This post is all about ideas for friendsgiving.
One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is hosting a friendsgiving dinner every year. The only drawback is how much work it is to host a great friendsgiving! If you’re thinking of throwing a friendsgiving dinner but don’t want the stress, then you NEED these easy ideas for friendsgiving!
In this post, I’m sharing the best friendsgiving party ideas including fall decorations, friendsgiving games you can get, and the top 10 recipes you need for a complete friendsgiving meal.
I take pride in hosting a great friendsgiving celebration every year, and my friends are always talking about how excited they are for the next one. In this post, I’m putting together my favorite friendsgiving ideas so that whether you’re having a huge party or a small get together, your friendsgiving gathering will be perfect!
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Decor Ideas for Friendsgiving:
Let’s start with the best ideas for friendsgiving party decor and games.
In this list, you’ll find 40 pieces of fall decor that are perfect for a fun friendsgiving celebration. I’ve also added in some printable games and activities you can get if you want to add some extra fun to the big day!
This balloon garland arch kit is perfect for decorating this time of year. It comes with the prettiest fall colors, and you can get a couple friends to help you set it up before the party!
This print is insanely affordable and you can quickly download it and print it out for some great last-minute decor! This would be perfect for your front door to give people a laugh as they enter, or you could place it somewhere in your entryway.
These disposable Thanksgiving plates are so convenient while still looking super classy! They come with large and small plates which makes them perfect for serving dinner and dessert.
You can never have too many pumpkin-themed items around Thanksgiving time, and these pumpkin placemats are the perfect example. The more festive you make your decor, the better.
Friendsgiving is the perfect opportunity to buy these irresistible pumpkin place card holders. You can write your friends' names on a card to put in each of these and have the cutest table settings for everyone in your friend group!
If you're going for a more neutral look with your friendsgiving decor, these cute white pumpkin candles are a great way to add something cute and classy to your table.
Whether you're throwing a traditional thanksgiving feast or looking for more unique friendsgiving ideas, adding dark colors into your table setting is an absolute staple of the autumn holiday season. These black candlesticks are a great way to bring some moody ambience to your friendsgiving celebration.
Keeping on the theme of dark colors, these vintage brown candle holders will fit into any autumn color palette!
If you're looking for easy friendsgiving ideas, hang these banners around your party space. Whether you're hosting in an apartment, house, party room, or backyard, these will fit any space and bring the autumn vibe to your party.
These wine glasses are the perfect autumn colors and will add the prettiest touch to your friendsgiving party decor while still remaining classy. I want to buy a set of these right now!
If you're going for a more rustic or casual look, this checkered paper table runner is perfect because you can cut it to whatever length works for your table and it's a great option for tying together your decor.
An easy way to dress up your table, living room, or even bathroom is to add some of these autumn leaf bouquets.
This fringed orange table runner is reusable, so you can buy it and use it at your thanksgiving meals for years to come. If you're not a fan of the orange color, it also comes in several other fall colors like brown, cinnamon, or beige.
White pumpkins like this are some of the easiest items to grab and place around your party space to dress it up in a classy way.
You know it's a good time when you pull out the disposable tableware, and these thanksgiving-themed disposable table settings are the perfect way to decorate for the thanksgiving holiday.
I love garlands like this because you can add them to any space to instantly make them so much more festive. You could add these on top of your table runner at any traditional thanksgiving dinner or drape them on your entertainment console.
Pumpkin patches are the best autumn setting and this pumpkin patch sign is one of the most simple friendsgiving ideas that still adds a holiday feel to your space.
I think it would be such a cute idea to have a signature drink at your friendsgiving and then add these decorative cocktail picks with some garnish! Or, you could use these toothpicks for your appetizers. These fall-themed toothpicks are such a small detail that will go a long way.
This burnt orange cheesecloth table runner will give such an elegant vibe to your friendsgiving. If you pair this with a white table cloth and some fall candles, this decor will bring a fancier feel to any gathering of friends.
These placemats from Walmart will add a casual but relevant feel to your friendsgiving celebrations!
Anything that's actually friendsgiving-themed is going to make it into the top friendsgiving ideas in my opinion because decorations like this will set apart your friendsgiving from actual thanksgiving day.
If you want to add some warm lighting to the ambience of your space, these maple leaf lights are the perfect centerpiece base or coffee table decor.
Anything burlap makes the perfect fall decor, so these burlap pumpkins had to be part of these ideas for friendsgiving.
I've been wanting a pumpkin pillow like this since last year, and I think this is the perfect one to get! You can add a couple of these to your couch to instantly make it feel like that thanksgiving time of the year.
Those pumpkin pillows mentioned above would pair perfectly with this "It's Fall Y'all" pillow! Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only time of the year when you can actually get away with having slightly cheesy decor like this and make it look good.
