Do • Hand out funky accessories to the guests like masks, caps and colourful wristbands • Organise fun games like hitting the can, darts and hoopla • Get a tattoo artiste to paint pictures on your guests • Get a fortune-teller or a palmist and see the crowd queueing up to know the future • Organise a few contests to keep the action alive

What makes or breaks a party? ?The crowd,? some would suggest. ?Music and food,? would be the verdict from others. But even as a host does her best to give the guests what they want, there often arises a need (especially in a large party with an eclectic mix of people) to have some other trappings that will keep all involved through the course of the evening.

From the popular options of body tattooing to engrossing games, most grown ups love to play. Apart from the activities, another way to jazz up the bash and hold the crowd?s attention is to hand out interesting party favours. These can be in the form of whacky masks, caps, wristbands and just about anything that will add a dash of funk. The trick to ensure people keep talking about your do is to have something exciting for everyone to take back home and remember your party by.

Sporty act

There is a rowdy child in all of us and it just takes a few games to bring it out. The most simple games prove the biggest hits with big boys at a party. ?Even at corporate events, clients ask organisers to put up a few games and a large part of the crowd actually takes active interest,? explains event manager Riya Mitra.

While easy-to-set-up games would be hitting the can, hoopla and darts, one can also hire airguns for balloon shooting. Getting a vendor from the numerous roadside balloon shooting stalls to set up a board of balloons and a few airguns will cost around Rs 500 for the evening. A set of cans, hoopla and a dart board can be set up without any professional assistance. All one needs is to get the ingredients of the game together and set it up. A few gifts and hoopla rings, cans and a cricket ball for the can games and a board and darts are the requirements. If you can spare some space, then a game of musical chairs also promises loads of fun, silly as it may seem to some.

Tattoo talk

For the younger lot who want to take a bit of the fun home, organising a tattoo corner is a good idea. Though the evolved partygoer is sure to snub such a measure, one can organise a tattoo artiste for the more daring ones. Stay away from the permanent kind, go for a pro who will paint on images of your guests? choice, or in keeping with the theme. Arms, faces and mid-riffs will leave happier than when they walked in, and only lighten your wallet by a further Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000.

Future funda

A blast of a party makes guests do things they would otherwise avoid like the plague. Getting palms read and fortunes told is one such thing. A few pegs down and be sure to see your friends coming up with the funniest of questions to astrologers and palmists. Though one can never be too sure of the authenticity of the predictions, their rattling adds to the fun nonetheless. Funding either a palmist or a tarot card reader for the evening would cost between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000.

Cool contests

In the early part of the evening, depending on how sporting your pals are, suggest a sculling competition (gulping down a drink at one go), but only if your bar is piled high enough. Rasogolla-eating competitions might also hit the sweet spot.

Final bill

How much money you have to cough up will depend on the number and kind of trappings you organise to entertain your guests.While a single game can cost as low as Rs 500, a combination of the various activities can even add up to Rs 10,000.