From cake to decorations, here are 15 festive Friendsgiving ideas to help make your party extra special.
What is Friendsgiving
Friendsgiving is basically Thanksgiving but with your friends!
It’s a time to gather with your besties, share good food, and celebrate everything you’re grateful for together.
Instead of the traditional family dinner, Friendsgiving is usually more laid-back and fun, with everyone bringing a dish, playing games, and just enjoying each other’s company.
All together, It’s all about good vibes, lots of laughter, and making memories with the people who feel like family, even if they aren’t.
Friendsgiving Ideas
1. Send Out Invitations
Start the festivities off right with personalized invitations!
Instead of just sending a quick text, create digital invites to set the tone for your event.
Platforms like Canva offer tons of customizable templates, so you can add your own style with fall colors, leaves, or a Friendsgiving theme.
Make sure to include essential details like the date, time, location, dress code, and any special instructions, like if it’s a potluck.
Overall, sending thoughtful invites helps build excitement and makes the gathering feel even more special.
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2. Have a Themed Friendsgiving Party
A theme can take your Friendsgiving to the next level by giving everything a cohesive look and feel.
From a “Friends” TV show theme with the cast’s iconic food favorites to a delightful outdoor Friendsgiving picnic, a theme can add a layer of excitement and personality to the event.
Some other fun theme ideas include “Friendsgiving Bake Together,” “Friendsgiving paint and sip,” and “Friendsgiving brunch.”
All in all, a theme not only inspires your decorations but can also help guide your menu and dress code.
RELATED: Fun Friendsgiving Themes for a Unique Gathering
3. Decorate Your Space With DIY Decor
If you love planning events, decorating for Friendsgiving is a perfect chance to get crafty.
Go for a warm, cozy vibe with DIY decor, such as handmade banners, painted pumpkins, mason jar candles, and leaf garlands.
Create a tablescape with mini pumpkins, candles, and leafy centerpieces to bring in that fall feel. You could even create place cards for each friend or add handwritten notes of gratitude around the dinner table.
RELATED: 10 Friendsgiving Decor Ideas for a Festive Gathering
4. Incorporate Photo Memories Into Your Decor
A sentimental way to decorate is to use photos from past gatherings or memorable moments with your friends.
You can post pictures and create a photo wall, make a picture garland and hang it across the room, or create a cute framed collage.
For a sweet touch, you can even add photos to each place setting so everyone has a little keepsake of a fun memory together.
This personal decor not only celebrates your friendships but also makes for a fun conversation starter as you all reminisce about good times.
5. Play Fun Games
Keep the energy up and the fun going with some games and activities throughout your Friendsgiving party.
Bring out the board games, card games, DIY games, or even set up a trivia contest to keep the laughter going.
Furthermore, you can even have a “Friends” trivia to see how well everyone knows each other.
All in all, games are a super important component for Friendsgiving. Plus, they’re great icebreakers, especially if you’re blending different friend groups.
RELATED: 27 Friendsgiving Games to Elevate Your Celebration
6. Provide To-Go Containers
This point is important especially if you’re having a potluck style menu.
Make sure to have to-go containers on hand so your friends can take home leftovers.
This not only helps with cleanup but also lets everyone enjoy the food later.
7. Have a Gift Exchange
Why wait for the holidays when you can enjoy gift-giving in the fall!
Add a festive twist to your Friendsgiving with a gift exchange.
You can do a Secret Santa or White Elephant style exchange, just like during the holidays.
Friendsgiving Theme Ideas
8. Celebrate With Cake
Who says cake is only for birthdays?
A beautiful cake can be a stunning centerpiece for your Friendsgiving dessert table.
If your group isn’t big on pie, go for a fall-themed cake with flavors like pumpkin spice, caramel apple, and cinnamon. Or keep it simple with a regular vanilla or chocolate cake.
9. Have a Potluck-Style Menu
Hosting a potluck-style Friendsgiving not only makes things easier on the host but also lets everyone bring a dish they love.
To make it more fun, you could add a twist by having a themed potluck.
Such as having everyone bring a food that starts with the first letter of their names. Or a color themed potluck where guests match their Friendsgiving outfit to their dish.
RELATED: Fun Potluck Themes to Spice up Your Gathering
10. Serve Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Foods
For a unique twist, serve some non-traditional Thanksgiving foods at your Friendsgiving.
Pizzas, burgers, tacos, or wings can add a fun, casual vibe to your gathering and let everyone enjoy a meal that’s a bit different from the typical Thanksgiving menu.
RELATED: What to Bring to Friendsgiving
11. Have a Bouquet Bar
With all the pumpkin elements around in the fall, it’s easy to forget about flowers.
Give your Friendsgiving a floral touch by setting up a bouquet bar!
Arrange a variety of in-season flowers, like sunflowers, mums, and eucalyptus, so guests can make their own bouquets to take home.
It’s a fun, interactive activity that also doubles as a thoughtful party favor.
12. Create a Friendsgiving Playlist
Set the mood with a collaborative playlist where everyone can add their favorite songs.
A mix of relaxing tunes, fall vibes, sing- alongs, and fun throwbacks can create the perfect party atmosphere.
You could even make a game out of guessing who added which song or let each guest introduce one of their selections during the party.
All in all, a personalized soundtrack can make your Friendsgiving feel even more special and brings out everyone’s personality.
Fun Friendsgiving Ideas
13. Memory Lane
Make your Friendsgiving extra memorable with a slideshow of photos and videos from past years.
Put together a collection of fun moments, hangouts, and random off guard pictures, and play it towards the end of the party for a nostalgic touch.
Watching those memories together can be a sweet reminder of all the great times you’ve shared with your friends.
14. Set up a Photobooth
A photobooth is a great way to capture memories at your Friendsgiving party.
Set up a backdrop with fall leaves, pumpkins, or even a “Friendsgiving” sign, and provide props like turkey hats, funny glasses, and signs.
Your friends can snap fun photos throughout the night and have plenty of memories to look back on.
15. Serve Cute Fall Treats and Desserts
Complete your party with a variety of adorable fall-themed treats.
Such as snickerdoodle cookies, caramel apple bites, and maple-glazed donuts.
A dessert table filled with mini pies, cinnamon rolls, and pumpkin bread is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
You can even get creative and make a DIY s’mores bar or a cider station for a cozy ending to your meal.
