Yes, you read the title right. I am going to show you how to host a baseball themed tailgate for under $30.... $29.49 to be exact! I love hosting parties but they sure do get expensive. I have become pretty thrifty so I can continue to host parties for every occasion. Let me share my thrifty party hostess magic....
Tips:
- Get used to going to your local dollar store
- Save left over items after each party
- But standard party essentials year round when you see them on sale
- Get creative and think outside of the box. Think about ways you can use items you already have.
Decorations: $7
- We purchased plates, napkins, construction paper, utensils from the dollar store
- I had tissue paper, string and scrap ribbon at home.
- I purchased baseball themed scrapbook paper at Michaels
- I used items like tin buckets, a homemade cake stand (plastic plate and cup glued together), serving dishes, a painted terra cotta pot and red solo cups
- I cut out letters to make labels with ribbon
- I glued baseball themed scrapbook paper to the bottom of my clear plates
- I painted a mason jar I had at home to display the utensils
- I jazzed up the paper cups with ribbon and construction paper baseballs
- I made a sign for the ball park crunch with construction paper and put it in a frame I had at home.
- I went with mostly dried stacks. I got the following from my dollar store: baking chocolate, popcorn, pretzels, cheese puffs, crackers, potato skin chips, nacho chips, peanuts, bubble gum, white loaf bread, hot sauce and cookie mix.
- I used one of my home organizers from deflecto to create a DIY snack station.
- I made ball park crunch by drizzling pre-popped popcorn with chocolate and mixing it with some left over peanut butter candy I had from Easter.
- I whipped up the the cookie mix from the dollar store by just adding water and butter. They actually taste really good!
- I also made beer & bacon cheese spread and mini beer & bacon grilled cheese sandwiches. The recipe for both is below. I had to pick up the majority of the ingredients for these items from the grocery store.
Beer & Bacon Cheese Spread
Ingredients:
- 1lb of shredded cheddar cheese
- 2/3 cup of bacon bits
- 3 tablespoons of sour cream
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons of chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper*
- 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce
- 1 12 ounce beer*
*I had these items at home
Directions:
- Used a stand up electric mixer to beat together cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, garlic, onion, red pepper and hot sauce until thoroughly mixed.
- Keep the mixer running on a low speed and slowly add the beer.
- Mix until the spread is creamy.
- Place the spread in a covered container and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Once your dip has chilled for 2 hours you can serve it with crackers or make grilled cheese! If you want to make grilled cheese, butter the outside of a pieces of bread. Fill with a layer of the dip and make a sandwich with the buttered side facing outward. Grill sandwiches on the stove top!
Drink, Pitchers Punch: $3.69
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon pink lemonade (grocery store)
- Vodka*
- Guava juice (dollar store)
- Lemon lime soda (dollar store)
To make a punch that serves approximately 10 people.....
Mix 1 gallon pink lemonade, 1 bottle of vodka, 1 12 ounce can of guava juice and 2 12 ounce cans of lemon lime soda. Serve over ice.
Remember, with a little bit of creativity you can still be the hostess with the mostess!
Happy Tailgating!
xoxo- LL