Ditch your boring dishes with a fall pottery party

September 22, 2009

Get your friends and their kids together and revamp your cupboards with a fall pottery party.

To protect everyone's clothing, bust out your fabric paint and iron-on lettering ahead of time and design t-shirts with each partygoer's name on the back. Designate a color to each family and cover the shirts with fall-themed designs.

Adorn the house with seasonal decorations to serve as inspiration for your guests.

Set up workstations for each family, complete with clay intended for home use and glazes in browns, oranges and yellows of the season. Hang a sign matching each family's shirt above each station.

If you're not a master potter, first research instructions for making beautiful bowls and magnificent mugs ahead of time. Compile the directions in personalized workbooks for each family.

While your new designer dishes are baking, provide everyone with other fruits of the oven. Make fall treats, such as caramel apple bars or cranberry muffins with hot cider.

Have each family pose for a picture with their artwork. After the party, place the pictures in personalized frames and send them out as thank-you gifts.