Since a friendsgiving feast is all about friends enjoying full stomachs together, this fall harvest doormat is a fitting way to welcome everybody in.
Paper plates are the best way to host a lot of people without having to clean up a huge mess. These friendsgiving paper plates are the best thing because they help with the convenience factor while keeping your table settings on-theme.
Because every great party has themed napkins!!
This sign is 3D which gives it a fun twist to a regular thanksgiving welcome sign. You could add this to your entryway, outside your front door, or place it on your kitchen counter.
You can customize these to get them with your friends names, or you can pre-select a word like "thankful" or "blessed." Either way, these place cards are such a thoughtful touch that will level up your friendsgiving place settings.
This thanksgiving serving dish is one of those items that you can use for years to come! Whether you use this to serve the turkey, desserts, or some other dish, it just adds an extra autumn detail to your friendsgiving event.
This print from Etsy is so sweet. It has an element of humour, but it's also totally true... This sign is one of the best friendsgiving ideas because it will make your guests laugh and remind them that they were invited for a good reason.
Whether you order a couple of these wine bottle labels for the bottles of wine you'll be sharing, or even buy them as party favors for each person on the guest list, these custom wine bottle labels are one of my favorite unique ideas for friendsgiving! They're so affordable and a great way to send your guests home with something they didn't expect.
If you really want to go a little over-the-top, this friendsgiving welcome sign is a great way to wow your guests as soon as they enter. This is a perfect piece of decor if you're hosting your friendsgiving in a party room or outdoors.
This pumpkin garland is so cute, and so easy to add into your space almost anywhere!
Adding a fall wreath onto your door is an absolute must when you're decorating for friendsgiving. Having a wreath on your door in every season is a great way to bring some warmth to your home.
These 3D wood pumpkins are so unique and would make the perfect addition to an entryway to welcome guests into your home!
This pumpkin throw pillow is so cute!! Even if you just grab one of these and add it to the collection of other fall throw pillows on your couch, this is such a cute and festive touch.
Thanksgiving Games:
This "Most Likely To" game is a great way to get your friends talking and laughing on turkey day. You can give a page to each of them and then compare answers at the end. Everyone always ends up laughing with games like these!
If you want to add a little friendly competition and fun to your friendsgiving celebration, get these printable friendsgiving games! You won't have to worry about thinking of fun activities to do; you can just print these out and enjoy your party.
Recipe Ideas for Friendsgiving:
Friendsgiving planning doesn’t stop with decor… you also need good food! If you want a traditional thanksgiving menu, here are the 10 best friendsgiving food ideas and recipes you can try.
You can prepare all these yourself, or assign different recipes to your friends. I usually send out a sign-up sheet (I’ve been doing it that way since I hosted friendsgiving for the first time) so that my friends can all sign up to bring the food they want. Sometimes it’s a good idea to link recipes to your sign-up sheet to make your friends’ lives easier!
1. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a must for your large meal at Thanksgiving! I feel like most people look forward to eating mashed potatoes at a friendsgiving meal because it’s one of the most universally loved foods.
2. Turkey
Every traditional thanksgiving dinner needs turkey! When I’m hosting a friendsgiving dinner, I usually prepare the turkey myself since it’s easiest for the person hosting to prepare the biggest part of the meal.
3. Green Bean Casserole
If you want to make your green beans more flavorful and enjoyable, try this green bean casserole at your next friendsgiving!
4. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Some people hate brussels sprouts, but I LOVE them. This roasted brussels sprouts recipe is SO good and so easy to prepare.
5. Stuffing
Making stuffing truly is an art, but it’s a must-have at your friendsgiving meal. This stuffing recipe is pretty easy to follow and will make great stuffing!
6. Cranberry Sauce
I can’t imagine having a thanksgiving feast without cranberry sauce. It’s like the ribbon that ties everything together!
7. Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese, yes please! I’m pretty sure this is one of the most delicious dishes you can add to your thanksgiving plate.
8. Sweet Potatoes
When it comes to looking for recipes everyone will love, sweet potatoes are one of those great friendsgiving ideas. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like sweet potatoes, and since there’s so many great ways to prepare them, this is a pretty foolproof menu item.
9. Pumpkin Pie
I know not everyone loves pumpkin pie, but I feel like you have to have a classic pumpkin pie at every friendsgiving! Add some whipped cream or ice cream to this and you’re set!!
10. Pecan Pie
Pecan pie and apple pie are both great ideas for friendsgiving desserts. I honestly can’t decide which I like better, but it doesn’t hurt to have both. If you have a few pie options, you could grab a few flavors of ice cream as well and have a little pie and ice cream bar, which would be so much fun!
