The Emmys are coming up this Sunday and I can’t wait to see who’s getting the biggest award in American television this year. I’ve been a TV addict since forever and I’m always trying to catch up with the new hit shows out there, so I love to see all those talented people being honored for their tremendous work. If you’re like me, the Emmys, the Oscars, the Golden Globes are your Superbowl. So with that in mind, I’ve put together a few low-budget ideas for your next award watching party. Take a look!
VIP Invitations
Invitations tend to set the tone to a party. They convey the style and communicate to guests what to expect. Nowadays, it has become rare to see paper invitations as everything is online. But I still think this is a creative and fun way to invite guests. Especially to a glamorous party like this.
Check out this cool free printable from Make Life Lovely.
Red Carpet
This is a simple and fun way to add glamour to your watching party. Amazon has a few options from $13 to $100. Just take your pick.
You can even cut out gold paper stars like the ones in the picture and have your guests’ names on them. I know, it seems cheesy, but I am sure guests will enjoy it and remember. And if you want to be extra cheesy, put on a paparazzi cutout next to the red carpet. 😛
Glamorous and Minimalistic Decor
No need to go big with decorations for this. The focus should and will be the TV. But if you want to add some charm to the event, consider something star-themed like these black and gold stars garlands or balloons.
Ballot Sheets and Box
It is not an award watching party if guests aren’t placing their bets. Bird’s Party has this and other related free printables available. But you can certainly quickly create one yourself. Just list the categories you want to collect bets for. And though I say bets, by no means I mean monetary. Winner can just get a special prize or even bragging rights. 😉 And don’t forget: Any old Amazon package can be upcycled into a pretty ballot box. Paper Source describes the steps to make the one below in their blog.
Popcorn!
With $10 you can get these cute striped popcorn cups so that guests can serve their own individual portions. Or, you could go with an outside of the box version of popcorn and try these popcorn cupcakes. Tell me if they don’t look just like the real thing?! Amazing!
Food
Stick to no-mess, easy to bite finger food appetizers. Guests will be paying attention to the awards so food can’t require too much effort to eat. You can go fancy or laid back, it doesn’t matter. Go with your style. Just make it practical. I am a lover of charcuterie boards so I’ll always advocate for that, but you can also opt to serve individual charcuterie portions. Such a great way to offer variety to every one of your guests.
Drinks
There’s certainly no drink more fitting to an award watching party than sparkling wine, a.k.a champagne. But another cool idea is to put together a self-service cocktail bar so that each guest can prepare their own drinks. You can even have a little cheat sheet with cocktail recipes for those not used to making drinks. And to top it all off, you can DIY these tuxedo paper cups to add some flair.
So are you prepared for the Emmy Awards next Sunday? Is Ted Lasso gonna take it all home? Let me know in the comments!