From handwritten cards to a custom photo booth: Six fun ideas for your Galentine’s Day party

Here are some ways that you and the women you love most can celebrate Galentine’s Day this year

While Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, there’s another holiday that you and your dear friends – whether they’re single or not – should celebrate: Galentine’s Day.

Over the years, Galentine’s Day has been coined to commemorate female friendships, with the occasion annually falling on 13 February. The term was first inspired by a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation, where Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, explained the meaning of the holiday, which comes one day before Valentine’s Day.

As she was throwing her annual Galentine’s Day bash for her friends, Leslie called the holiday “the best day of the year”, since it ultimately brought all of her female friends together.

“Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies,” she said.

With the theme of the holiday in mind, there are a variety of activities you can consider for your day with the girls.

From writing sweet cards to your besties to creating your own spa night, here are some things to do when hosting your party on 13 February.

Creating your own photo booth

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Although the 13th of February isn’t Valentine’s Day, you can still maintain the themes of love day. For example, you can deck your house out in pink, white, and red decorations, leading to the creation of your own photo booth.

You could start off with grabbing a pink and red tinsel curtain, which sells on Amazon for only $6, and hanging it on your wall, making for the perfect background. You can also go to a local convenience store and purchase an array of heart-shaped balloons of any size for you and your friends to pose with.

If you want decorations for the photo wall that are specific to the theme of the holiday, Amazon also sells pink balloons that read out “Galentines,” which retail for $17.91.

Karaoke night

Although playing music at your party may already be a given, who’s to say that it can’t be a bigger activity? For your bash, you could purchase a set of two karaoke microphones, which retail for $19.99 on Amazon. The microphones also come with a bluetooth function and speaker, so your pals will definitely hear you sing along with the instrumental or non-instrumental version of your favourite tune.

Or, if you’d rather not buy microphones, you can simply put your favourite songs on your TV or phone, before you and your friends happily sing along in your living room.

Paint and sip

Even if you and your girls have zero painting experience whatsoever, arts and crafts can still make for a fun party activity. It can also be a relatively inexpensive one with the help of some blank canvases, which cost less than $15 at most craft stores. From there, you can get a pack of acrylic paint for you and your guests, before creating any painting you like – whether it’s just a bunch of red hearts or a portrait of your friends.

You can also throw in some wine, cocktails, beer, or any alcoholic beverage of choice, introducing a fun paint and sip night to your party.

Making fondue

While a box of chocolates are a popular gift for couples on Valentine’s Day, your Galentine’s Day plans can go beyong that. More specifically, you and your girls could opt to melt some chocolate yourself, leading to a fondue night. Some of the treats you can pair with the dip ranges from the beloved strawberries to marshmallows, pretzels, and cookies.

For a more savoury treat, you can also melt some cheese for the fondue night. When choosing those classic cheeses – like gouda, swiss, or gruyére – for melting, you can combine it with snacks like carrots, bread, celery, broccoli or tortilla chips.

Spa day

Often, a girls trip at a nice spa can be pretty pricey. So why not bring some of the amenities of a spa to your Galentine’s Day party? One beloved activity for a cosy night in is face masks, with the products used to hydrate, purify, or soothe your skin. On Amazon, you could buy a pack of 10 sheet masks for only $26.

The evening can also consist of other spa-themed activities, like at-home manicures and pedicures. To keep budget in mind, you can ask your friends to bring their own polish, before you go on to paint each other’s nails.

Writing Galentine’s Day cards

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Although you may have already planned to write something special for your significant other on Valentine’s Day, that gift can be extended to your friends too. Depending on how many close pals you have at your Galentine’s Day bash, you could write a letter to each one of them, describing all the things you appreciate about your bestie and your friends.

Ultimately, the activity means that no one would go home empty, as everyone will receive a card from each person at the party.