Cool dude in hippie dress

Tie-dyed shirts, lava lamps, peace, and free love were things that made the Sixties memorable. The Hippie movement was an important part of the culture of the 1960s, at a time when the world was plagued with war and disillusionment with modern society. While the Summer of Love has come and gone, many people today are still profoundly influenced by the values and beliefs of the Hippies.

The colorful and non-conformist lifestyles of the Hippies are a perfect theme for parties. Many people today like to explore retro themes, and Hippie themes are near the top of the list. While the Hippie movement was known for drug use and promiscuous sexual activity, you don’t have to go that far to enjoy the era. You can have a rad, far-out, groovy occasion for all ages with these tips for a Hippie theme party.

Hippie Music

Woodstock music album

Part of what made the Hippie subculture so memorable and important was the music. Many music acts and groups of the 1960s continue to sell well way into the new millennium. Music festivals, especially Woodstock, are still influential today.

To give your party a real hippie feel, you need to have tracks and beats listened to by the Hippies back in the day. Here are some songs by 1960s artists and bands you may want to play as background music for your Hippie party:

• Janis Joplin: “Piece of My Heart,” “Kosmic Blues,” “Summertime”
• Grateful Dead: “China Cat Sunflower,” “The Golden Road,” “Born Cross-Eyed”
• Ravi Shankar: “Raga Jog,” “Kafi-Holi,” “Raga Multani”
• Joan Baez: “Farewell, Angelina,” “Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word,” “The Unquiet Grave”
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience: “Purple Haze,” “Let Me Light Your Fire,” “Stone Free”
• Bob Dylan: “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’”

Hippie Costumes and Venues

Hippies were known to be nonconformists, and that held true especially for fashion. Hippies dressed for comfort, and also for them to identify with other people who share their beliefs. You can make your Hippie party feel more like a Free Love convention with these interesting costume ideas.

Hippie party dressing
• Long hair and sunglasses. You don’t need to get hair extensions to make yourself look like a Hippie. You can get wigs from any fashion boutique or costume shop. To add a cool Hippie look to your outfit, you can also add old-fashioned aviator glasses to your attire. Big shades were common in the 1960s to protect their eyes from the sun during protests and sit-ins.
• Eastern-inspired robes. The Hippie subculture was heavily influenced by traditional Eastern cultures, particularly Buddhism and Hinduism. Many Hippies wore saris and sarongs to reflect the influence of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy in the 1960s. You can buy these clothes and all sorts of ethnic attire from specialty shops or from auction houses on the Internet.
• Prayer beads and peace symbols. Hippies used accessories more as just fashion statements. Buddhist prayer beads, headdresses, and peace symbols were used to communicate messages of peace, love, and self-discovery. You can buy many of these Hippie accessories from specialty shops or gift stores.
• Tie-dye apparel. Tie-dye is a very popular way to give shirts and clothes that classic psychedelic look of the 1960s. It’s easy to make tie-dye; all you need is a shirt, some paint or pigment, and rubber bands. You simply dip a portion of a tied shirt into paint, repeat the process with different colors, and you have a cool shirt straight from the days of Flower Power. (More tips on how to tie-dye)

Hippie Party Décor

One way that you could make your party venue look like a scene straight from the Hippie era is to decorate with objects from the 1960s. Here are some readily-available decorative items you can use for your Hippie theme party:

Paper chains for party design
• Incense sticks can be bought from specialty goods shops at an affordable price. Incense comes in many different scents that you can use to give the party venue that heady Sixties experience. You can buy incense in many forms, including powder, cored sticks, coils, or solid sticks of pure incense. If anyone invited has asthma or any other respiratory problem, you may want to use less incense, or not use it at all.
• Posters. Nothing could remind people of the Sixties more than posters of bands and artists from the generation. You can have posters printed out at a print shop, or you can look for 1960s band posters from music stores or specialty bookstores.
• Hookah. If some of your friends smoke, then they can try their hand at a hookah. Hookahs are vessels with pipes specially designed to inhale and consume flavor-infused tobacco. The hot smoke passes through water, which cools the vapor down and adds an interesting dimension to smoking. You can buy hookahs or rent them out from specialty shops.

