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party

5 Independent Drinks Brands We Love

by Ismay Ozga December 5, 2018

Whatever you’re celebrating, one thing’s a given – you’re going to need some drinks. Alcoholic or non, you’ll want some delicious (preferably bubbly) stuff to serve at your party so it goes with a bang. Of course there are the cheap and cheerful go-to brands at your local offie, but here are some of Patchwork’s favourite independent UK drinks brands and why we think you need them at your party.

Everyone loves BeerBods

Patchwork friend and founder Matt Lane sources all the best independent beers and packs up a box for you. So you get all the glory of choosing great beers without actually having to do the hard work. Each beer is made by a small independent brewery and has a story behind it, so if you get stuck in a corner at a party you can always read your can. Beerbods are perfect whether you’re having a decadent, fully catered affair or if you’re filling the bath with ice and getting everyone to help themselves. Your guests will love the beer (and you) either way – and if they really like what they taste, they can sign up to the Beerbods monthly beer subscription.

Get Naked (wines)

We love the concept of Naked Wines. Entirely funded by their customer community they invest in a selection of talented, independent winemakers. So as a member you pay £20 a month, then you get to choose from all of their lovely wine at a 25-50% discount, and independent businesses are supported by your input. Good wine and the joy of people power in action, what more could you want? We’ve always had Naked Wine at our own Patchwork parties and can highly recommend their huge variety – we’ve tried bubbles, organic, reds and whites and we’ve never met a drop we didn’t like. Plus, they’re wine experts, so whatever you need for your celebration, whether it’s a summer ‘do or a cosy winter gathering, just ask and they’ll be happy to advise you.

Seedlip is for sophisticated non-drinkers

We first heard Ben (Founder of Seedlip) speaking at an eatbigfish event which introduced us to some great challenger drinks brands. Ben shared some personal insights about not wanting to have to order juice or Coke at parties and how he felt as a non-drinker basically reduced to a child at the bar. He, of course, wanted to feel as sophisticated as his alcohol-drinking friends. So, he created the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit brand. We think having good non-alcoholic drinks options at parties is a thoughtful, considerate thing to do – every party goer should feel grown-up and elegant with a delicious drink in-hand. Mix up some Seedlip cocktails or simply serve with tonic. Yum.

Our Vodka, your vodka

Our/Vodka started in Sweden, but soon branched out to cities across the globe, setting up micro-distilleries in each new place. All of their vodkas have a different character and taste as they source all of their ingredients locally. Our/Vodka London is made from British wheat using a unique yeast originally found in wine production and is bottled under the arches of Hackney Downs. The thing we love about vodka is its versatility – whether it’s a warming winter tipple or a fruity summer cocktail, you can easily create something delicious to fit the mood. And if you’re feeling slightly worse for wear the morning after your party, you can even use your leftover vodka to make Patchwork Founder Liv’s favourite – a Bloody Mary.

You can’t have a party without Sipsmith

Everyone loves gin and tonic, whether you’re a cucumber or classic lime type. So you know serving a fresh G&T at your party is bound to go down a treat. You can’t move for independent gin distillers at the moment, but wherever you are in the country you’ll find Sipsmith. Once a little Hammersmith start-up, they are now happily taking over with their delicious hand-crafted gin. This is a drink that caters to all tastes and encourages trying new flavours – whether it’s in a ‘Millionaire’s’ Martini or a simple G&T served with Fever Tree tonic. And for a bit of extra theatre, why not book the Travelling Gin Company to serve your guests from their bicycle. Or the Lucky Pineapple – a giant golden pineapple from which you’ll be served boozy delights.

Team Patchwork’s favourite party drinks:

“My favourite party drink is a cocktail called Shakey Pete’s Ginger Brew, which was created by a bartender called Pete Jeary at the Hawksmoor. It contains Beefeater gin, ginger, lemon and London Pride beer. It’s like a homemade ginger beer shandy, with an added gin kick. It’s SO delicious and refreshing.”

Ismay, Creative Director

“Mine’s a Twinkle – it’s Prosecco topped with elderflower cordial and vodka and it just makes you feel twinkly. Perfect for any party, any time of the year and delicious and totally appropriate from 11am if it’s a very special occasion.”

