Barbie Party Ideas for adults and teens alike to celebrate our love of pink and all things fun!
Recently I have been getting a little bored being an adult and have trying to find ways to bring fun back into my daily life.
For me, this is letting my playful side out more. So I threw Barbie party!
A Barbie Bunco to be specific, but these fun ideas can be replicated for any Barbie birthday, Barbie & Ken wedding shower, Barbie Bachelorette party or any random day you might want to rick that pink classic fun.
Yes, this party was inspired by the new Barbie movie, but it’s also because I used to love Barbie.
Who says that Barbie parties are just for kids anyways? Embracing my nostalgia and celebrating my love for the iconic doll by hosting a Barbie party was just the right idea.
I am going to assume that you are interested in throwing one of these ‘pink-tastic’ parties too since you are here. So whether it’s a birthday celebration, a bachelorette, or just a playful gathering – these Barbie party ideas are going to get that party planning ball rolling!
Dust off your childhood dreams and let’s explore how to throw a Barbie party that will be delightful.
I have everything laid out below in a way that is super absorbable and fun to look through. Because if there is anything I have learned from throwing parties is that if you don’t do it right, the number of tasks and decisions can be overwhelming.
Table of Contents
1. Set the Theme
The first step to throwing a Barbie party for adults is to establish the theme. Obviously, Barbie is going to be your overarching theme, but you can get so much more specific!
Decide on a specific Barbie era or style, such as vintage Barbie, Malibu Barbie, or Barbie career women… This will help guide your party’s overall aesthetic.
I am planning on encouraging my guests to embrace the spirit by dressing up as their favorite Barbie or Ken doll.
If you want to leave things a little more open, you can leave Barbie as the overall theme and just let everyone pick which version they want to show up as.
One thing is for certain; you are going to need a lot of pink!
I think the last time I went this overboard with a party, it was my flower themed party ideas.
2. Barbie Party Invitations
Create eye-catching invitations that reflect the theme, featuring Barbie-inspired designs and colors.
Here is the template link to the Barbie invitation I used above that you can edit, print use or make it easy on yourself and send them via text.
If you’d rather purchase already printed invitations I love these and these are cute for a birthday.
2. Pink Decorations & Nostalgic Ambiance
Now, your decorations are probably one of the most important factors in party planning. My goal is to transform my party space into a vibrant Barbie wonderland.
I’ll used mostly pink and pastel colors for tablecloths, balloons, and decor.
Incorporate Barbie dolls as decorative elements throughout the venue, placing them on shelves, and tables, and even using them as centerpieces is fun.
I snagged this fun Barbie People magazine that had posters inside to pull out and put up around the house.
Pro Party Tip: I used double sided tape to secure posters to the fronts of some of our frames making setup and cleanup a piece of cake.
Add a touch of glamour with sequins, glitter, and sparkles. Consider creating a Barbie runway for guests to strike their best poses. The list of possibilities is as endless as Barbie’s list of careers.
I used disco balls for adding a bit of fun sparkle to the party decor and tied them up with the prettiest pink velvet ribbon! I might actually never take these down.
Barbie Balloons
Want to make a major party statement without too much work, full an area with balloons!
You can do this with your mantel, bar area, serving table etc. Here are the balloons I sued for our pink barbie mantel display
- Pink bow balloons set of three
- Malibu Barbie balloon pack
- Pink pony Barbie head balloons
- Matte pink heart balloons
3. Dress Code and Makeover Station
Encourage guests to unleash their inner fashionista by implementing a dress code. Request that everyone come dressed in their most fabulous attire, channeling their favorite Barbie characters.
Set up a makeover station where guests can experiment with makeup, hairstyles, and nail art.
Provide a variety of wigs, accessories, and cosmetics to enhance the Barbie transformation experience.
4. Your Spread
Food
Believe it or not, adding some extra effort into your food choices can elevate your party by a ridiculous amount. Design a menu that complements the Barbie theme by serving bite-sized, colorful treats like mini cupcakes, macarons, and sugar cookies in the shape of Barbie dolls.
I made this beet hummus and this blackberry goat cheese spread which were both huge hits!
Create a self-serve Barbie-inspired candy bar with a range of nostalgic sweets and treats.
Drinks
Offer a variety of pink and fruity co*cktails, such as Barbie-tinis or Pink Lemonade Spritzers. I found these fun Barbie x Swoon sparkling waters, which honestly tasted too sweet for me, but looked very cute set on our bar.
This set of Barbie inspired drink stirs with her dream house, car etc on them were fun to have out for the drinks.
Toppers
I found Barbie and Ken cut outs in this Barbie magazine that I glued to the front of skewers to create a fun cake or food topper look that brought our snack spread into the party theme.
You can really make this your own, but I am telling you right now… you do not want to miss out on the opportunity to make this party an immersive experience!
For more fun party food options, check out these sweet party food ideas!
5. Games and Activities
So, everyone arrives, and everything is going well…that is, until the party hits it’s mid-hour lull. You know what I am talking about, that awkward period of time when everyone has socialized, but now there is no direction to keep the party bumping.
Well, if your Barbie party is also a bunco party like mine was this is instantly solved!
If not, you can keep the party energy high with Barbie-themed games and activities.
- Consider a Barbie trivia quiz
- A fashion show where guests showcase their outfits
- A dollhouse decorating competition
- Set up a DIY Barbie photo booth with props and costumes, allowing guests to capture memorable moments.
Obviously, you won’t need a lot of games, but at least a few.
This way, you can get everyone out of their comfort zones. Check out this candy games for partiesif you need some direction!
6. Barbie Party Favors
To finish up a Barbie Party, I had to ask myself WWBD.
What would Barbie do?
I realized that this icon would never let her guests leave empty-handed, so neither am I!
I am telling you, you MUST send your guests home with a piece of the Barbie magic. Prepare personalized Barbie-themed party favors, such as mini Barbie dolls, keychains, a tiny convertible car or customized accessories.
You could also create themed goodie bags filled with nostalgic toys and candies from the past.
I loved handing out my goodie bags, and lucky me got to keep the extras once the party was over!
7. Capture the Memories
This last tip I have is not necessarily a MUST, but I think it’s an honorable mention that deserves to be at every Barbie party if you can help it.
I am going to ensure the memories of my Barbie party last forever by designating a photographer or setting up a DIY photo booth.
My hope is that this will encourage guests to share their photos on social media using a unique hashtag, so everyone can relive the experience and connect online.
Plus, who wouldn’t love to see this pop in your memories years from now? Maybe I just can’t let go of a good thing, but I want to remember this party forever!
Okay, I think I covered everything about my pink and fun Barbie Party at home. I really hope that your Barbie party is as amazing as you want it to be. Let me know if you have any questions you need help with for planning your party.
I really want to drive home this idea: Parties can be fun from the beginning of the planning process to the clean-up afterward. So try and make the whole experience an exciting one.
I think if all of us spent a little more time connecting to what we enjoyed as kids- the world would be a much happier place. At the very least, I am noticing that I am finding more joy in my day to day.
So whatever your reason for throwing this get-together, I hope you loved these Barbie party ideas!
