5 Dinner Party Ideas For College Students
Isabella Cannon
| 4 min read
If there is anything I enjoy, it is throwing a themed party. As I kid, I would spend hours selecting a theme for my birthday parties, writing out the guest lists, scheming up areas in my house to place the decorations and selecting the prettiest birthday cake design with just the right amount of frosting.
Now that I’m in my 20s, I’ve learned to appreciate the simplicity of getting together with my friends and family and enjoying each other’s company over a good meal. But when it comes down to it, I’m still a kid at heart. Why stop having themed parties when you’re an adult?
Use these dinner party ideas for your next Instagram worthy get-together:
1. Charcuterie board night
Charcuterie boards are easy to make, share, customize and decorate. They make everyday food more aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to eat. A charcuterie board night is a great dinner party theme for friends and family because each person is tasked to bring their own unique spread.
A charcuterie board doesn’t have to just be meat, cheese and crackers. Get creative with the theme, items and set up of your board. The possibilities are endless. It is fun to see what everyone came up with and even more fun to eat a wide variety of delicious food.
Consider boards like:
- Sushi board
- Berries and Crème board
- Breakfast for dinner board
- Mini sliders board
- Movie night board
- Chips and dips board
For some advice on setting up your board, try these five easy tips to styling a charcuterie board.
2. Throwback Thursday
One of the greatest hits I’ve had when it comes to themed dinner parties is tapping into nostalgia. Have a ‘Throwback Thursday’ night to the decade of your choice. This could be the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s or early ‘00s. No matter which decade you select, make sure everything is coordinated.
- Invite your friends to come dressed in their best decade-appropriate attire.
- Have music playing from that decade.
- Watch movies or T.V. shows together that remind you of that era.
- Coordinate decorations, food and beverages to fit the theme.
3. Garden tea party
An adult tea party is unmatched in my experience. You don’t even need to be a fan of tea to have one. Try providing the option of coffee, sparkling water or lemonade for your non-tea drinking friends.
Here are some ways to elevate your tea party:
- Use a three-tier cake display to showcase scones, croissants and cucumber sandwiches, etc.
- Buy fresh flowers to place in vases around your space.
- Use a real tea pot, cups and saucers (you can find inexpensive tea sets at thrift shops if you don’t already own one).
- Have everyone dress up.
- Set up your table outside, if possible, with fairy lights.
4. Paint and sip
Get out those canvases, acrylic paints and paintbrushes. If you don’t have any, your local craft store will have you covered. Make sure to set up your table with plenty of supplies while you enjoy some mocktails and snacks together.
- Cover your table in carboard paper before beginning.
- Have guests either all paint the same thing or pair off and paint each other.
- Try painting bookmarks or candles if traditional canvas isn’t your thing.
- Enjoy mocktails and easy to eat, sharable foods.
5. Halloween party
Spooky season is here. If you’re anything like me, you can’t let October pass by without hosting a festive themed celebration. It’s time to turn on that fall playlist and pull out your decorations.
Here are some creative things to add to your next Halloween party:
- Make edible Halloween themed snacks.
- DIY: use mod podge to decorate pumpkins with pressed dried flowers.
- Draw jack-o-lanterns, mummies or ghosts on beverage cups.
- Make homemade pizza in the shape of ghosts.
- Have a bonfire and tell spooky stories.
- Get cozy and watch a scary movie.
Image: Getty images