Olivia, Founder

“Has to be a Dark and Stormy – it’s super tasty and reminds me of my Grandpa who always had a cocktail in the evening and who’s nickname was Stormy – perfect!”

Kate, Design

“Honestly, my party drink of choice would be champagne, or a nice English sparkling wine, followed by a good dry white wine, with possibly some frozen grapes in to keep it chilled.”

Rosie, Customer Experience

“I think this shows that I’m a total lush but I think for parties out and parties in I’d choose something different. For nights out on the town an Espresso or French Martini to jump start the evening (but after two most of my martini starts sloshing over the side of those impossibly wide flat glasses). With that in mind, for parties at home I would definitely go for an endless flow of prosecco or champagne – perfect party bubbles and zero stress for the carpets!”

Kim, Commercial Director

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Patchwork Perspective

Tips for Organising a Party with Patchwork

by Ismay Ozga April 18, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

If you’re planning to use Patchwork to organise a party, check out our top tips before you get started:

Keep it simple

The secret to getting people to help with a party is to be clear about the plan, set out a range of specific ways they can help and then allow them to decide what they’d like to do.
Whilst people don’t respond well to vague pleas for help, they also don’t like to be assigned tasks that may not suit their skills, available time or interest. So clarity and choice is key.
Start out by clearly setting out the plan for the party, who it’s for and why. It helps if you can summarise all of this in your patchwork title e.g. ‘Ben’s surprise 30th party’, ‘Kate’s hen do in Copenhagen’, ‘Elise’s baby shower’. Then use the patchwork description to explain exactly what it is you want people to do i.e:
‘To celebrate [insert name] [insert occasion] we want to organise the best party ever. And we’re hoping you can all help. Please click around the patchwork below and show your love for [insert name] by choosing something to fund, make or do. Love and thanks, [your name].’

Make it personal

Don’t be afraid to make your patchwork personal. Use your images and words to share more about what is it you want and who it’s for. If you’re organising a party for a friend, remind everyone how much they love him with pictures of him and an anecdote or two.
This doesn’t have to mean creating a patchwork from scratch. You can customise one of our readymade party patchworks, then simply tweak a few words to personalise it and add or delete patches to suit your needs.
You can also add a banner image and a profile photo. So there are lots of opportunities for your friends to see the giftee’s happy face, remember how much they love them, and then give generously!

Give options to fund, make or do

While some people will be cash rich and time poor, others will be the opposite. One friend might have a couple of hours to bake a cake but not much money to buy a gift. Another might want to flex their creative skills to show their love. And someone else might just prefer to pay towards a barrel of beer. There are times in our lives when we are more interested and able to contribute cash, time or skills to help make a party happen – so make sure all the options are available.
Whether you want to customise one of our readymade party patchworks or create your own from scratch you’ll see that you have the ability to assign an action to each patch. Automatically set to ‘Fund’, you can set a patch to ask people to ‘Make’ or ‘Do’.
Asking people upfront to fund a wedding party or baby shower might feel a bit uncomfortable. So including make and do options in a patchwork removes any awkwardness around the money side of things. While most people will opt for the ease of giving money, they will be grateful for having been given the choice.

Be specific about quantities

If you need 10 cakes made for the dessert table, add an image of a cake to a patch, set it to ‘Make’ and then set your quantity to 10. Then one person can choose to bake ten or 10 people can choose to bake one. Either way, once you’ve got 10 cakes being made this patch will say ‘Sold out’ for future contributors.
In your account you’ll then be able to see the person(s) who has pledged to bake your cakes so you can send individual or group messages to all bakers to discuss the details.
This same principle applies to the 2 people you need to help with decorations, the 5 hours of DJ-ing required, the 15 dishes you need making, the 5 embarrassing hen do games that need organising or the 1 new-baby playlist that needs putting together.

Use your patchwork as an invite

You can add an event date in your patchwork and include venue address, contact email and any other event details. This means your page can act as an invite/event page as well as a DIY party planning tool. Handy, not just to keep all the party info in one place, but because people visiting your page to find out the plan will be inspired to help while they are there.

