, and it was just a really big excuse to drink a lot. After a while I realized that that's okay! My friends had a great time, they want me to do it again this year, and I loved decorating!

So here is my idea. I'm going to stop fighting the current, and give them what they want...(early stage alcholism). My wife came up with the idea of "Drunks of the round table". I loved her cleverness, and i've been brainstorming decorations. I know I want to transform my living room into castle walls, and I have a lot of the fake torch things (gotta love post Halloween shopping). We also plan on having people bild lances out of beer cans (hence the name) and don stupid armor to joust outside (need to consider safety a bit more).

Any other ideas. I want to appease my friends, but I don't want to give up my new found love for decorating. How can I incorporate Medieval settings, creepy halloween, and apparently adult drunken shenanigans?

Thanks for the help!

 

[ooojen]

A lot depends on how much time and money you're willing to invest. You can use Scene Setter rolls to make your walls into stone castle walls. You could carve and paint foam panels to look like stone walls. You could even go with vacuum-formed panels, but, I'm thinking in this case, that might be pearls before swine... (heehee)
A few random potential elements:
Shackling a skeleton or two, dressed in tattered clothing-- always good for a dungeon area (especially if you can hang them on the walls.) I like the occasional rat chewing on a stray bone in the corner.
If you start looking early you might find a sale on some red, purple, or black curtains, sheets, or other fabric you could drape and pull back beside doorways and windows for a Regal look.
There is some pretty good inexpensive Medieval partyware available at Oriental Trading Co. or Party City-- goblets, plates, banners, etc.
A reaper prop goes well with a Medieval setup, and if it's late Medieval to Ren. (or if you're not concerned about anachronism) plague doctor props-- quite eerie.
Shields and crossed swords hanging on the walls add to the atmosphere. A few Dollar Tree items and a couple cans of spray paint can go a long way there!

Google and Pinterest can be very helpful for planting seeds of ideas, and you can sort through them based on how much you want to invest in your party.

A side note, since you have some pretty reasonable concerns about drunken friends and safety--
I've given 2 Medieval parties and I can say that even modest drinkers love to attack one another with modified pool noodles. We used them for quarterstaffs (knocking one another off slightly raised "bridges"), for jousting lances, and shortened ones for broadswords. No one got any serious injuries, but they definitely got into it.

Have fun!

 

[shaggywdc]

Hey good ideas.
I started my avid pinteresting today. I like the shackled skeleton idea, and the regal curtains. Also, pool noodles will probably make much better swords than beer cans.
Thanks for the time.

 

[printersdevil]

Make some armor out of the anti-fatigue mats at Harbor Freight or similiar places. Looks so real. I agree with using pool noodles.

Also if it is the round table, you must have Merlin, the Wizard Magician!!!! (I am into wizards this year)

 

[ooojen]

Oo, yeah, Merlin! Good idea! Why didn't I think of him?!

 

[offmymeds]

Oriental Trading has inflatable swords for 10.99 dz. they also have "gold tone crowns" for 2.90 dz. May be something fun for a treat bag, or just for your guest to wear around.
Also Dollar Tree has foam swords. 36.00 for the case and you can have it shipped to store for pick up

You can always play Tempt your Fate, it can be a good drinking game.