"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J.R.R. Tolkien
If you are planning your party on a budget, there are plenty of DIY options, such as printing a simple design on brown paper, or purchasing printable invitations.
Bring the Shire to every Middle Earth sweet-tooth with these adorable little sweet treats, that are quite simple to make. See the full step-by-step tutorial here.
To create your own invitations and decorations etc, you will definitely want to download some Tolkien fonts, as shown here.
9. Party Lights
Don't follow the lights. Bring the soft light of Middle Earth to your party, with inspiration as shown here.
10. Gandalf's Mark
Bake like Beorn, with this recipe for twice-baked honey cake that is shared here.
13. DIY Inn
Set up your own Prancing Pony or Green Dragon Inn party table, by decorating with wooden barrels, beer steins, pottery and a DIY sign.
14. Hobbit Feet DIY
"Their feet are covered with curly hair (usually brown, as is the hair on their heads) with leathery soles." - The Lord of The Rings
Follow this Frodo-worthy tutorial to create your own hobbit feet!
15. DIY Maps
Learn how to create your own Middle Earth Map, with the tutorial shown here.
16. Goblets
For atmosphere on a budget, use plastic goblets like the ones available here.
17. Find the Ring
"Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." - The Lord of The Rings
Entertain your guests with a scavenger hunt to find the One Ring!
18. Lembas Bread Recipe
"And look! More lembas bread." - Samwise Gamgee
Make your own with the above recipe. According to Legolas Greenleaf, one bite will fill a grown man!
19. Mushroom Cookies
"Hobbits have a passion for mushrooms, surpassing even the greediest likings of Big People." - The Lord of The Rings
Hobbits love mushrooms! Get the shortcut to mushrooms (well, lookalikes anyway) here.
20. Fireworks
"squibs, crackers, backarrapas, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf-fountains, goblin-barkers and thunderclaps. They were all superb." - The Lord of The Rings
If you are able, include a fireworks display at your party, just as Gandalf did to celebrate Bilbo Baggins' eleventy-one years! Sparklers are a good alternative, if fireworks are not an option.
21. Official Journey
Follow the filmmakers' lead and use these official tips for hosting a Hobbit party!
22. Elven Leaves
Create your own Elven leaves to serve your second breakfast or elevenses, by drawing and cutting your own, or download our free printable here!
23. Middle Earth Biscuits
Here are some ideas on creating your own party biscuits/cookies, for your hungry guests to enjoy for elevenses or afternoon tea.
24. Middle Earth Map Nails
We adore these Middle Earth Map nails! You can do these yourself, with DIY transfers, as shown at the Nailingtons tutorial here.
25. DIY Tauriel
You can find an awesome tutorial on a DIY Tauriel costume here.
26. DIY Hobbit-Inspired Corset
You can find an awesome tutorial on a DIY Hobbit corset costume here.
27. Mallorn Leaf Template
You can find a recipe for healthy lembas recipe and a free template for a Mallorn Leaf wrap here.
28. Middle Earth Costumes
Below are a few links to DIY costume tutorials. We hope they bring you lots of inspiration and instruction!
Kids' Hobbit costume here
Dwarf beard here
Nazgul eye makeup here
Kids' costumes here
29. Witchking Headpiece
No man can kill him! If you're a bit prone to evil, here is a full tutorial on creating your very own Nazgul Witch King mask.
30. Sew a Sting
Here is a free pattern and full tutorial on making this plush Sting!
31. DIY Elf Ears
To make your own elven ears out of Fimo clay, visit the tutorial here.
32. DIY Replica Smoking Pipe
"In fact, it has been remarked by some that Hobbits real passion is for food...a rather unfair observation as we have also developed a keen interest in the brewing of ales and the smoking of pipe-weed...." (Concerning Hobbits -Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins)
You can learn how to create a non-working replica by visiting the tutorial here.
33. Play Conkers
"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know." (Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit)
Gain some skill in the British childhood game of conkers with the tutorial here.
34. Gimli Costume DIY
"It's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men. " - Gimli
DIY a Gimli costume, using the tutorial here.
35. The One Napkin Ring
Use the One Ring as napkin ring favors for your Middle Earth guests, as shown here.
