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Galentine's Day Ideas
A Well Crafted Party

Galentine’s Day Party Ideas

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I’m not a huge fan of the term Galentine’s Day… it always came off as cheesy to me. However, I do LOVE celebrating Valentine’s Day with my gals, so I actually have a few fun ideas from over the past years for celebrating Valentine’s Day with your favorite ladies! Scroll on to see some of my favorite Galentine’s Day party ideas from over time.

Valentine's Day favorite things party for a Galentine's Day party!

Favorite Things Galentine’s Day Party

Have you ever been to a Favorite Things party? Basically, each guest brings a set number of their “favorite thing” and then there is a gift exchange at the party where each guest goes away with some new favorite things. There are many ways to host a favorite things party, but my three favorite ways were posted in my pink and red Galentine’s Day party post from last year.

Galentine’s Spa Day

Do you have any ladies in your circle that deserve a spa day like… WHOA? Yep, I’ve got a handful of ladies that come to mind myself! Enjoy a relaxed and decadent afternoon with your favorite friends with the Valentine’s Spa Day lunch that features cucumber sandwiches, champagne heart jello shots, DIY manicure kits, rose water hand towels, and rose bath salts. Get your free printable invites as well!

Love and Plaid Ladies Night

Celebrate the coziness of winter by incorporating plaid, cable knit, hot drinks, and your favorite friends for a ladies night complete with chocolate, valentine exchange, and crafting station. Also, set up a simple card station where your guests can apply lipstick, kiss a card, and create a sweet message for a loved one! Add some stamps and they can send out Valentine’s cards right from the party. It was super fun putting together our favorite winter items to create this plaid valentine’s day party.

Are you celebrating Galentine’s Day this year? If so, how? Share in the comments below!

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Favorite Parties of 2017 | A Well Crafted Party
A Well Crafted Party

My Favorite Parties of 2017

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I typically end each year taking the time to review the year and sort of giving myself a recap of the highs of the year so that I’ll end the year in a hopeful mood. Looking back on my favorite parties has always been a great way for me to look back.  I had a very difficult time doing that this year. If you’ve been following my blog for long, you’ve might have noticed a drop off in posts over this past year. I’ve had a lot of health and life stress issues that have made it difficult to write about entertaining and such things. I do try to live by the mission of this blog even if I fail to share it… I truly believe in celebrating life even at its hardest.

Though my blog doesn’t quite reflect it over 2017, I hosted or attended a TON of baby showers, weddings, anniversary parties, dinner parties, birthdays, and holiday celebrations in 2017. Some of them I didn’t even take my camera out for one photo of the decor, menu, paper goods, etc. While the blogger in me is a little sad… I know that I didn’t take photos because I was truly enjoying myself (or just too darn busy to pull out the camera!)

Before I get too far into 2018 I wanted to share some of my favorite parties (that I hosted) of 2017. Most of these I haven’t even posted about… but, don’t worry, the posts will come soon!

The Best Well Crafted Parties of 2017

School Valentine's Day Party | A Well Crafted Party

School Valentine’s Day Love Bug Party

I don’t have a ton of time to volunteer at my son’s school due to my full-time and part-time jobs. However, when they asked for a volunteer to help coordinate their three class parties of the year my hand shot up pretty quickly. I could commit to three events! For Valentine’s Day we celebrated with a Love Bug party. This was one of the cutest parties I’ve ever hosted. It was pretty much a full evening of crafting, but it turned out to be such a fun hour with the kiddos.

Want more? I’ll be sharing tips on hosting a school Valentine’s Day party at the end of this month!

Green and White Baby Shower | A Well Crafted Party

Green and White Baby Shower

My friend Lindsay is one of those giving, caring friends that seems to just know the exact moment when you need her to reach out. I was fortunate enough to get to co-host a baby shower to celebrate Lindsay’s third child this year. She is vegan and natural and beautiful so we wanted to reflect that in the theme, decor, and food for this party. In addition to a delicious array of vegan brunch foods we were able to build our own terrariums that doubled as an activity and party favor.

