My favorite part about planning a party is definitely designing the theme and picking out the party decor. However, I also know it this can be a daunting task if you're not quite as comfortable with the design process or aren't sure where to begin with it, so the easiest thing you can do is to pick out a particular item to center your party around  that naturally inspires you, then use that inspiration piece as the foundation for the rest of your tableware and decorative decisions.

Your inspiration piece might be a particular plate that you want to use (paper, casual or china), a certain type of flower or style of arrangement, a favorite fabric or stationery motif, an adorable cupcake design you discovered online, or even a child's toy!

After you've picked out an inspiration piece that you love, here are some guidelines to keep in mind while choosing the rest of your tableware and party decor:

1. Colors
Use colors featured in your item and feel free to add complimentary colors as well. For example, in the mod bunny theme pictured above, the plates, napkins and utensils incorporate all 3 colors of the terry cloth bunny (my inspiration piece here) instead of focusing on just one shade of green. If I wanted to add more colors to this theme, complimentary colors that work well with green – such as orange, aqua, or lavender – would be great choices. I might swap out the beverage napkins with designs featuring one of these colors, and incorporate flowers, place cards, and ribbon in the accent color as well to help tie everything together.

2. Patterns
Bringing coordinating patterns into different areas of your party in tasteful doses is a great way to add interest to your party design. In the example above, both the houndstooth and topstitch plates and napkins play on the fabric and "sewn" attributes of the bunny, and the bright green beverage napkin plays on it's mod design. If you're using plates with a dot pattern, use polka dots and circular patterns in other areas of the decor - such as ribbon embellishments, personalized confetti, and table runners. You could even use circle shaped candies (such as Smarties or Necco wafers) to create "polka dot" cupcakes!

3. Theme of the Occassion
To make your party design theme-appropriate, incorporate some items that play up the theme. For example, the bunny theme above is a baby shower design, so it would be fun to add things like green and white pacifiers, bibs and blankets with a bunny design, lime green onesies, bottles filled with green jelly beans and embellished with a band created from the houndstooth napkins. Even this modern baby book by Binth would be a great gift choice for mom-to-be that could also double as party decor at the shower.

4. Party Mood
In general, pick items that fit the "mood" of your party and inspiration piece. If it's ultra-contemporary, pick colors and patterns that have a very modern feel, or if you want the party to be upscale and elegant, you might incorporate elements such as shimmery silver and gold tableware, candles, and patterns with a "fancy" feel, such as paisley or damask.

When designing your theme, it can be helpful to create an "inspiration board" on the computer so that you can see how different items look together before buying everything. If you're not a Photoshop whiz, there's a great new website called "Polyvore" that enables you to create an inspiration board online - no graphic design skills necessary! Click here to check it out.

What about you? How do you find inspiration when you're planning a party? Have you ever found it in an unexpected place or item? If you find an inspiration piece that you love and are actually excited about, this one step can make the rest of the planning process so much more fun and enjoyable!