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Whack a Piñata of Thom Yorke!

Or Chris Christie. Or your mother-in-law. Piñata artist Meaghan Kennedy can turn any likeness into the talk of your party. The little guy ships empty; fill it with treats as you see fit.

$200–$300, yourpinata.com

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Document the Debauchery

We stole the idea of a makeshift photo booth from our friend Beth Gibson, a diabolically creative party planner (plotbrooklyn.com). Fasten black fabric against a wall as your backdrop, place chairs of different heights in front of it, and stuff a bin with thrift-shop props—wigs, sunglasses, fake mustaches, wacky hats. A digital camera on a tripod lets you upload the pics to an e-mailable album, as Beth likes to do, or straight to FaceTwitGram. Or go retro: Spring for a Polaroid and plenty of film so your guests can take home a souvenir.

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Finish with a Bang

When you’re ready to kick everyone out, wrap up the festivities with a five-minute show of jaw-dropping, bought-across-state-lines, illegal-as-hell fireworks. Just know your situation going into it. Will the neighbors narc? Will the surrounding foliage light on fire? If no, start the show. Use a sheet of plywood weighted down by sandbags as a stable launching pad for your rockets. Your desired reaction is "This is awesome!" not "OH GOD, WHERE’S MY PINKIE?"

NEXT: THE PERFECT AL FRESCO SOUNDTRACK