Want more? Visit one of the following links: Natural Elements Baby Shower, Vegan Cheese Board Ideas, Succulent Themed Baby Shower, DIY Avocado Toast Bar , and Build Your Own Succulent Terrarium Party Activity + Free Printables

Crab Boil 4th of July Party | A Well Crafted Party

Crab Boil 4th of July Party

There are a few events that I host yearly. I am a sucker for a good tradition. One of our traditions is to do a Crab Boil for 4th of July. Crab legs, shrimp, clams, potatoes, onions, lemons, and sausages are loaded up on a table for all to eat. We traditionally throw all of the food onto the paper covered table and eat with our hands. The crab ended up staying on our serving platter this year just because we thought it looked pretty! Ha.

Want more? Check out my Pinterest board for Crab Boil Party Ideas.

 

Nexo Knight 6th Birthday | A Well Crafted Party

Nexo Knight Themed 6th Birthday Party

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be putting children’s parties on my top parties of the year. Guess that goes to show you how much parenthood can change you. My oldest son turned six this year and I have to say that he rivals me in my love for parties. He helped plan and develop his Nexo Knight themed birthday party. Guests helped create their own shields and swords before a hearty dinner and Knight training.

Want more? I’ll be sharing more from this party in the very near future! In the meantime, check out my Nexo Knight Pinterest Board.

Queen Baby Shower | A Well Crafted Blog

A Queen Themed Baby Shower

After having two boys my friend Yvonne had a baby girl! As a mamma of two wonderful boys myself, I could imagine how excited she must have been to give her boys a baby sister. Because her last name is King I thought we should do a baby shower fit for a queen! The shower was a lunchtime soiree with a color scheme of pink, peach, green, and mint. I had so much fun putting in crown details along with florals and balloons.

Want more? I’ll be sharing a post about this party next week!

Tiki Party | A Well Crafted Party

Tiki Birthday Party

I love a good tiki bar so when a friend was having a Tiki Birthday Party for her husband I asked if I could take care of the cocktails. I three tasty cocktails to be served on a large bed of ice. Tiki drinks are just as much about their cups and garnish as they are about big fruity flavors. I had so much fun coming up with the right style of drinks. To complete the look I also mimicked Tiki menus by drawing pictures of the beverages with their menu description.

Want more? These drinks will be coming to the blog as summer approaches. In the meantime, check out this delicious Triple Tiki Rum Punch from A Beautiful Mess.

Colorful 2nd Birthday Party | A Well Crafted Party

A Colorful 2nd Birthday Party

My second son turned two this year and I loved how easy and fun his party turned out to be! He loves drawing and coloring… mostly with markers, but it can seriously pacify him for some time. His birthday was all about his colorful personality and his love for color. We papered the house and put crayons, colored pencils, and markers everywhere so guests could draw and color any place that they chose to be. Sometimes even the simplest of parties can become a favorite!

Want more? I’ll be sharing this party on the blog soon!

What was your favorite event or celebration of 2017? Share with me in the comments below or on social media!

 

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A Well Crafted Party

Throwing Affordable Holiday Parties – Podcast with Stacking Benjamins

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I’m excited to shared that I was featured on the awesome, and hilarious, podcast Stacking Benjamins today with my tips on “Holiday Parties That Won’t Break the Bank.” Head on over to hear the holiday party tips I share while  visiting Joe’s mom’s basement. Don’t forget to stay for Doug’s trivia!

If you have found my little blog via the podcast… welcome! I hope you stay for the party. 😉 Learn a little more about me and this corner of the internet on my ever growing “About Me” page. Learn more holiday tips below!

