Jump to:

• What is Friendsgiving?
• Food Ideas
• Decorations
• Invitations
• What to Bring
• Games
• Additional Tips

What is Friendsgiving?

Friendsgiving is a blend of the words “friends” and “Thanksgiving,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like—a Thanksgiving meal shared with friends. Unlike the traditional family-focused Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving is all about gathering with your closest pals to celebrate your unique bond. It usually takes place in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving or even on the day itself if you’re unable to travel home for the holiday. Friendsgiving is a time to express gratitude for your friendships, enjoy delicious food, and create lasting memories in a more laid-back, fun environment.

Delicious Friendsgiving Food Ideas to Wow Your Guests

One of the most important aspects of Friendsgiving is the food. While it often includes traditional Thanksgiving dishes, the beauty of Friendsgiving is that you can get creative and tailor the menu to your group’s preferences. Here are some Friendsgiving food ideas to inspire your feast:

• Classic Turkey and Stuffing: If you’re going for a traditional vibe, a roasted turkey with stuffing is a must. Consider a twist on the stuffing by adding unique ingredients like cranberries, sausage, or apples.
• Potluck Style: Encourage each guest to bring their favorite dish. This approach not only makes hosting easier but also adds a variety of flavors to the table. You might end up with an eclectic mix of dishes, from mac and cheese to lasagna or even sushi!
• Vegan and Vegetarian Options: With more people adopting plant-based diets, it’s thoughtful to include vegan and vegetarian options. Consider dishes like roasted vegetable salads, lentil loaf, or a hearty butternut squash soup.
• Friendsgiving Desserts: No Friendsgiving is complete without dessert. Pumpkin pie is a classic, but feel free to branch out with options like pecan pie bars, apple crisp, or a dessert charcuterie board featuring chocolates, fruits, and nuts.
• Signature Cocktails: Elevate your gathering with a signature Friendsgiving cocktail. A spiced apple cider, cranberry Moscow mule, or a simple mulled wine can add a festive touch to your event.

For an extra festive experience, design menu cards to include on the table settings that will get your guests excited about their Thanksgiving meal.

Festive Friendsgiving Decorations to Set the Perfect Atmosphere

Creating the perfect atmosphere is key to a memorable Friendsgiving. The decorations should reflect the warmth and coziness of the season while also incorporating elements of fun and friendship. Here are some ideas to inspire your Friendsgiving décor:

• Table Settings: Use a mix of autumnal colors like burnt orange, deep reds, and golden yellows for your table settings. Incorporate natural elements like pinecones, leaves, and small pumpkins as centerpieces. Personalized place cards can add a special touch, making each guest feel valued.
• Lighting: Soft, ambient lighting can set the mood for a cozy evening. Consider string lights, candles, and lanterns to create a warm glow. If you’re dining outdoors, fire pits or portable heaters can keep the chill away. To proudly showcase your friendships, design photo candles with your group’s favorite pictures.
• Photo Wall: Create a photo wall or backdrop where guests can take pictures. Use fall-themed props like flannel blankets, scarves, and funny hats to add a playful element. This is a great way to capture memories from the night.
• Friendsgiving Banner: Hang a festive “Friendsgiving” banner over the entrance or above the dining area. You can DIY one with craft supplies or find a pre-made option that fits your theme. Check out Shutterfly’s bunting banners to create the perfect one for your party.

Get the Party Started With Friendsgiving Invitations

The first step to planning a successful Friendsgiving is sending out invitations. While you can certainly send a quick text, a personalized invitation adds a special touch and builds excitement for the event. Shutterfly offers a variety of customizable Friendsgiving invitations that allow you to choose the design, color scheme, and wording that best suits your celebration. Here are some tips for crafting the perfect Friendsgiving invitation:

• Theme and Design: Choose a design that reflects the vibe of your Friendsgiving, whether it’s cozy and intimate or lively and fun. Shutterfly’s wide selection makes it easy to find something that matches your style.
• Details: Be sure to include all the important details—date, time, location, and whether guests should bring a dish or drink. You might also want to specify a dress code, such as “casual and cozy” or “fall festive.”
• RSVP: Include a way for guests to RSVP, whether it’s through a simple reply, a call, or an online event page. This will help you get an accurate headcount and plan accordingly.
• Personal Touch: Add a personal message to your invitation, such as a note about how excited you are to celebrate with your friends. A personalized touch makes the invitation feel even more special. Consider including a favorite fall quote to make it extra festive.

