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The secret to an easy holiday party? Have your guests help!

Everyone loves a party! And it’s even better when someone else is giving it! The host does all the work, guests do all the fun. Even still, you probably love to throw a good party. And your friends love that you love to do that! So what’s a committed entertainer (of the party hosting, not karaoke, variety) to do at this time of year? We want to bring different people together, serve tasty food and drinks, show off our impressive candle collection! And most important, mix and mingle so a good time can be had by all! But we don’t want to wipe ourselves out in the process because we’re probably kinda busy… not to mention throwing other parties too. There’s only so much a girl can do! So, the best solution is to have a DIY party. And while you’re at it, make it a BYO party as well.

I’m gonna guess, if you’re inviting them over during the holidays, your guests are on your ‘A’ list (at the very least, your ‘B’ list). So no one’s going to be offended if you ask them to bring something. They’ll probably appreciate that you’re doing all the heavy lifting and will be happy to contribute something. Ask them to make an appetizer or go full-on potluck. It’s an easy way for everyone to share the holiday spirit.

Throw a BYO, TGIF, LOL, DIY party! ASAP!

How else can you make holiday hosting a little easier? Well in addition to a DIY party, you can host at any time other than a Saturday night in December. Try a weeknight, daytime or a weekend after the holidays are over. Another is to have edible centerpieces. Incorporate them into your menu, then send them home with your guests as they leave so there’s less for you to clean up and store. Another idea is to have a station for the kids — think gingerbread house-making, cookie decorating or a craft — fun, right? Then have a station for the adults — think DIY bar where guests make their own “theme” cocktails. You post the menu, no bartender needed. Even more fun, right?! These are all simple ideas that can end up saving you some time and energy. Plus they’ll give you more time to mingle and be merry!

If you’ve been one of my loyal blog followers, you know that we publish these image roundups weekly. We feature a particular event for a particular client (well, actually this week, we’ve sidetracked a bit) so you can go deep on the particular theme. If you know what’s up, skip this part. New visitors, take a look below…

Photos and ideas for inspiration every day!

In case you missed it, here’s what we’re doing, mentioned in the first blog. (And if you already know what’s going on, skip to the first photo!) Every day we’re posting event photos & inspiration to my Instagram page to give you ideas for your own events. And, of course, to encourage you to hire yours truly, event coordinator extraordinaire, for your next soirée! In terms of format, we’re trying to capitalize on the whole hashtag calendar world and take advantage of #WeddingWednesday (#WW) and #ThrowbackThursday (#TBT) by posting wedding photos and cool stuff we’ve done on Wednesdays and on Thursdays, harkening back to a past client’s event, be it a celebrity, or just one of us tastemakers.

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Monday:

Hosting during the holidays? Go for anything OTHER than a Saturday night! Why compete with all the other Saturday night soirées? A better plan awaits! Go for a Sunday brunch, a weeknight, or even New Year’s DAY. Yes, there actually is another party day that starts with “New Year’s”. Or, wait till everyone is back in town from their travels and the post-holiday doldrums have set in. Then, have a low-key daytime get-together. You and your guests will enjoy the January pick-me-up, sans stress!

Make holiday hosting easy! The Party Goddess, LA's best full service event planner, shares tips to throw a ridiculously fabulous DIY party on a budget! Check it out at https://thepartygoddess.com/host-festive-byo-diy-party #diy #diyparty @maiasphoto @christinechang - brunch image — Love this? Pin it to your Events Board.

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Tuesday:

Hosting during the holidays? Potluck it. A potluck is the perfect way to save money and share the load. Ensure there will be no duplicates by having guests post what they’re bringing on the comment section of the Evite or even on a shared Google doc or group Pinterest board. And then assign EVERYTHING: Hors d’oeuvres and sides, sure, but why not put someone in charge of the playlist, the dishes and even the décor? Get everyone in on the DIY party action!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Wednesday:

Hosting during the holidays? Try fragrant farm-to-table centerpieces! Use herbs as centerpieces and give them to guests as a parting gift. I can’t tell you how handy it is to have fresh basil to toss into leftover pasta or a little thyme to a very rushed homemade salad dressing. Plus, they look great, smell even better and are CHEAP! This idea works at a wedding, too! Happy #WeddingWednesday!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Thursday:

Hosting during the holidays? Have an activity for kids! If you have younger guests coming to your shin dig, make sure you have something to keep them entertained. There’s only so long a group of children can keep up the cocktail party small talk before they lose interest. Having something fun lined up for them will make it easier for their parents to stay longer! A gingerbread house kit or holiday cookies to decorate give kids a chance to get a little creative and a lot sugared up! #TBT

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Friday:

Hosting during the holidays? Keep the bar… ditch the tender! Have a DIY beverage station and let guests create their own specialty cocktails for the evening. Provide a small how-to chalkboard menu with some easy recipes like spiked hot chocolate or super hip tea-tinis! A DIY party calls for some experimentation at the bar, without the expensive mixologist!

Favorite Event Photos and Inspiration – Saturday:

Hosting during the holidays? Try sweet, edible centerpieces! Let your centerpieces and decorations do double duty. They can look pretty and be a party favor! Go for colorful candy or large lollipops like the ones pictured here. They give a pop of color to any type of centerpiece. Then when guests leave, they can take the treats home to eat or display (or even to re-gift to someone else!).

Event Photos and Inspiration – Plus, tell me what else you want to see on the blog!

So, what do you think of our DIY party ideas? Which is your fave and please share your ideas? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo M

P.S. We’ve got more DIY party ideas to help you stay on budget: DIY Decorations…Get into the Holiday Spirit!, DIY Champagne Cork Succulents and Super Simple DIY Decor. You can find more interesting blogs and images on our website, or just contact us to book your next event! And if you like this blog, would you be so kind as to share it with a friend?