Holiday Party Tips | A Well Crafted Party
Photo by Macey Snelson | Festive Green and White Holiday Party

How to Throw an Affordable Holiday Party this Season:

Hosting a party needs to be fun for your guests, but it also needs to be fun for you as a host! When hosting a party becomes an obligation rather than a privilege, it sucks out the fun for everyone. When putting together a holiday soiree think about what is most important to you and ways you can decrease your stress.

Outsource what you hate!

My blog is all about finding affordable ways to celebrate life. However, there are times when where you need to save is less about saving money and more about saving sanity. This might have been something that has come with age, but I think it is really important to figure out what you need to outsource to make hosting an event enjoyable to you as well as your guests. When looking at a limited budget, think about outsourcing areas that really stress you out will go a long way to helping make for a successful event. For instance, if you hate cleaning, consider renting out a venue or hiring cleaners for your home. If cooking isn’t your jam, hire a catering company or order out. You can re-plate a lot of foods to make them look like a million bucks without all the stress of a day in the kitchen cooking. Order flowers from a florist rather than styling your own. A well placed gorgeous bouquet can do the job of decorating for a party without a lot of effort!

Limit options when it comes to beverages and food.

This will go a long way in cutting back stress, but also allow you to better stick to a budget.

Holiday Drinks | A Well Crafted Party

Beverages: Guests don’t often need a multitude of beverage choices to enjoy a party.

Instead of investing in several bottles of different choices of red and white wines, pick a house favorite single red and single white wine to serve. Same with beer. Pick one or two favorites. Don’t worry about stocking up a full bar, instead, create one to two signature cocktails— punch bowls and batch cocktails are awesome ways to limit your expenses and keep yourself from having to tend bar all night long. Always serve non-alcoholic options as well, but again, limit the options. I always love to have a carafe of water elevated with fruit, mint, or cucumber as an affordable and refreshing non-alcoholic option. I generally estimate 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a dinner party event and 2 drinks per person per hour for a cocktail party event. Day-time events generally go with an estimation of 1 drink per hour.

Holiday Appetizers | A Well Crafted Party Photo by Mary Boyden
Photo Mary Boyden – Oysters with Tabasco Shaved Ice

Food: A few well selected food items can go over better than a bevvy of choices that aren’t well-thought out.

Cocktail Party: For a cocktail party event pick three to five appetizers and make sure there are around three to four pieces/servings per appetizer per person. Have them strategically placed around the room or passed out on trays. As a host this is a perfect excuse to make it around the room to see how everyone is doing without being pulled to stay for a long conversation with one guest. Put a tray in your hand and deliver food to your guests! (Check out these awesome holiday appetizers from some of my favorite blogs!)

Dinner Party: I am a big fan of large dinner parties with several courses, but when sticking to a budget I generally stick to a menu of 3 to 4 courses at most. (How to throw a Multi-Course Dinner Party)

Potluck: Potlucks are incredibly popular during the holiday season and I’m a BIG fan. The way to make potlucks more guest-friendly? Make sure you are upfront in the invitation that it is a potluck and what type of item you are expecting guests to bring. When guests do bring items to a potluck, don’t forget to have ways for them to label their foods so that your guests with allergies or food aversions can pick out items that fit their needs and tastes. (Free holiday potluck printables.)

DIY Holiday Decor | A Well Crafted Party photo by Macey Snelson
Photo by Macey Snelson | DIY Branch Holiday Card Holder

My thoughts on DIY

Obviously, my blog is all about ‘crafting’ a great experience. I’m a HUGE fan of DIY. A great way to decrease the expense of a party is to DIY!  But, when doing it yourself causes great stress, it is more important to allocate your funds in a way that will make the event enjoyable to your and your guests. Go ahead an purchase some pre-made appetizers or desserts. Put it on another plate and go! Limit the DIY projects to one or two even if you are a pro DIYer.  The great thing about holiday party decor is that it is sort of already built in with your general holiday decor. Get more easy DIY projects and free printables from my “Natural Green and White Holiday Party.”

More holiday party tips

 

 

 

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