How to get the bokeh effect?

So today I got the Nikon D3100, and Iove it! It came with an 18-55mm lens and it's pretty good. However, I really want to be able to have some bokeh in my pictures. I know that you need like an 1.8mm lens or something to achieve this properly, but is there anyway to make the DoF level really low without it? Please dumb things down, this is my first DSLR and I'm only 14:)
Thank you!
And if you have any suggestions for good Nikon lenses (at a good price), feel free to share!

To achieve the 'bokeh effect', follow these steps:

1) turn camera on, and turn the mode dial to "A"
2) zoom in your 18-55mm lens to 55mm
3) set your f/stop to the lowest number available (in this case it is f/5.6)
4) set your autofocus mode to "single point af"
5) place the focus bracket over something close (the closer the better as it magnifies shallow depth of field)
6) shoot.

For little "bokeh balls" in the background, make sure there are point sources of light in the background that stands out, for example, lights on a christmas tree.

And honestly, go do yourself a favour and read up on basic photography techniques on the internet or at your local library. I hate to see any DSLR camera wasted in some person's hand that always sets it to auto mode.