Different colors of lava lamps
• Macramé. To pass the time, many Hippies made ornate mats, animals, and other figures out of lengths of rope or yarn knotted together. You can decorate the party venue with all sorts of macramé goodies. You can also set aside long lengths of rope or yarn for your guests to make their own macramé masterpieces. (Learn how to make a hemp macrame bracelet)
• Paper chains. Like macramé, many Hippies made chains out of discarded wrapping paper from chewing gum. You can decorate the party venue with streamers made from paper chains. You can also use paper chain-making as a way for your guests to enjoy and socialize.
• Lava lamps. Nothing says “The Sixties” more than cool-looking blobs of wax moving around inside a lava lamp. You can scrounge your attic or basement for old vintage lava lamps, or you can buy new ones.

Hippie Party Food

The Hippie generation was known for many delicious and healthy foods that are easy to prepare. What makes Hippie food items special is that they can be enjoyed by people of many different food preferences; you don’t have to worry about vegans, vegetarians, or people who are sensitive to particular foods. Here are some recipes you can try for your Hippie theme party:

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are traditionally made from corned beef or ground meat, although you can make a vegetarian version that everyone can enjoy, and tastes just as good. You’ll need the following ingredients:

Vegetarian sloppy joe food
• Canola oil or other healthy cooking oil
• Garlic
• Louisiana Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper)
• Textured vegetable protein
• Cooked lima beans or fava beans, lightly mashed or pureed
• Firm uncooked fresh tofu
• Chili sauce
• Soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the ingredients in a pan, and serve warm with rolls or hamburger buns. You can make as much of the vegetarian sloppy joes as you want, because your guests will definitely want second or even third helpings of this delicious dish.

Peace Cakes

Multi color icing hippie peace cake

Cakes are a must-have for any party. Even ordinary cakes can be made into a total Hippie trip with these nifty decorating ideas:

• Decorate the cake with multi-colored candies
• Use multi-colored icing
• Decorate the cake with symbols from the Hippie era, like peace symbols
• If you have the time and the baking skills, bake a cake shaped like a peace symbol

Greens and Seeds

Greens and seeds were an important part of the Hippie movement, and gave rise to organic health foods which are still being sold today. Organic vegetables can be used for your party platters, and served with hummus or chickpea dips. You can also serve nuts and sunflower seeds for party snacks. Other healthful snacks from the Hippie era that you can serve to your guests are granola and fried sweetened tofu.

Purple Haze

Vodka drinks for hippie party

Punch and cocktails are great for quenching party thirst. Here’s a quick recipe for Purple Haze, a mild alcoholic punch you can serve at a Hippie party:

• Four parts cranberry juice
• One part vodka
• One part rhum
• Two parts clear lemon-lime soda
• Lemon wedges
• Crushed ice

Mix the ingredients in a punch bowl, or if you plan to make a stronger cocktail, mix the ingredients together in a drink mixer or shaker canister.

Hippie Party Favors

To make your party a memorable experience, you can give away small tokens of appreciation for your guests. Here are some affordable gifts you can give away to your guests as party favors.

Hippie peace necklace symbol
• Peace symbols. Rings, bracelets, or necklaces adorned with the Hippie peace symbol can be bought at curio shops or specialty gift stores.
• Tie-dye shirts are very easy to make, and are also very affordable. You can buy white T-shirts in bulk, tie-dye them on your own, and then give them away to your guests. You’ll be sure to see one of them wearing your funky party favors in the next few days.
• Flowers. Hippies used to give flowers to strangers to spread the message of love. You can also give flowers to your guests not as party favors, but as tokens of appreciation.
• Love Vans. Miniature versions of the classic “Love Van,” or a Volkswagen Transporter, can be found in toy stores. You can paint these miniature vans in psychedelic colors to give as memorable tokens for one memorable party.

Check out this video for hippie party theme celebration.

The Summer of Love may have been over 40 years ago, but the spirit of the Hippie culture still lives on. Peace, love, and life made popular and important by the Hippies of decades past can still be remembered through Hippie parties.