Entertaining and hosting ideas at home are great ways to bring friends and family together. We have the best 20 entertaining and hosting ideas to spice up your party animal side.
How to Throw a Great Party
So how do you throw a great party? Small intimate get-togethers are more desirable in our 21st century as opposed to large parties. Of course, this is nothing new to the Texas scape, since Texans generally prefer smaller venues such as BBQs, tapas parties, and garden parties.
Our modern world is hectic, and it can be stressful. Entertaining and hosting shouldn’t be. We have a few tips to help reduce your stress over hosting an at-home event. The first tip is to have fun at your get-together. To do this, we suggest designating one or two co-hosts for your event. This provides you with support on both an emotional and a practical level. If you have a tight-knit group of friends and family, you can trade off with them when they entertain as well.
You do want to keep your get-togethers on trend and keeping up with event trends can be tricky. First, consider the group you will be entertaining. Are they adults, children, or a mix of ages, perhaps even seniors, or persons with special needs? Those needs can be quite varied so think ahead for any special accommodations that might be needed.
Top 20 Entertaining and Hosting Ideas
Texans have their own unique styles and preferences when it comes to entertaining at home. Some common ways that people in Texas, or any other region, might like to entertain at home include hosting dinner parties, hosting game nights, hosting outdoor barbecues, and hosting cocktail parties. We have put together our top 20 entertaining and hosting ideas.
20 Top Entertaining ideas to consider include:
- Plan a backyard barbecue, with grilled meat and vegetables, refreshing drinks, and outdoor games such as horseshoes or cornhole.
- Plan a themed dinner party, such as a Tapas party, Mexican fiesta or Italian feast.
- Set up a home movie theater and invite friends over for a movie night.
- Organize a game night, with a selection of board games and card games.
- Host a wine and cheese tasting, with a variety of wines and cheeses for guests to try.
- Plan a murder mystery dinner party, with guests dressing up and solving a fictional crime.
- Host a DIY class, such as a cooking or mixology lesson, for guests to learn a new skill.
- Organize a book club meeting, with everyone reading the same book and discussing it over dinner.
- Set up a backyard campfire and invite friends over for s’mores and ghost stories.
- Host a holiday-themed party, such as a Halloween costume party or Christmas cookie exchange.
- Host a breakfast or brunch gathering, with a spread of eggs, bacon, pastries, and mimosas.
- Plan a progressive dinner, where guests move from house to house for each course of the meal.
- Set up a hot chocolate bar with a variety of flavors and toppings for guests to enjoy.
- Organize a karaoke party, with a karaoke machine and a selection of songs for guests to sing along to.
- Host a potluck, where each guest brings a dish to share.
- Plan a themed dinner party, such as a beach-inspired luau or a cozy winter-themed gathering.
- Set up a DIY photo booth with props and a camera for guests to take fun pictures.
- Organize a craft night, where guests can make their own candles, soaps, or other handmade items.
- Host a tea party, with a selection of teas and sweet and savory snacks.
- Host a cocktail party with a signature drink and appetizers.
Food and Drinks
Try and keep options open for your guests, and offer games, drinks, and food that are appropriate for the occasion. Do not force party favors, games, or other selections on your guest. Keep it varied, for instance, serve both wine and beer. Offer seating options such as conversation areas and buffet seating. A well-appointed home bar will come in handy for last-minute get-togethers.
Make your space welcoming and entertaining. You may want to include a theme depending on the event or celebration. Let guests know ahead of time if you have any special considerations. For instance, you might want the event to be free of electronic devices or alcohol. Just be sure to let your guest know this in advance along with any other considerations such as costume required and so on.
If you have a dedicated entertaining space such as a man cave that is open and inviting will make frequent entertaining that much easier. Remember your outdoor spaces also lend themselves to entertaining in good weather.
If professional entertainment is being offered at your event offer guidelines to your guests. Just let your guests know what to expect. An invitation is a good way to let your guests know the specifics of your event, such as an “open bar” or drink limit. If using a professional bartender determine ahead of time if tips will be accepted. You can leave the tipping up to the discretion of your guests. However, let your guests know if it is acceptable to leave a tip for the bartender.
Keep It Simple
We do recommend keeping your events as simple as possible. Maybe a lunch and munch instead of a full-blown dinner party, with a well-designed ‘tablescape’, some wine, and a handful of friends is to your liking. One of our favorites, when the weather is good, is a backyard get-together or garden party. This is especially desirable when having a slightly larger gathering so there is plenty of room.
If you live in a roommate household or have teenage and adult children you might want to designate a specific day for you all to share a day, a meal, and comradery. Have a theme or perhaps make a special dish to share, drinks and so on, making a celebration of the day together. Let others know what their role will be in the get-together, whether they will be providing a dish, preparing drinks, as well as other key items.
In Conclusion, Entertaining and Hosting
To keep your entertaining and hosting ideas fresh, visit some idea boards such as Pinterest for inspiration. Keep it simple if possible while still being festive. Sometimes just a few artificial flower leis and drink decorations can be enough. If you still have children at home and they are included in the event then get them involved with the planning and have them offer suggestions.
Joyful entertaining can be a slippery slope without a well-thought-out venue.
“Let’s raise a glass to friendship and good times!”
Kay Keeton, Editor in Chief
Drinks for a Party here.
Home life, culinary education, read here.
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Some of the most popular party games include Uno, Loaded Questions, Taboo, Scattergories, What Do You Meme, Jenga, Heads Up, Telestrations, Battle of the Sexes, and Code Names.
Tablescapes are simply beautiful arrangements of tables, dishes, and other décor items for special occasions or for everyday decorative use. A tablescape can be as simple as decorating a tablecloth with plates, napkins, and roses, or more intricate designs with candles, ribbons, and centerpieces.
