Growing up, I always felt kind of awkward throwing or hosting my own party. What if people didn’t have fun? What if everything didn’t go perfectly to plan? What if no one showed up? Now that I’m a bit older and have both attended and hosted a few parties, I absolutely love throwing them and have picked up a lot of tips and tricks to ensure your next party is a hit. From crafting the invitation to decorating to getting the right snacks to setting the right vibe with a playlist, you’ve come to the right place to make your next celebration one for the books. Here are eight ways to become the next best party connoisseur:
1. Make a flyer, GroupMe chat, or a group Facebook page
Taking the time to make a quality flyer can be a fun way to get all the details of your party in order. If you’re not very artistic, Canva is a free graphic design tool with various customizable templates and free add-ons to make your invitation look very…well…inviting! This also ensures you’re sending everyone all the right details, like the time, location, theme (if there is one), if people should bring their own drinks, what the parking situation is, etc. GroupMe and Facebook groups are another great way to have all your invitees in one place so they can communicate and RSVP if needed.
2. Create a Pinterest board
If you’re a Pinterest girlie like me, this can be a great way to find inspiration for your party and help you come up with creative decorations, food items, and more. You can look up things like how you want your cake to look, food ideas, decoration ideas, and fun DIY projects you can do to make the experience a true representation of how you want it!
3. Find some decorations you like
It’s actually not too difficult to find cheap party decorations. For the most recent party I hosted two weeks ago for my birthday, I got all my decorations at Walmart and on Amazon! Walmart is a huge store, but if you set aside some time to really browse, you can find balloons, candles, decorations, plastic containers, and even create a customized cake at the bakery! This is actually such a life hack, but you can create a custom cake on the Walmart app to pick up for only around $15! Amazon is also great for cute last-minute decorations and to overnight something you forgot (thank you Prime!!!).
4. Bring out the good snacks, and don’t forget ice!
Setting out food that is quick and easy to reach for in a social setting will be a recipe for success (see what I did there?). This can include popular party foods like pizza, chips, sandwich platters, cupcakes, cookies, soda for drinks, etc. I’d also highly recommend grabbing a bag of ice to keep your drinks nice and cold…nobody wants a lukewarm beverage!
5. Perfect your playlist
The music at a party can make or break the vibe, so setting the tone with a good playlist can ensure that your guests are in a good mood. It’s also important to keep in mind that not everyone might like your super niche, underground, alternative-rock-pop-screamo music (I totally just made that up, but if that’s the actual genre of an artist, PLEASE send it to me). Thankfully, Spotify and YouTube have plenty of pre-made playlists. Just search up something along the lines of “party playlist”, and you should be good to go.
6. Introduce people
Everyone has something in common at your party, and it’s you! This is why it’s important to introduce your different friends to one another if they don’t know each other. If you’re throwing a party, chances are you’ll invite different friends from different parts of your life, and some people might show up alone. Part of hosting a party is introducing your guests to others they may get along with.
7. Don’t linger
This isn’t the time to stand in the corner chatting with one or two people the whole night. Now is the time to bounce around, check in with all your attendees, introduce your different friends, make sure the snacks and drinks are plentiful, and mingle!
8. Secure your valuables
It’s always a good idea to put things that can easily be broken or get lost away in a separate room. This can include valuables like your computer, apartment or house decor you don’t want to get broken, or your fancy jewelry. This also goes for rugs or any furniture items you don’t want to have a drink accidentally spilled on.
Although a little intimidating at first, throwing parties can be a lot of fun. As long as you do a bit of planning beforehand and prepare yourself and your apartment to have a lot of people over, it can be totally manageable. So, take a deep breath, relax, and have some fun with it!