Turn your living room into a disco dance hall with attention paid to lighting, a rented disco ball and the right mood set by food, drink and costumes. Hire or recruit a DJ, and the music will put guests in the dance party groove, which will help your guests feel like they are at a dance club.
Remove all the furniture from the room. Set up a DJ table in one corner and set up a table for food and another to act as a bar. Set some folding chairs around the perimeter of the room; leave the center open for dancing.
Place black lights and strobe lights around the room. These will bring a dance or disco feeling to the room. Contact a party rental shop and rent a disco ball to hang from the ceiling. The strobe lights will interact with the ball and add sparkle.
Paint a large sheet of plywood a dark color such as navy or purple, then decorate it with a dance-party theme. Some ideas include splattering it with paint, adding graffiti or silver stars and a disco ball. Set this up near the entrance to the party and recruit someone to take a picture of the guests against it as they come in.
Hang shimmering gold and silver streamers from the ceiling over the dance floor. They'll catch the strobe and black lights. Hand out glow lights to guests as they come in so that their dancing becomes part of the lighting as well.
Set the food table with finger foods that can be eaten with little fuss. Chicken wings, crudites and pizza are good choices. If your party is for minors, make nonalcoholic versions of classic party drinks such as margaritas and Shirley Temples. For adults, serve wine and beer as well as mixed drinks as room allows.
Buy a stash of classic '70s disco wear, such as glittery hats and boas, and pass them out to your guests as they come in to help set the mood.