36. Troll Tag
If you are hosting a party for Middle Earth children, play a game of Troll Tag, as detailed here.
37. It Stings!
Purchase or DIY a spider pinata, and guests can "Sting" the pinata with a plastic sword until it bursts open.
38. Hobbiton Party
Create authentic Hobbiton style for your outdoor party, by decorating with lanterns, fairy lights and bunting, as shown here.
39. The One Napkin Ring
Use the One Ring as wine glass tags that your Middle Earth guests can take home, as shown here.
40. DIY Treebeard Costume
"They found that they were looking at a most extraordinary face. But at the moment the hobbits noted little but the eyes. These deep eyes were now surveying them, slow and solemn, but very penetrating. They were brown, shot with a green light. Often afterwards, Pippin tried to describe his first impression of them. 'One felt as if there was an enormous well behind them, filled up with ages of memory and long, slow, steady thinking; but their surface were sparkling with the present; like sun shimmering on the outer leaves of a vast tree, or on the ripples of a very deep lake." - The Lord of The Rings
Use the step-by-step tutorial here to DIY your own awesome Treebeard costume or decoration!
41. Free Food Labels
You can find a free download for food labels and more amazing party ideas, here.
42. Victorian Scones
"Some called for ale, and some for porter, and one for coffee, and all of them for cakes . . . A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones." - The Hobbit
Find an authentic recipe for Victoria scones here.
43. Raspberry Jam
"'And raspberry jam and apple-tart,’ said Bifur." - The Hobbit
Find an 1861 recipe for raspberry jam, as requested by Bifur, here.
44. Apple Tart
"'And raspberry jam and apple-tart,’ said Bifur." - The Hobbit
Find an 1861 recipe for apple tart, as requested by Bifur, here.
45. Bombur's Cookbook
"I am too fat for such fly-walks. I should turn dizzy and tread on my beard, and then you would be thirteen again. " - Bombur
Find awesome Middle Earth recipes, including options from Bombur's Cookbook, from Warner Bros here.
46. Middle Earth Music
"In this Music [the singing of the angels in harmony] the World was begun; for Iluvatar made visible the song of the Ainur,and they beheld it as a light in the darkness.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
If you're wondering what tunes you can play at your Middle Earth party, why not play the movie soundtracks? You can find them here.
47. Drinks
"You can drink your fancy ales, you can drink them by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and true….. COMES FROM THE GREEN DRAGON! " - Meriadoc Brandybuck & Peregrin Took
Ale, wine and mead are mentioned in Tolkien's writings. Also included are tea and coffee. In addition, Ent-draught, the orcs' vitality drink (which they call Grog), and Miruvor (a warm and fragrant clear cordial of the Elves) are detailed. Limpe is another drink of the elves.
You can create your own beer and wine labels using Canva here or Beer Labelizer here to DIY authentic Middle Earth beverages.
I have created some tea labels and pouches for you, which are available to download absolutely free. Click here to download. Enjoy!
48. Mince Pies
"'And mince-pies and cheese,’ said Bofur." - The Hobbit
Find an 1861 recipe for mince pies, as requested by Bofur, here.
49. Pork Pie
"'And pork-pie and salad,’ said Bombur." - The Hobbit
Find a recipe for pork pie, as requested by Bombur, here.
The salad - The Victorian period was the inspirational era for Tolkien's writings. A Victorian salad consisted of a simple variety of leaves and herbs, with boiled eggs. If you wish to be really authentic, omit tomatoes, as Tolkien removed tomatoes from the second print edition and added pickles are requested by Gandalf. Cold chicken was also requested.
"‘Put on a few eggs, there’s a good fellow!’ Gandalf called after him, as the hobbit stumped off to the pantries. ‘And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!’" - An Unexpected Party, The Hobbit
50. Tolkien Quote Printable
Having created this printable wall art some time ago, we're now giving it to you, for use at your themed party. Click here to download your free printable.
Well, that means that we're halfway to our 101 Middle Earth Party Ideas! We hope that you have been inspired by Part One - Stay tuned for the next installment!
Until next time, keep preparing for your long-expected party!
See Part Two of this series here.
