Hosting a party on a budget - TIPS!

I recently held a party and I had amazing feedback that everyone enjoyed it. I wanted to host a garden party as I’d spent most of the summer planting and growing and I’ll be honest, I just wanted to show it off!

As my friends know, I’m ALWAYS skint, so it was a party on a budget, but I honestly think it didn’t seem that way and I’ve got pretty good at making do – so I thought I’d share some ideas for party hosting in your home..

1. Bunting makes everything look 100% party ready (without the need for balloons) – I already had 10 metres of fabric bunting I’d made for my wedding, but if you just have fabric anyway, it’s REALLY easy to make (I literally just cut out fabric triangles and sewed them on a ribbon – I’m horrendous at sewing so if I can do it, anyone can)

2.DOILIES - I put them under.everything on the drinks table and I think it definitely ‘prettied’ it up. Any flowers/small plants/pretty trinkets and pots you have lying around – pop them around where the guests will be looking, e.g. the drinks and food table, it instantly looks like you’ve made an effort.

                                                                 

3.As does putting the food on plates/bowls/trays – basically anything glass or pot – rather than in the tubs/boxes etc

4.  Food-wise I’m an absolute sucker for a buffet. I LOVE them. When I host parties I tend to go massively overboard on the buffet – I’m talking quiche/sarnies/potato wedges/crisps of all kinds/cakes/scones/sausage rolls/burgers/biscuits,/pie/Indian selection/Chinese selection…the list is endless. This time I decided I would do two general things and just do a variety to save money – so I went for cakes and sandwiches. My family are mainly veggies, I would ordinarily do meat and veggie sarnies – but I decided to do only veggie then everyone can eat them (theres pennies saved) – and cakes wise I would have made some but it was actually cheaper to buy the cakes than all the ingredients. I shop at Aldi (no-one at the party noticed!) – for example I got 16 cupcakes for £3.99 and Aldi versions of French Fancies for 99p a box (There is NO DIFFERENCE). As a bonus, my Mam brought scones and some other guests brought crisps! As you can see, the table doesn’t exactly look empty! – The sausage rolls were an added extra I decided to make in a panic (they weren’t necessary!) they are also veggie to cater for everyone.

                                           

5.Drinks – I was looking up cocktail recipes for ages – then I realised I should actually check what’s in the booze cupboard and work around that – I had a full bottle vodka! So I decided to do just a vodka cocktail – I chose the ‘Smirnoff summer punch’ - https://uk.thebar.com/recipe/smirnoff-summer-punch . So all I needed to actually buy was the ginger beer as I already had everything else! For the non-drinkers I wanted  to make a mocktail but it was going to work out really expensive as they all contain so many ingredients. Then some drinks in Aldi caught my eye – they had a special offer limited edition summer drinks section with loads of different flavours – 1ltr for 49p! I chose the Strawberry and Lychee fizz – I bought 5 litres and filled the drinks container with frozen fruit – it looked fab and tasted like I’d totally made it myself! Everyone brought wine as a hosting gift so that wasn’t a problem for anyone who wanted something else to drink – and for the ones who wanted tea and coffee I just made up a teapot of each a couple of times throughout the day – this freed up my ‘mingling’ time and everyone could help themselves as much as they would like. I also didn’t buy ice – I borrowed ice trays and I already had some of those disposable ice bags you fill up

6.     I am a HUGE fan of chalk paint – I mean actual blackboard paint as well as the up-cycling furniture stuff. I have a blackboard on my kitchen wall usually reserved for shopping lists, but for the party I created a design I found on Pinterest to add to the decoration. With the the leftover paint I had from a while pack, I painted some bits of cardboard from Bubs craft drawer, hole punched and added string. I’ve now got versatile bunting I change for any occasion – I made two, one saying ‘party’ and one ‘cheers’ for above the drinks table.

                            
7.BORROW – I asked around for days for a Gazebo to borrow and eventually I was lent two! There’s always someone! Same with chairs! Don’t go out and buy emergency chairs – everyone has chairs!! Just be prepared to do a couple of trips there and back for borrowing some! Other items I borrowed include a ladel (!), a picnic blanket and cake stand.
8. Shop around – it sounds ridiculous but I must have went in about 20 shops looking for a bargain when it came to plastic cups – I could have borrowed them in hindsight but I’m the clumsiest person and I’d feel awful if I broke peoples glasses. I looked in Wilkinson’s and it was £1.49 for 10. Then some glasses caught my eye – they were on a special offer 6 for 50p. Not even joking! So I bought 2 boxes of these instead – and now I get to reuse them! £1 for 6 glasses – and they are decent too! Shopping around pays off!

                           

I hope you can get even just one idea for saving money hosting a party – it doesn’t have to be stressful, I gave myself time to plan, shop around and make things and everyone had a fab time! On a side note, I’m honestly not sponsored by Aldi I just LOVE the place haha!!