Gift your party patchwork

If you’re organising a party for a friend, you can ‘Gift’ them their patchwork once the party’s over so that they can read everyone’s messages and send thanks when they’re ready.
All you need to do is ‘Gift’ the patchwork from your account by adding their email address and a message, then they’ll be sent a unique login and instructions to see their gift page. A gifted Patchwork page will show your title, description and all the patch images and descriptions – which you can edit if you like. But it wont show prices or give the option to fund anymore, as this page is presented to the person receiving the gift. This person will be able to see all the messages from friends at the bottom of the patchwork (along with their happy faces if they choose to upload photos too). And then they can click to ‘Send thanks’ when they are ready.

Ready to start your patchwork? Browse our customisable party templates here.

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back to the future themed patchwork party

Patchwork Kids Patchwork Story

A Kids’ Party with a Back to the Future Theme

by Ismay Ozga February 15, 2017

written by Ismay Ozga

Patchwork founder Olivia’s son turned ten this month. To celebrate she wanted to throw him a really special party with all his family and friends. Although Manu knew about the party, what he didn’t know was that it was going to be a Back to the Future themed party – an obsession that he’s inherited from his 1980s parents.

So when did Manu’s love of Back to the Future start?

Early. Manu chose his first red ‘life preserver’ at age four, started guitar lessons on a mini red electric at the age of five, owned a skateboard by six, went to the Secret Cinema screening of Back to the Future at eight and still watches the film at least once a month, reciting every line by heart. So, a Back to the Future themed party seemed like the perfect way to celebrate Manu’s past and future.

How did you go about organising the party?

Once I’d fixed the date and booked the local Scouts hall the real challenge was searching the country to track down an original Back to the Future DeLorean to drive Manu to the venue in style.

From that point on it was simple.

The Scout hall, a 1950s prefab, was the perfect Hill Valley School hall and although I knew it was going to take a lot of work to recreate the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, with P

atchwork it was easy to share the plan and ask everyone to help.

What response did you get from your party patchwork?

Within days of sending out the patchwork invite I had 50 people coming, a local ‘Marvin Berry’ band booked, badges being made, a projector screen and speakers promised, 100 balloons ordered, eight cakes being baked, a banner, two signs and a Flux Capacitor being made.

How did you keep it all a secret?

It was easy to keep the Back to the Future theme a secret from Manu until the day of the party. Getting dressed in his skinny jeans, checked shirt, denim jacket and red gilet was normal for Manu. But he did start to get a bit suspicious when his dad produced an 1980s Walkman and a brand new pair of white Nikes with a red tick.

With everyone waiting at the venue it was up to Manu’s dad to get him there. As they left home Manu said ‘I feel like Marty’, and at that exact moment the DeLorean pulled up and opened its doors, blaring out the Back to the Future theme tune!

How did Manu feel riding a time machine through Brockley?

This was the only Universal Studios DeLorean time machine in the UK and the one used for the 25 anniversary promotional tour, complete with Flux Capacitor. So Manu was speechless. As were the people who saw it driving (at 5 miles an hour over the speed bumps) through the streets of Brockley.

How did you transform the party venue into the Enchantment Under the Sea dance?

I spent Friday night with girlfriends painting the giant banner and two wooden signs. And we arrived at the venue on Sunday morning with a handful of helpers to decorate the hall, blow up balloons, set the tables, fill party bags and get the band set up. So when Manu arrived the scene was set and everyone was outside the hall dressed in 1985 or 1955 outfits to welcome him.

What did Manu think when he arrived at the Back to the Future themed party?

Manu McFly tried his best to play it cool as he stepped out of his time machine to whoops and cheers from the crowd, but he couldn’t hide his surprise and delight. His joy reached new heights when he stepped inside the hall and the band started playing ‘Power of Love’.

He said “The best bit of the party was riding in the DeLorean, seeing all my friends, eating all the cakes and the Flux Capacitor that Eric made me. The funniest thing was seeing Grandad dressed as Doc and the most embarrassing bit was when the band played Earth Angel and mum tried to make me dance.”

We know that you’re the biggest Back to the Future fan really. So what was your favourite bit?

I am. I loved feeling everyone’s excitement as we saw the DeLorean drive up and seeing Manu’s face as he got out of the Time Machine! It was so fun stepping into 1955 as we entered the hall, seeing all our efforts come together and hearing the AMAZING band. We’d made mini clock tower fairy cakes but seeing the incredible sea-themed creations, the Jail Bird Joey cake and the huge red guitar cake that everyone else had made was amazing. And of course Patchwork made it all so easy. I could keep track of all the things people were helping to fund, make and do and contact everyone about the things they’d pledged to do and send updates to everyone along the way.

