Host a Valentine's Day Crafternoon!
Have you all had enough of a break from entertaining over the holidays?? Are you ready to get your friends back together for a fun afternoon activity? Well February is officially here so I think it’s time to share a new party idea for all those hosting types (like myself) that are ready to do some seasonal entertaining! And what better excuse than throwing a cute Valentine’s Day party?! This year I decided to host a Valentine’s Day Crafternoon for some of my closest friends. Check out all the crafty details below :)
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DECORATIONS
When decorating for a party hosted at your home, I always recommend leaning into the color palettes that you already have within your home decor to make the party feel more cohesive. I always create a color palette for my party in the planning stages so that I have some guidance when it comes to buying decorations and flowers. I knew I wanted a good mix of shades of pink and red (obviously) but I wanted to work in these terracotta colored placecards (DIY coming soon!) and the lovely buttery color of these cute faux daisy flower stems that I already had in my home. This starting point helped me determine which shades of pinks and reds would correspond well.
Here are some of the decorative elements that I think helped bring the whole party theme together:
I created an easy (and inexpensive!) wall backdrop by folding paper into 3D hearts and attaching them to the wall with glue dots (Check out our instagram @entertainidea for a DIY tutorial reel coming soon!)
Pink plastic tablecloths (since we were going to be painting & crafting, the disposable tablecloth was a must!)
I DIY’d my own kraft paper placemats for each guest to use as a work space (DIY coming soon to the blog!)
The cute terracotta arched namecards are also a DIY coming soon to the blog (and they are chalkboard so they can be used again and again!)
Valentine’s cocktail napkins — this style and this style
I made these floral arrangements just using 3 different bunches of florals/greenery from Trader Joes on the morning of the party
These pipe cleaner heart drink stirrers were a super simple DIY project that added a cute touch to my drink station
And these sweet little pink crates made a perfect way to display each guest’s craft supplies
FOOD & DRINKS
Obviously food and drinks are an important part of any party! But when hosting these events, I always think it is fun to invite each guest to bring something to share because it gives them an opportunity to make something special for the event and then you, as the host, don’t have to worry about providing too much.
Here are some of the food & beverages that were available:
A charcuterie board complete with meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, & berries
The elote corn chip dippers from Trader Joes (OK how are these so good??) with a guacamole dip
Pigs in a blanket (I literally just bought the frozen TJ ones to make my life easier!)
Finger sandwiches that my friend Taylor had made cut out into the shape of hearts
Some delicious bacon wrapped dates
Sparkling pink lemonade & berry lemonade
Rosé
And when it comes to Valentine’s Day we could not forget the sweets :)
I made chocolate covered strawberries (decorated with valentine’s day sprinkles)
A mix of Trader Joes sweets - lemon bars, heart shaped macarons, gummy X’s and O’s
A homemade pumpkin pie
White chocolate & raspberry truffles
And an assortment of different types of delicious homemade cookies
Investing in a few good neutral serving pieces (like cake stands, wood board, ceramic platters, etc.) is a great idea if you love entertaining because they can elevate your buffet stations and can easily be tied into the party using a cute themed table runner underneath and some fun disposable plates & napkins.
CRAFTS
There were three main crafts that I had available for each of my friends to make. And I think they all ended up being a hit!
The first one was a sweet ceramic heart trinket dish that everyone could decorate with whatever paint colors they like. I had an assortement of acrylic paint laid out on the table, along with a few paint brushes & sponges per person, and a few water cups for cleaning brushes. I got little plastic paint palettes from the dollar store for each guest as well.
The second craft was a plain kraft pocket notebook that guests could collage with different pieces of scrapbook paper and embellishing supplies. There were a few bottles of Mod Podge on each table to glue down their creations.
And lastly, the third project were some cute jar candle holders that the girls could Mod Podge with these pressed florals for a pretty botanical look!
These three crafts ended up being a perfect combo because we were able to get creative and utilize the supplies from one to the other. And they were all simple but customizable enough that everyone could really make them in their own style. I also love that a candle holder, trinket dish, and notebook are all totally things that are useful everyday items! So it wasn’t like everyone was sent home with a bunch of junk they would never use again. I already have my heart dish filled with bobby pins displayed in my bathroom right now! :)
All and all, I think everyone had a really fun afternoon spending time together, getting crafty, and snacking on yummy treats :) And I had a blast designing everything and seeing it all come to life.
I’m now inspired to do more “crafternoon” parties with different themes throughout the year. I love any excuse to force my friends to do crafts! Hehe
I hope this Valentine’s day (or Galentine’s day) party idea has inspired you to do some seasonal entertaining. If you throw your own Crafternoon party, I would love to see how it turns out. Be sure to tag us on instagram @entertainidea or #entertaintheidea. Happy hosting!
xo Rachael