What to Bring to Friendsgiving: Thoughtful and Tasty Contributions

If you’re attending a Friendsgiving, it’s always polite to bring something to contribute to the meal or the festivities. Here are some ideas for what to bring:

• A Dish or Dessert: If it’s a potluck-style Friendsgiving, bring your favorite dish or dessert. Make sure to coordinate with the host to avoid duplicates.
• Wine or Cocktails: A bottle of wine or ingredients for a signature cocktail can be a great contribution. Be sure to bring enough to share!
• Hostess Gift: A small token of appreciation for the host, such as a scented candle, a cozy blanket, or a set of festive dish towels, is always a nice gesture.
• Board Games or Party Games: If the host hasn’t planned any activities, bring along a fun game to keep everyone entertained after dinner.
• Serving Ware: If you’re bringing a dish that requires special serving utensils or platters, bring them along to make things easier for the host.

Fun and Festive Friendsgiving Games to Keep the Party Going

No Friendsgiving is complete without a few games to keep the fun going after the meal. Whether you prefer board games, card games, or something more active, here are some ideas to get the party started:

• Friendsgiving Bingo: Create bingo cards with Friendsgiving-related items, like “turkey,” “pumpkin pie,” “wine glass,” and “selfie.” Guests can mark off items as they spot them throughout the night.
• Personalized Card Games: Elevate your game night with custom playing cards featuring photos of your friends. These personalized decks add a unique and fun twist to classic card games, making them even more memorable for your Friendsgiving celebration.
• Charades or Pictionary: These classic party games are always a hit. Use fall or Friendsgiving-themed prompts for a festive twist.
• Trivia: Prepare a trivia game with questions related to Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or general pop culture. You can even include some questions about your friend group for added fun.
• Board Games: Bring out your favorite board games, like Settlers of Catan, Monopoly, or Cards Against Humanity. These are perfect for keeping the laughter and conversation flowing.
• Photo Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of photo challenges for your guests to complete during the night, like “take a selfie with the host” or “capture a picture of the best-dressed guest.” The person or team with the most photos wins a small prize.

Additional Friendsgiving Tips for a Celebration to Remember

To ensure your Friendsgiving is a success, here are a few additional tips:

• Plan Ahead: Give yourself plenty of time to plan, especially if you’re hosting. Send out invitations at least a few weeks in advance and start thinking about your menu, decorations, and activities early on.
• Delegate Tasks: Don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help. Whether it’s bringing a dish, setting up decorations, or coordinating games, sharing the responsibilities will make the day less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone.
• Consider Dietary Restrictions: Make sure to ask your guests if they have any dietary restrictions or allergies and plan your menu accordingly. It’s always a good idea to have a few vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free options available.
• Keep It Fun: The most important thing about Friendsgiving is to have fun and enjoy the company of your friends. Don’t stress too much about perfection—after all, it’s the memories that matter most.

Related Resources on Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the bonds of friendship, enjoy great food, and create lasting memories in a relaxed, festive atmosphere. From planning the menu and decorating your space to sending out personalized Shutterfly invitations and playing fun games, every aspect of Friendsgiving should reflect the joy and warmth of the season. So gather your friends, get creative, and make this year’s Friendsgiving your best one yet!

Additional Resources:

• Friendsgiving Quotes
• Thanksgiving Photo Cards
• Thanksgiving & Friendsgiving Invitations
• Fall Quotes
• Thanksgiving Quotes
• What to Write in a Thanksgiving Card
• Friendsgiving Invitation Wording

The post Top Friendsgiving Ideas for a Memorable Celebration appeared first on Ideas & Inspiration.