After an evening of dancing I could also show Manu the patchwork so he could see how everyone helped to make it happen and read everyone’s messages so he could send his own thank yous.

It was a massive success, made super easy with Patchwork. Now I’m just looking for another excuse to plan a big party!

YAY. Best party ever. If this has inspired you to plan a party with patchwork, check out our party patchworks for inspiration, or create your own from scratch.

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Party Planning

Halloween DIY Ideas

by Ismay Ozga October 25, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

If Christmas is the most magical time of the year, Halloween is the silliest. And that’s why we love it. It’s a brilliant excuse to get all dressed up and eat a couple (okay loads) of sweets. It’s also a great opportunity to get crafty, so if you fancy trying your hand at a fun DIY, read on for some inspiration. Here’s a round-up of our favourite Halloween DIY ideas from around the internet:

Mr Printables is a fantastic source of free, creative printables, so all you’ll need for these is a paper, a printer, and some glue. Easy peasy. These masks are perfect for little kids who aren’t into super scary costumes.

If you’re throwing a halloween party this DIY is perfect for decorating your table – head to The House That Lars Built to find out how you can make this spooky spiderweb tablecloth.

Make these costumes for your little ones and be the coolest parent ever. These halloween ideas from Oh Happy Day are way more fun than your average witch. Rocket Astronaut + Disco Ball.

Your halloween colour scheme doesn’t have to be all black and orange, brighten things up with these gorgeous ghosts.

These abstract painted pumpkins are beautiful and perfect for lazy carvers. They’re a lot quicker to do if you want to decorate in a hurry, and they don’t create half as much mess.

We love pom-poms! They’re fun, easy to make and so cute. These little pumpkin pom-poms are perfect for popping around the house at a party.

If you’re throwing a halloween party this year, why not make a patchwork to let everyone know the plan. Ask friends to bring a treat, add to the playlist, or help you decorate, then keep track of who’s doing what in your account. See our template party patchworks here or create your own from scratch.

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Party Planning

How To Throw A Surprise Party

by Ismay Ozga October 12, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

Throwing a surprise party can be so much fun, but the organisation involved can be pretty stressful. From the timings to the theme, there are a lot of decisions to be made. But don’t worry, we’ve got some tips to help your planning go smoothly. Read on to find out how to organise the best surprise party ever.

Will the guest of honour appreciate a surprise party?

The first thing to ask yourself when planning a surprise party is ‘will my partner/friend/family member really enjoy this?’, and the majority of the time the answer to this will be a big fat ‘yes!’, but there are certain people who would much rather be involved in the plans. And that’s okay. If your guest of honour really isn’t keen on being the center of attention, it might be mistake to force it upon them. Some people need a bit of warning before being thrust into a room full of everyone they know, so it might be best to tell them the details. There are also people who just love to plan their own events, and would feel they were missing out if they were denied the opportunity to plan their own party. If you know one of these people, which you probably do, it may be best to leave them to it. Chances are, they have these events down to a tee, so the stress of trying to organise a party that would measure up to their high standards may not be worth it anyway!

When should I start organising the party?

The answer to this depends on how many people you are inviting. If you’re inviting everyone the guest of honour has ever met, you’re going to need a good amount of planning time. For a party of 50-100, you will need around 6 months planning time. For a guest list of 25-30, you can do it in about 6 weeks. If you’re just inviting a handful of close friends, you could get it done in a fortnight.

When to send out the invitations is a different question – if this party is in honour of an important event, you’re going to want your friends and family to keep the date free. So even if you don’t have a clue what exactly you’ll be doing yet, make sure you at least get the most important guests to keep their diaries clear. You could even send out a save the date card, just as you would for a wedding. Just keep in mind that the more people you tell prior to the event, the more chance there is of the secret getting out. So make sure everyone knows they have to keep schtum.

What does the guest of honour want from a party?

This is the time to do some detective work. If you’re throwing a party for someone, it’s probably right to presume you know them pretty well. But do you know what makes a great party for them? If not, it’s time to do a little digging. What’s their favourite music to listen to at a party? Do they prefer house parties? Would they feel at home in a fancy venue? Do they like to dress up or down? All of these little things can help you narrow down exactly the type of party you’re going to throw.

