I need ideas for a fun housewarming party.....?!
I need ideas for a fun housewarming party.....?
fun games, great food, gift ideas, anything to make it the best ever
Answers:
I like a luaua in winter. It would be fun and a great break from frezzing temps. You could have a limbo bar and serve fruity drinks like margaritas, daquiris, and mai tai's. And it will take away from the stuffiness of those boring houseparties
do a movie theme- especially with the oscars coming up.
you can get the game Scene it and just let it play in party mode, or actually form teams.
I would prepare a fairly simple buffet dinner- a lasagna or casserole of some sort, a salad, bread, dessert but make a focus on movie-type snacks like different flavored sweet and spiced popcorn, peanuts candy, bon bon ice cream etc to play up the movie theme. I have seen on TV movie related games for the entire party like you stick a star shaped sticker on someone's back with a celebrity name on it. Then the person has to try and guess which star they are, by asking other people questions. You can offer prizes like free movie rentals for the top three winners. I have seen decorations like strings of movie tickets used instead of streamers, 8.5 x 11 labels cut into star shapes and placed on the carpeting like your personal family and friends "walk of fame"
for gift ideas, how about having a household cleaning gift party? not that i am insinuating that you are not clean, its just that those products can be very expensive if you have to purchase them all at once. when my husband & i moved into our house, we combined two apartments full of other stuff - we didn't need the plates, housewares, etc... that some folks need when they are starting out, and we had just got all those nice wedding gifts. the stuff we needed was the trashbags, new brooms/mops, new dusters, cleaning sprays etc... even though we went to big discount department stores, the initial bill for all those items at once was a little staggering!
or, another item you may be short on in a new home is bar essentials... have everyone bring a bottle of their favorite, along with a drink recipe. that way you can set up a home bar and be ready to host the next big extravaganza at your place!
i highly recommend inviting a few freidns over that afternoon to help with last minute cleaning, shopping, and keeping yuou entertained. also avoids the uncomfortable 'the guy i barely know from work showed up an hour early and now i have to entertain him alone" moment. also highly recommend being ready early so you can relax and have a drink before people arrive.
music is key. have a fun mix of songs that will keep people entertained and the mood up. if you are low on tunes have friends bring CDs or their ipods.
a big pan of lasagne with garlic bread and a bowl of salad for those that are really hungry - and finger foods for the rest. (also will make the house smell great!) A mix of dips, cheeses, crackers, toasts, veggies. Some brownies and cookies for dessert. save yourself time and buy stuff from the store and save the cooking for your favorite recipes!
Have a few bottles of wine, but you'll probably get a bunch for gifts. I was left with more wine than I bought after my housewarming.
you could also make a signature drink in bulk if you have a favorite. cosmos, sangria, mulled wine, etc.
as far as games go - i vote keep it simple and save the games for the late night crowd. planned games for large groups can go real wrong and kill a mood. unless its a drinking game kind of party... but thats a whole other question.
Karaoke it will be so.. much fun!
it could be a TP party where everybody has to bring a package of toilet paper along with or without a gift. or it could be a CLEAN house party where everyone buys cleaning products for the house, enough for atleast a year. people can get brooms, mops, cleaners, rags, trash cans, deoderizers...you name it. and as for food, you can make it pot luck where everyone brings their favorite food in a casserole dish that is NEW and the new homeowners get to KEEP!! as for games, i'm not really into games, just great music and great convos! enjoy!
I find they usually work the best as a "come and go" open house type of party. This way the guests can each have time to visit w/ the new homeowners and get tours. The food is in crockpots or on ice, fresh for each guest as they arrive. I wouldn't suggest games.
Great gift ideas would be things for the home: rake, shovel, ladder, extension cords, set of screwdrivers, door mats, new broom and dustpan, or a Home Depot gift card!