Who's excited for tomorrow's big game? I just got back from my second NYC visit this month and Alex will be returning from London tomorrow! So at least we'll be able to watch the big game together but we won't be having a big ol' Superbowl shindig like last year... but that doesn't mean we won't be getting a ridiculous amount of food for just the two of us :) That's part of the fun right?!
Anyway, I'm kinda going to miss the party planning part this year because last year's ended up looking fantastic AND it was pretty easy! I felt really proud of it so I wanted to share what I learned in case anyone out there doing last minute party prep needs some help!
Here are the five key things that really upped my Super Bowl party game last year:
#1 Butcher Paper
This is genius! Butcher paper/ food safe paper is cheap, you can decorate it how ever you'd like (gets you away from the cheesy football themed decor- yuck!) and it makes for EASY clean up. You can cover your entire table with it and place food directly on it if you want to. What I liked the most about it is that we used it as a key decor element along with black+white. It'll add a super sophisticated touch to your party and you'll be thankful you used it at the end of the night when it's time to clean up!
#2 Grab-N-Go Paper Snack Bags
Yep, your plain old basic paper lunch bags. The look ties back to the butcher paper so you'll be looking oh-so clever! Take them and cut them down to about half the height (I used my pinking shears from my sewing kit to get a zig-zag shape at the top). Then fill them up with whatever Super Bowl treat you'd like and line them up on your table. We filled ours with different kinds of popcorn, but another really fun idea would be filling them with thick-cut french fries and letting guests top them they way they like! Whatever you fill them with, it's a really easy grab and go treat for your guests and MUCH cuter than a big old serving bowl filled with popcorn, chips, etc.
#3 The Bloody Mary Bar
This is an interesting one, more than likely half your guests love Bloody's and the other half hate them. Nonetheless, everyone will be impressed when they see it and even some of the haters will want to try one. The DIY drink approach makes people curious :) For our fixings bar we included pickles, stuffed olives, cheese sticks, pepperoncini, beef jerky or Slim Jims, Tabasco, and Worcestershire with Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix and Absolut Peppar vodka.
#4 Chalkboards
Okay, I bet most home owner in the US own a chalkboard these days but if you don't you can easily make one to incorporate into your food and/or bar set up. We have quite a few but the ones we used at our Super Bowl party were made the night before- really it's true! We have a TON of scrap wood in our basement from old house projects so I took a couple plywood pieces (Alex cut them back when he added the wainscoting in our dinning room) and slapped on two coats of chalkboard paint, let them dry overnight and they were ready the next morning! We used them to list Bloody Mary and Margarita bar directions for our guests. Decor and inform?! How can you beat that?!
#5 "Did you try the (fill in the blank)?" Food Fun
My fifth and final tip has to do with the food- and this was something I didn't share photos of last year! Supply the basics (hot wings, pizza, cheese dip, chips, etc.) to keep everyone happy but include something signature to you and/or whoever you are hosting with. In my case it was my husband and knowing a lot of his buddies from work were attending he wanted to make the hottest, spiciest chili imaginable just to see who would man up andsuffer try it. He even gave it a name and although it was inappropriate, it added to the fun of the night. "Did you try the chili?" was the question of the night when it came to the food, so include something that isn't at every Super Bowl party and you'll hear it too!
That rounds out the play-by-play for my Super Bowl party tips. I hope some of you last minute party planners found it helpful! Even if you just use one of the ideas it might add a fun touch to the elements you've already finished up?! Hope you have a blast! Enjoy the game (and commercials, that's my fav)!
Anyway, I'm kinda going to miss the party planning part this year because last year's ended up looking fantastic AND it was pretty easy! I felt really proud of it so I wanted to share what I learned in case anyone out there doing last minute party prep needs some help!
Here are the five key things that really upped my Super Bowl party game last year:
#1 Butcher Paper
This is genius! Butcher paper/ food safe paper is cheap, you can decorate it how ever you'd like (gets you away from the cheesy football themed decor- yuck!) and it makes for EASY clean up. You can cover your entire table with it and place food directly on it if you want to. What I liked the most about it is that we used it as a key decor element along with black+white. It'll add a super sophisticated touch to your party and you'll be thankful you used it at the end of the night when it's time to clean up!
Yep, your plain old basic paper lunch bags. The look ties back to the butcher paper so you'll be looking oh-so clever! Take them and cut them down to about half the height (I used my pinking shears from my sewing kit to get a zig-zag shape at the top). Then fill them up with whatever Super Bowl treat you'd like and line them up on your table. We filled ours with different kinds of popcorn, but another really fun idea would be filling them with thick-cut french fries and letting guests top them they way they like! Whatever you fill them with, it's a really easy grab and go treat for your guests and MUCH cuter than a big old serving bowl filled with popcorn, chips, etc.
This is an interesting one, more than likely half your guests love Bloody's and the other half hate them. Nonetheless, everyone will be impressed when they see it and even some of the haters will want to try one. The DIY drink approach makes people curious :) For our fixings bar we included pickles, stuffed olives, cheese sticks, pepperoncini, beef jerky or Slim Jims, Tabasco, and Worcestershire with Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix and Absolut Peppar vodka.
Okay, I bet most home owner in the US own a chalkboard these days but if you don't you can easily make one to incorporate into your food and/or bar set up. We have quite a few but the ones we used at our Super Bowl party were made the night before- really it's true! We have a TON of scrap wood in our basement from old house projects so I took a couple plywood pieces (Alex cut them back when he added the wainscoting in our dinning room) and slapped on two coats of chalkboard paint, let them dry overnight and they were ready the next morning! We used them to list Bloody Mary and Margarita bar directions for our guests. Decor and inform?! How can you beat that?!
My fifth and final tip has to do with the food- and this was something I didn't share photos of last year! Supply the basics (hot wings, pizza, cheese dip, chips, etc.) to keep everyone happy but include something signature to you and/or whoever you are hosting with. In my case it was my husband and knowing a lot of his buddies from work were attending he wanted to make the hottest, spiciest chili imaginable just to see who would man up and
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| Not intended to offend, this is an example of the kind of humor I deal with frequently when it comes to Alex & his buddies. |
What are your key Superbowl party planning tips?
Are you using any of these ideas for your party this year? Which one(s)?
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