How should I decide on a theme?

Theme possibilities are endless. You can go all out with a theme by picking one of the guest of honour’s favourite things and planning the party around it. Do they love 90s pop music? Get everyone to dress as their favourite popstar, plan an epic playlist that includes all the hits, and fill bowls with nostalgic sweets. Are they a total film buff? Go for old Hollywood glamour.If you don’t want to go all out with your theme, you can keep it simple by just choosing a colour scheme. Think about your loved one’s favourite colours and decorate accordingly – sticking to a few colours can have a big impact on the overall look of the event.Just remember, if you decide to go with fancy dress, or any kind of dress code, you’ll need to organise an outfit for the guest of honour. There would be nothing worse than turning up to a party full of glamorous movie icons in your jeans.

Who should I invite?

Remember that what’s important about choosing the guest list for this party is whether the guest of honour would be really happy to see them there. So if they’re not a huge fan of one of your friends, maybe it’s best to leave them off the invite list for this particular occasion. And if you don’t really get on with one of theirs, you may have to swallow your pride and invite them anyway. This party is all about gathering all of your loved one’s very favourite people in one room. So think carefully.

What’s the best way to let people know about the party?

The most foolproof way of telling everyone the details of the party, without the secret getting out, is to make a secret Facebook event. That way everyone can come back to check on details like the time and place, without having to ask you questions. The more your phone beeps, the more likely you are to be found out. For those friends not on Facebook, you can always send an email or pick up the phone and give them a call (like in the olden days).

So I shouldn’t send printed invitations?

Though printed invitations are undoubtedly the most special way of inviting friends to a party, they’re also the riskiest. It might be left out or put on the fridge where it could easily be spotted, and then all your hard work keeping everything secret will be wasted.

Where should I throw the party?

You may be thinking of hosting the party in your own home, but if you’re throwing the party for your significant other, this may cause a few logistical issues. It’s one thing to organise a surprise party, but it’s another to organise one in the home you share with the guest of honour. If you think you can be sneaky enough, by all means go for it, but it may be easier to find another venue. Really like the idea of a house party? See if any of your mutual friends would be up for hosting it!
If you don’t think a house party is your guest of honour’s bag, have a think about what their favourite venue might be. If they love your local pub, why not ask if you can hire it for the night? Or if they’re passionate about food, see if you can get a private room at a favourite restaurant. This might not be possible for larger groups, but if you’re looking to create a more intimate affair it’ll be perfect.

What food & drink should I provide?

This depends on the venue you’ve chosen, but it’s unusual to provide a full meal at a surprise party. It’s best to stick to small plates and snacks. A buffet style spread is ideal as people can help themselves if they start to get peckish. In fact, a brilliant way of keeping costs and effort down is to ask your friends to each bring a dish, even just something small. That way you know you’ll have enough food for everyone and you’ll have a lovely eclectic mix of treats.

If the budget isn’t a problem then you can always hire caterers to provide canapes. This may cost more than BYO, but at least you’ll know everyone will be definitely fed and your stress levels will be low.

One thing that should never get too low, on the other hand, are the alcohol levels. Make sure you’ve ordered enough – you can buy bulk alcohol on a sale or return basis, so anything that doesn’t get drunk can be taken back. It’s always better to have too much than too little – no one wants to have to nip to the offie half way through a party. And again, asking everyone to bring a bottle is a great option if you want to keep the budget down.

How should I sneak the guests in?

If you’re planning on having the guest of honour arrive at 7.30, and telling everyone else to turn up at 7pm, don’t. Tell them 6.30. People can’t help but be late for parties, even surprise ones. And the difference between a successful surprise party and a failed one is timing. You can’t afford to have a half empty room when the man or woman of the hour walks in. You need to have a strategy in place for latecomers – tell them to use a different entrance (if possible) to be sure there’s no confusion. It’s also a good idea to ask people to park a little further away – if the guest of honour arrives to all of their friend’s cars on the drive, they’re going to know something’s up.

Can I ask for help organising the party?

