Anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE to host a party! Although there are so many places to hold a gathering, I find that hosting at home is easiest right now for this season of my life. I am working around nap times and melt downs, so the closer I am to home, the better. I know a lot of people think I am crazy for saying this, but with a little thoughtful planning, you really can put on a party at home that is easy and inexpensive. Here are my top tips for easy at home party planning:
Use decor that you already have and then just fill in any missing areas. If you don’t listen to anything else I say, then PLEASE listen to this! Do not go out to Party City, Michael’s, etc thinking that you have to buy everything brand new. You will spend so much money with this thought process, AND you will fill up your closets with so much stuff that you don’t need. This is why I talk so much about having an organized home. If your closets and drawers are not somewhat organized, then you will have no idea of what you own. If you don’t know that you already have something, then you are going to rebuy it again, wasting both money and space in your home. Use vases from Valentine’s Day, plates from last year’s gathering, votives with half burned candles….you get the point. 🙂 Getting new supplies is always super fun, but please just keep in mind that you don’t HAVE to have them. 🙂
Side Note – If you are going to buy party decor, make sure and don’t buy too much stuff that is super specific to one holiday. For example, at Christmas, make sure and buy platters, serving pieces, etc that are solid colors (like red, gold, etc). This way, they can be used for multiple holidays, rather than just one. Having multi-purpose serving pieces is huge because you can use them year round and you don’t have to store nearly as much stuff. I have a lot of white and clear glass pieces, which I can use for pretty much anything. 🙂
Look in your pantry and build your menu around what you have. This is addressing the same issue as the decor listed above. Hosting a gathering does not mean that you have to run to the store and buy a ton of stuff. The best part about hosting a party at home is that YOU get to decide the menu – use this to your advantage! 🙂 What do you have that has been lurking in your pantry forever that you need to get rid of before it expires? Do you have a lot of uncooked cookie dough left from the holidays? Then, you should serve cookies! 🙂 Do you have store bought pie crusts? Then, you should make a quick and easy pie. Be smart on the food that you serve, and use this as the perfect opportunity to use up those items in your pantry that you don’t often make.
Use leftover supplies from past parties. It is not only cheaper, but it also helps you clean out those closets. Confession – I have an ENORMOUS amount of stuff left over from Madeline’s party last year. As soon as the event was over, I collected everything that was left and put it all in one place. You better believe that I am going to use the rest of it for this year’s event. Not only do I not want to waste a bunch of money, but I am also sick of having to store all of these supplies! It is time to purge! 🙂 If you are curious about Madeline’s 1st bday party, then click HERE, HERE and HERE.
Don’t make it too complicated. It is more important to spend time together with your friends and family than having everything 100% perfect. Spend time with your guests and do not stress so much! You don’t need twenty types of desserts or appetizers. Pick a few things that are easy to make and relax! People can tell if a host is stressed, so do everyone a favor and make sure to enjoy yourself.
What tips do you have for easy party planning at home? Please let me know because I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas! Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
P.S. Please don’t forget to follow my Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram pages to see more ideas from One Cheerful Mom!
You always have the best ideas!!!! I learn something new every time I read your blogs!
You always have the best ideas!!!! I agree with buying the solid platters. I use platters that can be used during Christmas, Valentines Day, Fourth of July, and the green ones for Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day!
You are so sweet! That is so smart to buy solid platters! You can get multiple uses out of one thing, AND you don’t have as much stuff to store! 🙂 Thank you so much for reading!
I love your tips. I enjoy having dinner parties and lately bridal showers. I’ve purchased most items that can be used for different themes like you suggest. I will keep this post for future party planning.
Great! You will be so happy that you did, because you will have less dishes and platters to store. 🙂 Thanks for reading!