Galentine’s Day Party Ideas & Inspiration

Hey there, lovers!
With Valentines Day right around the corner, It’s officially the season of loveeee! And guess what? That love also includes love for your gal-pals, which leads me to the purpose of this blog post! I recently threw the ultimate Galentine’s Day bash, and I am still just so obsessed with how everything turned out and how much fun we all had. This was my first year hosting a Galentine’s Day Party, however, going forward this is 100% going to be a tradition we all maintain! If you’re not familiar with Galentine’s Day, it’s all about celebrating the wonderful ladies in your life & honoring those female friendships that so deeply matter. So, what better way to honor those special bonds than with a fun-filled soirée with your besties? Let me give you the inside scoop on how I put together this memorable gathering, complete with all the DIY charm, Galentines Day party ideas & inspiration, and heartfelt touches!

Crafty & DIY Galentine’s Day Decor

First things first, let’s talk decorations. As an artsy gal, I’m all about that handmade touch, so I went to town crafting “all things pink” for my galantine’s. Pictured below: hand-cut hearts, a cutie paper heart chain, and all the feminine decor I could get my hands on (some may or may not have been “borrowed” from my office – hehe). I transformed my living room from its modern vibe into a cupid wonderland; I really channeled my inner Pinterest dreams.

[you might also like: DIY Art Project: Turning a Chocolate Box into a Memorable Painting]

Making the paper heart chains was actually super easy! In fact, I did it while binge watching some Vanderpump Rules on a Friday-night-in; it’s a pretty mindless task! To make them, you simply:

• Cut strips of red, pink, white, & brown paper.
  • I cut my papers at various sizes to keep my paper chain interesting. Some were long and skinny; some were shorter and wider.
• Start with 2 strips and staple the bottom of them together. Then, round out the tops of the strips, folding them inward to connect them, making your heart shape.
• From there, you’ll grab 2 additional paper strips and place them on each side of the bottom of your 1st heart. (so picture the V part of your heart. You are placing the strips on each side of that V)
  • *important* (because i messed this up at first lol) make sure the bottom of the 2 new strips is placed at the bottom of the previous heart- not the tops of them! (see GIF example below)
• Then, fold the tops of those trips outwards, and connecting them at the bottom.
• From here, you’ll grab to additional strips, repeating the steps above, and stapling them to the bottom of the heart you just made!
• Keep repeating this until you’re happy with the length of your heart chain, or until you finally get bored and run out of reality TV episodes. lolol.

A Touch of Store-Bought Splendor

Of course, not everything can be handmade, so I sprinkled in some store-bought goodies to add that extra pizzazz. Trader Joe’s came through with the most gorgeous pink and white roses / filler flowers. Target “dollar section” supplied adorable heart candy dishes, XO themed plates, and vases to elevate the ambiance. A simple red or pink tablecloth topped with some Kraft paper tied everything together beautifully, creating the perfect backdrop for our Galentine’s feast.

Feasting Fit for Queens

Now, let’s talk about the real way to all of our hearts – desserts and food. I personally love making different versions of charcuterie boards, so I, of course, had to create a candy board overflowing with red, pink, and white sweets! Because who can resist chocolates and candy on Galentine’s Day? The majority of the sweet treats were purchased from the Target candy asile, and some specifics were:

• Pink Sour Strips
• White chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles
• various forms of chocolate bars, hearts, & Hershey kisses.
• Red Licourice
• Candy Hearts
• Red Velvet cupcakes
• Strawberries

Here’s the fun part though: each guest brought a dish that started with the first letter of their last name. Let’s just say, we had quite the culinary adventure with dishes ranging from Guacamole to Meatballs, to Zimtsterne and Artichoke Dip. My last name starts with an R, so I personally made a Ravioli Bar with different dipping sauces! And in case you’re wondering why I opted to do last names instead of firsts, we sorta had to. Funny enough, the majority of the gals in our group start with the same letter of their names; we had five A names! Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the foods, but you get the idea!

Games, Drinks, and Photo Ops Galore

With our bellies full and spirits high, we dove into a game of Snake Oil, where hilarity ensued as we pitched our wackiest product ideas. If you’ve never played this game, I highly highly recommend! It’s like a combination of Apples to Apples with the show Shark Tank! It’s one of my favorites (even though I’m actually quite bad at sales lol.)

Of course, no Galentine’s gathering is complete without a “selfie-station” and photo-ops. Admittedly, I kinda threw this photo setup together last minute, but it got the job done! I grabbed some white curtains I had in the closet, assorted balloons, paper-heart cutouts, & a white shower curtain. I then set up my iPhone tripod, Video Lights, (professional photographer perks!!) & changed the living room lighting to be pink tones! (this was also for the ambience of the party as a whole.) OH! and I grabbed some heart shaped glasses from that same Target dollar section that I purchased decor for!

So, there you have it – my recipe for the perfect evening with your besties! Hopefully this blog brought you some wonderful Galentine’s day party ideas & inspiration & inspired you to host your own! With a little creativity, a whole lot of love, and your nearest and dearest by your side, you can create a celebration that’s as unique as your friendship.

Until next time, keep spreading those good vibes and embracing the beauty of sisterhood.

stay shining and stay creating! ☀️

sincerely, your artsy friend that is rooting for you –

Arastasia Rolain – Traveling Mural Artist, Art Educator, & Creative Entrepreneur

www.arastasia.com