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Any reason is a good reason for a party in our house. If you’re a sports fan (specifically basketball) you’re probably gearing up for a few weeks of parties! I pulled together a fun easy March Madness bracket party this week to show you how simple pulling a party together can be.

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

  1. Neutrals – The best tip I have is start off with neutrals. I love buying 1 new serving piece for each big party I have. That way I’m not spending a lot at once and I can build up a good collection over time. Thinking ahead and buying nice pieces in neutrals is a great way to get the most bang for your buck. White, wood, glass, gold and gray/silver are great for almost any party theme! I love the lines of the Threshold™ square dinnerware and serveware line. The pieces go great with anything plus, you can even mix in inexpensive melamine plates for kids or entertaining outside and it works seamlessly. I’ve also recently added some of the gold pieces to my collection and it makes pulling a party together really simple! Then you can easily add on party specific items like straws that will easily coordinate.
  2. Repurpose – Especially if you have a small space, repurposing is so helpful. I wanted a cart for this bracket filling party but nothing quite met my needs, so I added some casters to a piece I already had and it worked perfectly! Now I can pull this out when I need it and return it to my room when I’m done. You can also use things like drinking glasses to serve food in or display flowers in. Large dinner plates make great platters when you’re in a pinch.
  3. Do as much ahead of time as you can – I don’t know about you but I LOVE enjoying my parties so I do whatever I can ahead of time. Make sure all the drinks are cold, the house is clean (just common areas and bathrooms are good!), sauces and dips are made or ready to go, any decorations can be hung the day before, printables printed out etc. Plan out your music playlist the week before too or just pull one up online if you’re short on time.
  4. Plan a menu that can be prepared the same way – Everything for this party was baked. I love finding foods that can be made ahead of time and food that can be baked, grilled or made in the slow cooker for easy parties. It saves on time if you can do more at once, cuts down on dishes left out since you can just leave the trays in the oven, plus you can keep it all warm together if needed.
  5. Extras – If you’re like us you never know who might show up for a party. You can plan all you want but sometimes no matter how you try there just isn’t enough food. Having something as simple as shredded cheese on hand can make your life easier. Cheese can be used on chips or fries if you’re running low on dip, used for quick sandwiches etc. You don’t have to have a ton of food to make it stretch, just think about what you do have and how you can make it go farther if needed!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!This party was so fun and honestly easy to pull together. Once you’ve done a party and start collecting serving pieces it’s easy to repeat and add on to.

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

And yes, I made a chalkboard basketball hoop 😉 It now lives on the back of my son’s door and he loves it. Message board + basketball hoop? Perfect!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!Wanting to throw your own bracket filling party? I made up my own brackets that you’re welcome to download if you’d like! There’s either the 2015 or blank versions.

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness!

5 Easy Party Tips + March Madness Printables

 

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Author

Allison Waken is the founder, writer, photographer, and content creator of All for the Memories and All for the Boys.

2 Comments

  1. I love the simplicity! Not only do I always seem to be on a budget when throwing parties, I also live in a tiny apartment. My husband decided we’re having his marines over this weekend for a small get together and I would love to try out these tips to add a cute little theme to the party. I never thought about what you suggested with regards to accumulating small amounts of things over time. I always feel so overwhelmed when it comes to buying party items that I almost always go the cheaper route…when like you said, I could really just buy a bit at a time. Pinning!

    • AllisonWaken

      Yes! Exactly! I use the same philosophy for decorating too. It gets so overwhelming (and expensive) trying to buy everything at once, so one new piece that I LOVE every now and then works great for me!