It doesn’t take much time to plan a craft party with friends, and the holidays are a perfect time to host one! What’s more fun to a craft lover than getting creative with good friends and great food!
To make good use of my studio while the kids were at school, I invited some friends over to make DIY decor for Thanksgiving out of candles and mason jars. With a few craft supplies and delicious food such as my favorite Ristorante Pizza, it ended up being a great day!
Everyone got to take home something pretty for their home or to use for gifts.
Never hosted a craft party? Here are a few simple tips to help you get started. I hope you are inspired to invite some friends over after seeing what we did. It was a blast! Be sure to read all of the post, as there is a fabulous giveaway from Ristorante below to help you plan your own holiday party. Yay!
What will you make?
To host a craft party, first of all you need to decide what craft you would want to make. Pick a date, then invite some friends to join you! To decide on the craft, start with a theme such as a specific holiday or room of your home. Think of supplies you already have that you could repurpose with a little paint, ribbon or paper.
I chose repurposing candles and mason jars because I already had a ton of these around the house. Plus, decorating candles and jars are very easy and a craft project anyone can make in about 10 minutes. Didn’t they turn out gorgeous? I can’t wait to decorate my Thanksgiving table now!
What will you bring?
Ask guests to bring something. Whether it’s craft supplies, food or drinks, it’s always nice to have a little help in each of those areas. Figure out what you need and make sure you have plenty of supplies.
I stocked up on all kinds of ribbon and fake fall leaves for my party. I love the selections of burlap ribbon available now in most craft stores. For candles, most of my friends brought their own, but I found some inexpensive candles just incase.
My friend Terri brought over a few pasta sauce jars that she had removed the label and spray painted the lids. She ended up winning the prize for the most creative! – Yes, I always love to have prizes at my parties:-)
What food will you serve?
I like to serve appetizers and desserts that are fast and easy.
My go to party food is Ristorante Pizza as it tastes just like homemade. For my craft party, I cut the Spinaci pizza into bite sized squares. This unique pizza is layered with savory leaf spinach, sun-ripened tomatoes, cheese and mozzarella and a hearty garlic sauce.
Several guests asked if I made it. I wish I could say yes! If you haven’t tried this brand of pizza yet, head to the frozen section of your grocery store and get some. You can find where at the store locator here.
How cute is this pumpkin cheese ball? My friend Barbara brought it and I couldn’t resist sharing the photo. It was delicious, I’ll see if she will share the recipe with us soon!
What will you do at the party?
Now that your food is planned, make sure crafts are taken care of. Have samples ready to show guests when they arrive. Here are a few of my samples…
For decorating candles, there was a lot of hot glue involved, so I made a separate area just for the glue guns. I’m glad I did, because it was a big mess! If you have a glue gun station, put some newspaper down to save your table.
Make sure to take lots of pictures too. The sillier the better!
What you’ll need to decorate jars or candles:
- Jars & Candles
- Ribbon
- Burlap Twine
- Leaves
- Small Ornaments and Jewels
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
Trim the ribbon and arrange your design. Hot glue the layers and accessories to the ribbon, then glue the final design to the jar or candle.
Holiday Party Giveaway!
Enter to win this fabulous giveaway from Ristorante to help you plan a holiday party of your own!
Prizes include…
- Vineyard wine decanter with wood base, Pottery Barn
- Slate wine tag, set of four, Pottery Barn
- Tondo 12” round platter, Crate and Barrel
- 2 Ristorante Pizza coupons
Follow directions on the widget and good luck!
Originally published on November 11, 2014. Last Updated on May 15, 2021 by Amy Locurto
My favorite would be the mason jar craft. Those are so cute, going to have to make a few for my Thanksgiving tables
My girlfriends and I had fun painting on porcelain plates and mugs and then baking them