Absolutely. The secret to organising a great surprise party is knowing when to delegate. Call on friends to help you decorate whichever venue you decide on. Get a keen baker to make a delicious cake for the occasion. Ask a musical friend to do a bit of DJing. Get everyone to pick a favourite song to put on the playlist. See if a photographer friend will take some lovely images of the event. And above all, ask them to keep it a secret.

A great way to tell your friends about the surprise party and to ask them for help is to create a patchwork to show them the plan. That way, you can tell them exactly what you need, whether it’s help with the decorating or someone to make the cake, and you can keep track easily in your account.

Just browse our readymade party patchworks for inspiration, or create your own from scratch now.

Have fun!

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Party Planning

5 Favourite Party Instagrammers

by Ismay Ozga October 7, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

Hopefully you already follow us over on Instagram, where we share all sorts of colourful party inspiration. But if you’re looking for even more fun to follow, we’ve got some ideas for you. Here are five of our very favourite party people. These glorious ‘grammers are the life and soul of our feed.

Oh Happy Day is a never-ending source of inspiration for brilliant party DIYs. Always fun, always colourful, and (nearly) always easy to do.

Geronimo balloons create bright, beautiful installations all over LA and beyond. Let them inspire you to create something special for your next party.

BASH is an independent, design-focused party company drawing inspiration from art, interior design, fashion, and party style across the globe. We like their squiggly patterns.

Born out of a shared love of communal celebration and craft-making, the duo behind Confetti System create the most incredible backdrops for parties. Feast your eyes on all the tassels.

Poppies For Grace describe themselves as craft gangsters, joy makers and day dreamers. We agree. Their Instagram is jam-packed full of fun ideas.

Happy scrolling! And check out our party patchworks here if these ideas have got you itching to organise a party of your own.

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Party Planning

Colourful Party DIY Ideas

by Ismay Ozga September 9, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

We love parties. We love birthday parties, hen parties, wedding parties, even ‘I’m having a party because I feel like it’ parties. Especially those parties. And when it comes to party decoration ideas, we’re all about colour. You can see evidence of our colour love over on our Instagram.
We think the best (and cheapest) way to decorate for a party is to get all of your friends involved and DIY-ing. DIY doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. In fact we prefer to DIT. Do It Together. Hey, you could even throw a ‘let’s make decorations for the party’ party.
We’ve chosen 4 colourful DIY party decoration ideas from around the web that we think would look great at any party.

A clever party decorating idea for a centrepiece – if you don’t fancy having flowers on your table, try this instead.

Hang this super colourful hanging vine garland over a focal point in the room – the cake table is a good idea.

This DIY dipped newspaper garland is really unique and would look great at a baby shower. Get everyone to bring a paper and some paint, and get making.

There’s very little DIY involved in this one, but hanging lots of colourful streamers across the ceiling in a big space will have a massive impact. All it takes is a little patience and lots of hands.
Party planning can be stressful, so delegating tasks and getting friends and family involved is a brilliant way of managing it all. If you’re planning a party and want to ask for help, just make a patchwork to show them what you need. Then they can help with the party decorating ideas, making the cake, planning the playlists, and whatever else it is that needs to be done. Send the link out and they can pledge to do their bit, and you can keep track of who’s doing what.

Get some inspiration from our readymade, customisable party patchworks. Or create your own from scratch.

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Party Planning

How to Throw a Hen Party Night In

by Ismay Ozga August 24, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

Hen parties don’t have to be all about splurging the cash on activities or getting dressed up for raucous nights out (though there’s nothing wrong with that!). Throw a hen party night in that’s fun, cosy, and really personal instead. If you know your bride would prefer partying with her closest pals in comfort to venturing out for a spa day or hitting the VIP section of a nightclub, we’ve got some ideas for you. Read on for our tips on how to throw the best night in hen party ever.

Location, location, location.

Has one of the hens got a beautiful living room with space for the whole crew? Perfect, ask them if they’ll consider hosting. If not, there are plenty of incredible homes to rent for a night or two – our Ismay went to a beautiful house in Camber Sands for her hen party and it looked incredible – beautiful interiors, a short hop from the sea, and plenty of room for everyone.

Tunes!

Whether it’s chilled out songs for when you’re sitting around chatting, or 90’s hits for when you want to start choreographing dance routines, there are few things as important as the music. Get everyone to suggest some favourites, then you can put together the ultimate hen party playlist.