Jump To:

• Gifts for Family
• The Best Gift for Friends
• A Gift Idea for Coworkers
• Gifts for Every Occasion
• More Unique Gift Ideas
• Finding the Right Gift Ideas

Gifts for Family

Your family can be some of the most difficult gifts to give. Though you likely know them the best, they’re the people in your life who will most often say they don’t need anything when you ask for gift ideas. Instead of scratching your head, consider some of these great ideas for everyone in your family below. Whether you’re gifting for mom or trying to find something for your younger sibling, Shutterfly has a variety of products the whole family can enjoy.

• Gifts for mom: Chances are, your mom will appreciate anything sentimental. Gift her a photo book with family photos throughout the years that she can enjoy and leave out to display as home decor.
• Gifts for dad: The best gift for dad might be sentimental as well as practical. Design a custom phone case to protect his phone while also showing off photos of the family, pets, or his favorite destinations. 
• Gifts for siblings: If you have a younger sibling, they’ll love a photo jigsaw puzzle to keep them busy and help stimulate their creativity. For an older or adult sibling, consider a custom tote bag with a design they’ll love – perfect for bringing to school, work, and the gym. 
• Gifts for your spouse: For your husband or wife, show them you appreciate them while also giving a gift they can use long term. Engraved jewelry is always a great idea for your wife, while a beautiful custom luggage tag could be great for the husband who loves to travel.

The Best Gift for Friends

When shopping for friends, you can always go the sentimental route, or offer a gift that matches their personality and hobbies. For a keepsake gift, consider a personalized photo cube with pictures of you together. You can also customize the photo cube with any other photos they’ll love, including photos of their pets or places you know they’ve been. A photo cube is a great gift for all friends because it shows you appreciate them. Unlike a framed photo print or other types of decor, a photo cube is small enough to place anywhere without interrupting the interior design inside their home. With Shutterfly’s photo cubes, you’ll be able to add your own messages or even add their name or monogram to make it even more special.

A Gift Idea for Coworkers

Oftentimes, our coworkers become a type of second family. We spend most of our days with them, which creates unique bonds and tight friendships. Even if you don’t spend time with your coworkers outside of work, they can become special colleagues you may have for years to come. Whether it’s the holidays or the birthday, it always means a lot to give a small gift and show you appreciate them. With Shutterfly, a great gift idea for coworkers is a custom notebook. You can add photos or just include a quote or message on the cover that you know they’ll love. Whether they use it at work or home, it’s a sweet gift that’s both special and useful. 

Gifts for Every Occasion

Aside from the holidays, there are common occasions that we encounter throughout the year. People move, and it’s a great celebration to welcome them home. Students graduate and anniversaries roll around every year. Not to mention the number of friends and family member’s birthdays that we have to remember! Feel more prepared this year with gifts for every occasion. The next time you see that date creeping up on the calendar, you’ll know exactly what to buy.

Housewarming Gifts

Helping welcome someone into their new home is fun for everyone! The new homeowners can enjoy showing everyone the new place, while guests have the chance to offer fun housewarming gifts. With Shutterfly, you can offer personalized housewarming gifts that fit into the home regardless of style and design. If you’re looking for a small housewarming gift, consider creating custom tea towels. Tea towels are a great gift since you can add photos and custom text. The homeowners can pair the white towels with other colors to make sure it matches their color scheme. If you know their design style, you can offer something bigger to help get them started with home decor. Create a custom canvas print that can hang or place on any wall with a family photo or other unique design.

Graduation Gifts

Graduation is a big time in everyone’s life, whether you’re celebrating a college grad or high school grad, it’s easy to find the best gifts with Shutterfly. One great idea for all graduates is a custom travel tumbler. If they’re headed to college, they’ll need it to stay caffeinated between classes. For the college graduate headed to their first post-grad job, they’ll also enjoy taking the tumbler to work. Add special photos and unique messages to customize the tumbler to their tastes. Another great idea for graduates is a custom monthly planner to help them stay organized for school and work.

