Last-Minute Super Bowl Party Décor

Everything I'm using I either had on hand in my home or purchased at a supermarket or drugstore within radius of my house, to drive home the point that you really can do this at the eleventh hour and without buying Astroturf.

You decided to throw a Super Bowl party? Within a few days before game day? At zulily we love entertaining for the entire family -- minus the stress. So let's tackle this creatively and affordably...and most importantly have FUN!


1. Field Goal Game
What you need: colored masking tapes or washi tapes, scissors, small foam football or bean bags, wall, black plastic tablecloth (optional)
Set up: 15 minutes
This is a great pre-game warm up to kick things off with your guests that partygoers of all ages can enjoy.

Find an empty wall of your party room and using masking tapes, make different sized field goals on the wall. I used Scotch Expressions colored masking and washi tapes -- to designate the two teams playing (light green for Seahawks, blue for Patriots) orange for the smaller goals and red for the big goal. Just for fun, I printed out some city silhouettes so you can see we really are playing football from sea to shining sea this Super Bowl! The large goal is worth 1 point, the team goals are worth 3 points each and the small orange goals are worth 5 points respectively.

Each person stands behind the line of scrimmage determined by a masking tape placed on the floor a good distance away from the wall, and gets 30 seconds to use small foam footballs or bean bags (or any small, soft chotchke you have at home) to hit THE CENTER of the field goal to accrue points. The Scotch tapes are easily removed from the wall at game's end.

If you're worried about damaging your wall, you can first drape and tape a black, plastic tablecloth on your wall and then affix the aforementioned field goals to the tablecloth; you may also choose to use a lighter ball like a ping-pong ball.

2. Game Play Tablecloth
What you need: white sticker paper, pencil, scissors, blue plastic tablecloth (these two teams share a common color of blue this Super Bowl)
Set up: 30 minutes
Spread the blue tablecloth across your table. Taking one sheet of white sticker paper, cut into 2.5" x 3" rectangles. Using a pencil, eyeball outlining and "X" and an "O" on two of the rectangles, cut these out and use as templates to make a total of four of each letter.

In the center of your tablecloth or prominent display area (like the center side of the tablecloth that drapes down), map out and adhere your "X" and "O" team into a football play, using additional sticker scraps and creativity to make it look real. Additional sticker papers can be used for other plays amidst your serving dishes as space allows. If you have a big enough table, go for all 11 players on each team!

3. Spirited Cups
What you need: plastic party cups in team (Patriots) and green (Seahawks), tape or a glue stick, scissors, a printer and paper, markers, optional: silver-striped straws...both teams share the color silver
Set up: depends on how many cups you need, but approximately 20 minutes
We all want/need to stay hydrated for the Big Game, but losing track of your plastic party cup amidst the excitement and a sea of sippers is all too common--and a waste. Make it easier for your guests with custom game-day logos that you print and cut out (leaving room for guests to write their name): attach with tape or a touch of glue, whichever makes your label lie more smoothly.

4. Penalty Flag Napkins
What you need: large yellow paper dinner napkins, curly ribbon or tape, small wrapped chocolates
Set up: 20 minutes
Yellow referee penalty flags (pictured) are typically weighted at one end. So, we weight ours - a yellow, paper dinner napkin by placing a small wrapped chocolate in the middle, tying the napkin around it with a white curl ribbon or securing it with tape and standing these at attention at one end of the table.

5. Whistle Stop
What you need: bunch of whistles on lanyards, glass bowl
Set up: 1 minute
Nothing gets guests in game mode faster than when they get to call the shots. Have a bunch of whistles in a glass bowl with lanyards hanging over the rim on a table and encourage guests to grab one as they enter the party. Today's the day they get to play referee and really unleash their spirit!

6. Interactive Pom Pom Bowls
What you need: pom poms, bowls
Set up: less than 1 minute
Use any pom poms you may have, though what you see pictured are rooter poms with long sticks and long poms akin to what fans use in the stands. In the first picture, they are placed in a goldfish bowl or equivalent, allowing the handle to stick out with the pom pom flowing over all sides. In the second picture they are standing upright tall in a vase, and the cheerleading pom is so full it simply sits on the table in a circular poof. Have these dotted throughout your food table at varying heights for a pop of color. This is decorative but as the game heats up, guests may grab them and put them to use too!

To see this décor in action alongside Super Bowl food ideas, watch this Today Show segment.