Game on

If you get them right, games can be one of the most hilarious parts of a hen party. Of course you can play the classics like Mr/s & Mrs, or do a quiz about the bride. But one of our favourites is a dice game, where you make your own rules. Create a funny rule for every number on a dice, ie. if you roll a 2 you have to pretend to be the bride/take a drink/speak in a different accent until your next turn. Draw out a big board with the rules, so you don’t have to try and remember them after a couple of proseccos. Trust us, hilarity will ensue.

Dress the part

Just because you’re staying in doesn’t mean you can’t make an effort. Staying in just means there’s no one to see you looking silly (read: fabulous) in your glitter and sequins. Got a super creative hen coming? Ask them to make flower crowns for everyone.

Decorate!

This is another job for all those creative mates – ask them to help decorate the space with pom-poms, tassels, balloons, streamers, whatever you fancy – just get the place looking extra special. It really helps to pick a theme, whether that’s the bride’s favourite colours, all gold everything, or a destination – are the couple going to Mexico for their honeymoon? Great! Go for bright colours, sombreros, and even hang up a piñata or two.

Food, glorious food

Don’t let the hens get hangry. After all the games and dancing, you’re probably going to be ready for some delicious food. Got a friend who’s a dab hand in the kitchen? Ask them if they’d prepare a few snacks. If you don’t want to have to deal with food prep, you could always get a caterer in – it just means asking everyone to chip in a bit more.

One, two, three, drink!

Supplying your own drinks means you can mix up some super fancy cocktails without the super fancy price tags. You could even create a cocktail named after the bride (or just find a recipe you think she’d like, copy it, and tell her you invented it!). Sprinkle some edible gold leaf, pop in some pretty straws, and you’ve got yourselves a signature drink.

Get the other half involved

Why not get the future husband/bride to film a little message for the hen – it’s a sure fire way to make everyone cry (or laugh). Ask them to tell you their favourite things about her, or just record something silly. However you do it, getting the other half involved is a lovely reminder of why you’re all there.

Lights, camera, action..

You are going to have so much fun, and you’re going to want to remember it all. Make sure you ask the hens to capture it on camera so you can look back and laugh. If you want to have some super cute photos to keep, it might be an idea to hire a photobooth – they’re not just for weddings!

Get personal!

The internet is full of hen party ideas, but the very best way to make it a great night is to include lots of personal touches. Give everyone a little badge featuring the bride-to-be’s face, print a tailor-made hen do plan of action, reminisce about old times – bring out some old photos. Do what you can to show her you love her.

The best way to get the hens organised and to make sure everyone knows what you need help with is to make a patchwork to show them the plan. Then they can pledge to make the flower crowns/mix up the cocktails/invent a game or two. Plus, you can keep track of any costs – if you decide to hire a house for the occasion, you can see who’s paid for what and when. Perfect. See our hen do night in patchwork & countryside hen do patchwork for inspiration, or start creating your own from scratch now.

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Parent & Baby Party Planning Patchwork Kids

The Mamahood plans your kid’s party

by Ismay Ozga July 8, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

Fabulous woman and fellow SE Londoner, Diana Bardega, set up The Mamahood a year ago, with the aim of bringing mamas together in their local neighbourhoods. The Mamahood provides mother’s with a chance to get creative, collaborative and inspired with crafting workshops across the UK. She’s written us this great blog about planning kid’s parties to help take the stress out of those little birthdays.

Urgh. If you are anything like me, when the time comes to organise my children’s birthday parties I feel dread. It can be such an expensive, mass produced, stressful affair. From naff decorations, to expensive entertainers, crap food, to heaps of plastic tat that will only end up in a landfill.
But fear not, there is another way. You see, all around us are some incredible, creative, independent businesses who are there to help when we hit party planning season. And better than that, some of them are run by fellow multi-tasking mothers who understand better than anyone the stress of organising a party.

The Mamahood is all about enabling mothers to connect and support each other. I believe passionately that we should be buying and supporting and working together more because when you become a mother you join a community. Regardless of class, religion, creed, choices and status we all understand the pressures of being a mum. So when you shop, shop independent and where you can, support your fellow mamas. Because we all know how hard it can be to manage the juggle.
Plus I’ve done the hard work for you. Here is a round up of my top 5 mama-run businesses to check out if you are planning a kids party.

