MAKE IT CUTE

This month has a *lot* of big days to celebrate—and Christmas isn't even the first one!

You already know that Taylor Swift is our queen, so we will def be throwing a birthday bash in honor of her big day on Dec. 13. If you're a die-hard Swiftie (or just looking for a fun theme for your besties' Secret Santa present swap), we've got you covered with everything you need to have your very own T-Swift b-day party.

What to wear

@taylorswift

Did you bring out your best evermore costume for The Eras Tour this summer? Or dress up in a *very* niche Swiftie costume for Halloween? (Poison ivy and daisy for the lyrics to "Don't Blame Me"? Anyone??) Even if this is your first time putting together a Taylor Swift-themed costume, there are ten eras' worth of inspo for you to draw from. Try out an old Hollywood look with a glittery dress and faux fur stole like Taylor wore in the 1989  "Wildest Dreams" music video, or go back to Taylor's country music roots with a green dress, curly hair and cowboy boots in honor of her first-ever album.

Activities

@taylorswift

For all the Swiftie bakers out there, try cooking up these chocolate chip cookies, inspired by a recipe Taylor once shared with her fans. Or try a trivia game (like "identify the lyric") to figure out which one of your BFFs has the most encyclopedic Swiftie knowledge. You could also host a PowerPoint night and make it Taylor-themed, or make an exhaustive ranking of the albums (just be warned that this could take all night if your friends have strong opinions!).

How to decorate

@taylorswift

While this is a birthday, it's more a birth-Tay. And as any themed party goes, a lot of it comes down to the decor. 

One of the easiest ways to make your decor a little more Taylor is to incorporate the Eras color palette in all your decor pieces. (Think: Put up a gold sparkly backdrop on your wall for Fearless, hang some light and dark blue metallic streamers for 1989 and Midnights, string a garland of pink hearts for Lover, lay out some purple plates for Speak Now and so on.)

You can also incorporate some lyrics and song titles in your decor. Scatter some mirrorballs around your partyscape to reference folklore or wrap an ivy garland around your stairs to reference its sister album. To be even more on the nose with the lyric-derived-decor, you could DIY your own garland or poster with a lyric (maybe "Here's a toast to my real friends" from "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"). 

To add to the Taylor atmosphere, you can't forget little giveaways! Have a jar ready filled with friendship bracelets, heart sunglasses to reference the Red era or teal nail polishes like the one in the "Our Song" music video. 

And speaking of adding to the Taylor atmosphere, you *of course* need to play her music during your party! Just put this playlist with all of her songs in it on shuffle, and you'll have an endless stream of songs playing until you're left with just the "glitter on the floor after the party." 

What to watch

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Taylor Nation (@taylornation)

Since Taylor Swift's birthday is Dec. 13, 13 is kinda her lucky number, and this year Dec. 13 is also a lucky day for Swifties, who will finally be able to watch The Eras Tour from home. And in your case, from your party! If Taylor Swift's birthday isn't a strong enough excuse to celebrate with your Swiftie friends, this release certainly is. 

Tag @girlslifemag in your party pics on Instagram for a chance to be featured!

Check out some more Taylor-related posts in between party planning:
🫶 How Taylor Swift's re-recordings inspire us to reinvent our lives
🫶 The nondefinitive ranking of Taylor Swift collabs
🫶 How to copy Taylor Swift's NYC street style

Slider image: @taylorswift
Top image: @taylorswift

by Kayla Conroy and Ava Slocum | 12/12/2023