Birthday Gifts

Birthday gifts can be one of the most difficult presents to find throughout the year. Between family, friends, and coworkers, birthdays pop up often and you can find yourself feeling unprepared. With Shutterfly, you’ll always have the perfect birthday present for everyone in your life. When it comes to birthday gifts for her, consider a personalized wristlet. Its small size makes it perfect for the fashionistas in your life as well as those who seek out more practical accessories. If you’re on the hunt for gifts for him, you really can’t go wrong with a photo coffee mug. Even if he doesn’t drink coffee, he’ll appreciate the unique mug for everything from hot chocolate to tea. For any birthday, don’t forget to include a birthday card as well! For colleagues and acquaintances, a custom birthday card can be the best gift you can offer.

Anniversary Gifts

Anniversary gifts offer the opportunity to be romantic and sentimental, and Shutterfly has plenty of options to choose from. Whether you’ve been married for years or you’re celebrating a few years of dating, you can create a personalized gift that shows how much you care. Some great ideas include personalized picture frames that you can customize with photos of the two of you together along with a sweet photo caption. If you’re married and want to go the traditional route, shop wedding anniversary gifts by the year to find out which theme applies to each year.

More Unique Gift Ideas

If our earlier gift ideas didn’t spark any “aha” moments for you, try some of these more unique gifts below. For the friend who’s a dog mom to her core, we have you covered with great pet gifts. The same goes for a cat mom or dog dad! Shutterfly also offers sustainable gifts for everyone on your list who loves to shop green. Our reusable products will keep them avoiding waste for years to come. Also, browse our budget-friendly gift ideas for when you don’t want to spend too much or know you have a budget limit for the gift.

Pet Gifts

Customizing gifts for pet lovers is a great way to show you care about their interests and fur babies! Shutterfly offers a variety of pet gifts that both the owners and pets will love. If you’re looking to offer something that includes a funny pet photo, a fleece photo blanket is always a great idea. Whether you add a big photo of their cat or dog or create a photo collage, they’ll love snuggling up with the pets and a funny pet blanket too! Other options include useful products like custom cat collars and dog collars. Add their pet’s name along with a cute design that shows off their personality.

Sustainable Gifts

For the eco-friendly people in your life, offer gifts that are reusable and less wasteful. Even if your friends and family aren’t focused on sustainability yet, they’ll still love these gifts that help them reduce waste. One option is a custom stainless steel water bottle. Instead of purchasing single-use plastic bottles, these washable options are durable and long-lasting, helping to eliminate tons of plastic waste. With a cute design, they’ll always want to reach for the reusable water bottle anyways! Also, design reusable shopping bags with your choice of photos and designs. Instead of accumulating thin plastic bags in landfills, these reusable bags are washable and look great at the store.

Gifts Under $50

If you’re on a budget, it’s still easy to shop with Shutterfly and find the best gifts for your loved ones. Our gifts under $50 include everything from kitchen accessories to home and wall decor. With multiple customization options, each deal under $50 offers great savings. Many of our gifts under $50 include options for everyone on your list at steep price cuts. For example, shop a personalized beer growler for nearly $15 off the original price. Other ideas include custom cutting boards, engraved jewelry, and desk organizers.

Gifts Under $25

If you’re on an even tighter budget, Shutterfly still offers plenty of options for gifts under $25. From custom wine glasses to photo face masks, you can find something for everyone. Gifts under $25 are perfect for smaller occasions or gifts for coworkers and colleagues. If you’re also looking for a gift for yourself, you can find some amazing home accessories at affordable prices, such as cotton tote bags and custom coasters.

Finding the Right Gift Ideas

Finding the right gift ideas doesn’t have to be hard. With Shutterfly, you can find something for everyone regardless of their age or the occasion. Before shopping, just take the time to consider who they are and what they might love or find useful. Even with the most practical gift, Shutterfly lets you customize it and add your own personal touch to make it sentimental. The perfect gift will always be something that comes from the heart, no matter what it is! It’s true that it’s the thought that counts, and adding personalization is a great way to show how thoughtful you are.

Additional Resources

• Shop Personalized Gifts
• Shop Gifts Under $50
• Shop Gifts Under $25

The post Gift Ideas for Family, Friends, and More appeared first on Ideas & Inspiration.