Great parties:

Make your gathering a stunning success with a few of these great party ideas - they'll oil the wheels and help make sure everyone has a fantastic time...

Ten must-have items for your party:

Twister game - £9.95 from Firebox
Hard to believe this has been on the market for some 40 years now - and still no party is complete without it. Nothing else breaks down guests' inhibitions and gets the laughter started faster - nothing else that leaves you fit to drive home, at any rate...
Chocolate fountain - £49.95 from the Chocolate Trading Co
Three tiers of melted chocolate into which you can dip, fondue-style, anything you like. Try whole strawberries, amaretti or, for the serious chocoholic, chocolate truffles. This wonderful item makes a great (and very popular) party centrepiece.
Ice shot glasses - £8.95 from Firebox
Firebox markets these neat little glasses made from ice, frozen fruit juice or anything else you fancy as leaving you with no washing up the morning after when you're nursing that inevitable gigantic hangover. As as cool as they come, we think.
Sweet-filled party bags - £22.75 for five bags from A Quarter Of
Take your guests back to their childhood with gift bags full of the best sweets ever! Deliberately designed to reek of nostalgia for that newsagent of your youth with row after row of jars on shelves. Remember edible paper and space dust? All here...
Laser Cosmos Projector £149 from IWantOneOfThose.com
Perfect for creating a chilled mood, this projector beams a stunning recreation of the night sky onto your ceiling complete with stars, galaxies and even nebulae. This is a toy you'll want to play with long after the guests have gone.
iPod Karaoke - £29.95 from Firebox.com
Yet another must-have toy from Firebox.com, this little gadget sends music from your iPod to your stereo minus the lead vocals - so you and your guests can sing alongw to anything you choose. Just don't forget to invite the neighbours round...
Simple Pleasures hamper - £57.50 from Hamper.com
Take all the work out of a garden party with this sumptuous treat. Invite your guests, spread a rug on the lawn then get down to drinking the Wolf Blass Red Label Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir then scoffing the Guylian Fondue Belgian chocolate dip and the Hamlet Cupido assorted Belgian chocolates...
Everybody's Magic book - £9.99 from MagicTricks.co.uk
This collection of easy-to-perform magic tricks from some of the best-known magicians in the UK will help you master more than 60 magic tricks and stunts that can be performed with everyday objects. Perfect for entertaining your guests!
Shockball - £15.95 from IWantOneOfThose.com
The Shockball is a metal-studded rubber-coated ball which appears ideal for an innocent game of catch - until the random moment when it sends out an electric charge. Will you be the one caught holding it? This battery-powered shocker brings a whole new tactical challenge to ball games.
Lay Z Spa - £349.99 from Just Sport and Leisure
OK, we realise that this is a fair few quid to drop on party planning. But we're equally sure you'll have plenty of use for it afterwards - a freestanding, inflatable hot tub that works off one electric socket and caters for four adults. Think of the fun you can have...