12 Friendsgiving Ideas & Leftover Box Printables

By: Andrew Saladino | 8 min

If you're wondering what Friendsgiving is, then you've come to the right place. Friendsgiving is typically a dinner party with your closest friends or chosen family, where you celebrate the gratitude you have for each others' friendship.

Unlike a traditional Thanksgiving celebration, hosts can get creative and move away from traditional Thanksgiving food, themes, and decor for Friendsgiving.

Whether you decide to make your dinner party a cozy pajama party or a formal event, it's an excellent opportunity to put your party skills to the test and showcase how much you appreciate your friends. To help you plan a successful event, here are some of our best Friendsgiving ideas.

Pre-Planning Your Friendsgiving

Hosting a Friendsgiving meal can seem daunting when you think about all of the planning that goes into throwing a fun party. Thankfully, with a little help from friends and some pre-planning, you can throw a stress-free dinner party with these Friendsgiving planning ideas.

1. Choose a Theme

Planning a fun theme for your Friendsgiving is a great way to take your party to the next level and get your friends involved. Choose to go all out with a cozy fall theme, a laid-back football theme, or a winter wonderland if you're more of a Christmas fan.

Once you've chosen your theme, it's time to tailor your decor, plan your dinner menu and cocktail list, and choose a color palette to create a cohesive aesthetic.

2. Make a Holiday Playlist

Set the party mood with a fun playlist for your Friendsgiving. Fill your playlist with the music you and your guests enjoy listening to most.

Another option is to look up a premade Thanksgiving playlist on Apple Music or Spotify. These playlists have everything from Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving theme song to Ariana Grande's "Thank You, Next" for when you're passing around dishes at your Friendsgiving.

3. Get Creative With Your Menu

The thought of cooking an entire Thanksgiving feast with sides and main dishes for all your friends can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, Friendsgiving menus tend to have more flexibility than a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Get creative by choosing a theme such as Italian, Mexican, or fall classics. Once you've decided on the perfect cuisine, get your guests involved by assigning each friend to bring a different side dish or dessert so you can have more time to focus on the main dishes and decor.

During Your Friendsgiving

If you're worried about keeping the energy up and making sure everyone has a fun time during your Friendsgiving then you're in luck! Use these Friendsgiving ideas to make your party unforgettable.

4. Incorporate a Game

Adding a game element to your Friendsgiving is a great way to ensure there isn't a dull moment at your party. Setting out classic games like Monopoly, Life, or Jenga is a great way for guests to pass the time while enjoying appetizers.

If you've invited friends from different groups, a game is a great way to break the ice and help your guests to get to know each other better. Start a game of Never Have I Ever, Two Truths and a Lie, or Would You Rather. This will allow guests to share fun facts about themselves and connect more throughout the party.

5. Create a Festive Table

Friendsgiving is equally about celebrating friendship and enjoying amazing food. Since your dining room table will be one of the main focal points for this party, it's important not to neglect it when decorating your home.

Adorn your table with pumpkins, fall leaves, and orange flowers to create an inviting and beautiful atmosphere during dinner. ​​If you're going the untraditional route, be sure to keep your theme in mind here as well -- your tablecloth, centerpiece, napkins, and other table accessories are ideal places to showcase your theme.

6. Create a Signature Fall Cocktail

Reinvent classic cocktails with a Friendsgiving twist by incorporating some of your favorite fall flavors. The possibilities are endless with flavors inspired by autumn classics such as pumpkin pie, apple cider, cinnamon, cranberry, and more.

Use a variety of seasonal flavors and liquors so there's something for everyone to enjoy. Try pairing each themed drink with seasonal appetizers to enhance your cocktail hour even more.

7. Decorate With Pictures of Your Friends

The purpose of Friendsgiving is to celebrate your friendship with your best friends and show gratitude for their support. With your friends being the center of this event, why not use them for decorations as well?

With your friends' social media profiles readily available, it's easy to collect and print out pictures of your favorite people to use as decor for your dinner party. Show your friends how much you love them by displaying pictures of them around your dining table.

8. Set Up a Pie Bar

Can't decide whether your guests would enjoy pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie the most? Give them a little taste of everything by setting up a fully stocked pie bar.

Create a designated dessert table stocked with various pies, whipped cream, ice cream, and any other toppings needed for the ultimate pie bar. Supply guests with small Thanksgiving-themed paper plates and plastic utensils for a seamless clean-up at the end of the night.

9. Label Common Dietary Restrictions

If you go to any party these days, it's almost guaranteed that someone has a dietary restriction ranging from being gluten- or dairy-free to vegetarian or vegan. It's best to label common dietary needs since there are bound to be things some guests will need to avoid.

Add post-it notes and pens next to the dishes so everyone can identify common dietary restrictions in the dishes that they brought. This way, everyone will know what's available to them and they won't have to guess.

10. Include Over The Top Decorations

There's no reason to hold back on decorations for your Friendsgiving celebration. Surprise your guests and decorate with colorful streamers, fill your home with balloons, or put up festive fall decor for a perfect Instagram-worthy event.

Your friends and family will appreciate the effort, and the fun decorations will get everyone excited for a night filled with laughter, delicious food, and being surrounded by their favorite people.

11. Make a Photo Booth

Add an extra special element to your party by creating your own DIY photo booth for guests to enjoy. Use printed fabric or streamers as a backdrop for your photo booth and set up a place where people can prop up their phones to take self-timed photographs.

Create easy props for your photo booth by printing out imagery like pumpkins, turkeys, and candy apples and gluing them to bamboo skewers for guests to hold in pictures. Everyone will love having the photos as a reminder of the fun event.

After Your Friendsgiving

Unlike other parties, it's important to think about what to do with the extra food. Use our leftover printables as a great way to end the party and send everyone home happy and full.

12. Send Guests Home With Leftovers

Odds are there will probably be a lot of leftovers after your Friendsgiving dinner. Your guests will be thrilled if you send them home with leftovers, and your fridge won't be overflowing with food the next day.

Encourage your guests to bring their own containers or purchase take-out boxes in bulk so everyone has an easy-to-go container after the party.

These Friendsgiving ideas will help you throw the best dinner party yet. Visit Kitchen Cabinet Kings for more fun printables and kitchen remodeling advice.