Are you thinking about a night in for your girlfriends this month?
Hosting an at home Galentine’s Day Party is a fun way to catch up with your friends while staying in on colder nights. Valentine’s Day may be for lovers, but Galentine’s Day is for girlfriends and girlfriends like a themed party.
Check out these 10 ideas for Galentine’s Day that your friends will love!
My Favorite Things.
For this party, ask your friends to bring three bags containing their favorite things. You can put a price on it, say $20 per bag. For example, the bag might contain a gift card for coffee, your favorite lip balm, and an adult coloring book. Each guest draws three names and takes home three different favorite thing bags. Ask everyone to bring their favorite appetizer or dessert and the recipe to go with it.
Fall in Love with Reading.
This is a fun twist for a book club or any group of friends. Ask everyone to bring a used book (or two) wrapped in solid paper with a very short synopsis on the front. Guests can play a book trivia game, and the winner will get to pick first. Have guests bring a snack that pairs with their book, like potato fritters for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Retro Rewind.
Who doesn’t love a good costume party? Choose the decade of your choice – 70s, 80s, 90s, or even the Roaring 20s! Ask your guests to dress up, play popular games, and serve dishes from that era. For example, for a Roaring 20s party, set up Mahjong for your guests and serve Waldorf salad and finger sandwiches.
Vegas Baby! Feeling lucky?
Why not host a casino night for your girlfriends? Have your guests dress in Casino Chic and set up a photo booth to capture the night. Create your own paper money with guests’ faces for guests to play casino classics such as blackjack, roulette, or craps. Your menu can include black and red desserts and cocktails such as espresso martinis or strawberry margaritas.
Wine and Chocolate Tasting.
Offer your guests a variety of wines and chocolates (dark, white, sea-salted caramel) and let them decide which pairs well. You can also include cheese pairings if you are hosting a more savory-than-sweet crowd. Blind wine tastings are fun too. Ask everyone to bring their favorite wrapped in a canvas bag. Play a wine-themed game such as Wine Wars or A Wine Tasting Murder.
Closet Swap.
Tired of the clothes in your closet that you just don’t wear? Here is a fun way to trade them for some new (to you) fashions. Set up clothing racks or tables for each guest to display their clothes for swapping and then start shopping. You can even have a fashion show with the guests trying on and modeling the items available to swap.
Chick Flick Movie Night.
Who doesn’t love a good romance? Invite your girlfriends for a night of shameless chick flick viewing. Whether it is a Hallmark marathon or a classic like The Notebook, this is a night everyone will love. A night of binge-watching requires binge food – pizza, ice cream, or nachos. Ask your guests to dress comfortably and bring their favorite cuddly blanket.
Spill the Tea Brunch.
If your schedules are packed this month, why not host a Sunday Brunch Tea Party? Serve light fare like cucumber sandwiches or chicken salad and set up a dessert table with macarons, eclairs, and mini cheesecakes. Offer a variety of teas for tasting and enjoying. Use your best china or thrift some. Instead of games, do a tea-related activity like filling your own tea bags with loose tea ingredients.
Paint Your Heart Out.
You don’t have to be a Van Gogh to enjoy this painting party. Choose your media – canvas, wine glasses, wooden signs, fabric, or even a welcome mat. You can find kits online or pull out your Cricut and make some fun stencils. If the paint is too messy, you can use other colorful options depending on your media, including chalk, colored pencils, gel pens, or even stickers.
Trailer Park Barbie.
If your Galentines have a sense of humor, consider hosting a Trailer Park Barbie theme. Have your guests come dressed as their version of the Barbie icon – hair in curlers, tattoos, moo-moos, and dirty tank tops – all in pink, of course. For your menu, include franks and beans or tatter tot casserole and some fun pink drinks like Cosmopolitans, Rose wine, or Starbucks Pink Drink.
Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and mother of three. Planning themed parties is one of her favorite things.