You are so organized that your party is going to run like a well-oiled machine. Everything’s in place, looking good, ready to go.

But….you still have to be prepared for those pesky little things that may go wrong. Not the huge, we’ll-laugh-about-this-later type mis-steps, but the annoying little ones that are just irritating. It’s happened to me dozens of times and over the years I’ve found that there were a few things that would just be good to have right at the finger tips for most parties and events. So, this is my version of a party survival pack. I keep these things together in a little pack in a drawer if I’m entertaining at home, our in my purse if I’m at a venue. I even take it with me when I’m attending someone else’s party. Let me tell you, it’s cool to be the one that’s got the stuff to fix a problem.

The pack

Choose one that’s funky and fun and a small size. You want to be able to fit it into a drawer or purse without much effort and you want to look cool with it. Mine is a little makeup pouch that I used to store my lipsticks in, but now use for my survival pack. Having a few zippered pockets is a good idea too because you can have the main stuff in the large pocket but use side zippers to hold smaller stuff so it doesn’t fall to the bottom of the pile.

So what’s inside…

It may not look like much but I try to have items that can do double duty and that are needed the most often. You can have a ton of things for all of those “what-if” moments, but it’s best to have a little pack that’s, well, little, so that you’re not lugging around, or having to store this huge sack of stuff.  These items are my top picks:

1. Safety Pins – awesome little guys for instant hemming or holding things together.
2. Bobby Pins – they’re great for their obvious intent like holding hair in place or pulling it off your face while you’re getting things done. But, they can also help to secure things temporarily together.
3. Invisible Tape – so good for wardrobe mishaps but can be used for lots of other stuff. Securing a table linen down to the table if things are windy, adhering something lightweight to a wall, hemming a pant leg that came down, securing a ribbon to a vase…really the possibilities are endless.
4. Band aids – essential, because a little nick could ruin everything.
5. Scissors – good for everything. cutting ribbon, paper, or runaway threads. You can open the scissors up and score tape open on a box or wiggle a screw looser or a bit tighter. Avoid a pair that is too small, like ones found in nail kits, and opt for a medium size (small enough to fit into your pack but sturdy enough to manage everything).
6. Lint brush – ideal for sprucing yourself up with a quick go-over before guests arrive or you enter a party. It is also useful for removing lint from table linens or picking up stray crumbs.
7. Moist towelettes – I use these to freshen my hands up a bit after lugging stuff around to set up a party. They can be used as mini paper towels as well, to wipe up any spills or mishaps.
8. Lighter – invariably someone always asks “whose got a lighter”?  Whether it be candles on a cake, lanterns outside or lighting an impromptu sparkler, having a lighter in a place that’s easy to find is imperative.

You could include other items like pins, tissue or tape but really, the items above could do the job that these extras could do. Having this little go to party survival pack has got me out of small jams quite a few times. I always subscribe to the thought that the more prepared you are the better, and with a little time invested in pulling this together, you’re sure to have every angle covered.

Did I leave anything out? What’s in your party survival pack?