Invites

I have always found it tricky to find stylish invites on the high street. If you’re a stationery addict (I am) you will love the gorgeous Marby and Elm. Set up by a very talented mama Eleanor, she designs and letter presses in beautiful neons and brights. They are so beautiful you will almost not want to send them.
And if you’re after something extra special I can’t recommend more highly the wonderful illustrator and mama Lakshmi. She can sketch a gorgeous illustration of your child that you can use for invites and then keep for posterity. Double win.

Tableware

Look no further than The Jelly Rabbit. Run by lovely mama Sarah, she will take all the stress out of party planning for you. She sells gorgeous tableware, decorations, Pass the Parcel kits, balloons, dress up – you name it. I love her party kits. Literally everything you need by theme and all delivered – no stress!

Party Bags

Sick of plastic rubbish that goes straight in the bin? Then definitely check out Cotton Twist, set up by two mamas Anne-Clare and Alexis. They create the most wonderful craft kits that make the perfect take home alternative to a goody bag. Choose from a huge range of themes that suit both boys and girls. And if you need any party extras like themed food boxes then they’ve got you covered there too.

Cake

For ridiculously beautiful cakes look no further than Blossom and Crumb. Run by mega-talented mama Megan, her cakes speak for themselves.

Venue

Obviously this is hugely dependent on where you are based, but if you do find yourself in SE London, I can not recommend more highly The Punk Me Up Ceramics cafe. Run by the loveliest mama Toni – her kids party packages (held in the back of her beautiful shop) are wonderful. From the make your own goody bags, polaroids of the kids with their faces painted, painting your own themed ceramics and the mini milk bottles and bento boxes for the kids, every detail is covered stylishly and with minimum stress for you. A huge thumbs up.
To stay on top of workshop news and exclusive offers to shop at mama-run businesses, follow us over at @the_mamahood. Whether you want to meet other local like minded mothers, or just have some time for yourself and learn a new skill, you can find out what’s going on in your local area by signing up over at The Mamahood.

Planning your kid’s party? Take some of the stress out of it with our party planning Patchworks. Ask your friends and family to fund, make and do to organise a stress-free and fabulous party. They can contribute their time, skill or money to make the party happen. Your best friend can buy the bubbles, your mum can bake the cake and your brother can blow up all the balloons. Simple.

Customise one of our party planning patchworks here or create your own from scratch.

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Party Planning Wedding Planning

Ismay’s Hen Do: Planning Made Easy

by Ismay Ozga May 16, 2016

written by Ismay Ozga

Our very own Ismay is getting married this summer. We’re excited. When it came to her hen do planning, she of course insisted that her ‘maids used Patchwork, and the results looked incredible. We asked her Maid of Honour Naomi all about the do.

What kind of hen do did you plan?

We planned a lovely beach weekend getaway. We wanted a beautiful house where we could all spend quality time together, with the beach close by to go on a long walk to clear out any fluffy hungover heads. The general theme was a pretty Mexican fiesta, as that’s where the bride and groom are going on their honeymoon, and we knew the decorations would look great and not be too cheesy, as this isn’t our bride’s taste at all! Ismay has a real eye for design so getting the right house was important.

Where did you get all of your ideas?

Myself and the other two bridesmaids are luckily all very creative so a lot of the hen do planning ideas came from ourselves, with a bit of Pinterest thrown in. I split the main jobs between the three of us so we weren’t overlapping and then asked all the girls to help with certain tasks, be it filming the groom answering ‘Mr and Mrs’ questions, making decorations, making a drinking game, writing a quiz round or taking beautiful photos to treasure whilst we were there. This way everybody had a hand in making a really special weekend for the bride-to-be.

How did Patchwork help with the process?

Being able to see all the elements of what goes into a hen do laid out on the patchwork helped the girls see what their money was going towards, and seeing that other people had offered to make or do something really spurred everyone on to get involved in making the whole weekend amazing! It also helped hugely with the money side of things – even though we’re a very close group of friends, nagging for money can be tricky, and keeping track of who’s paid what is a nightmare. Patchwork made the whole thing really easy and left me guilt-free and totally organised.

Ismay says “I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of my hen do! Everything had been planned to total perfection, I felt like I was in a little dream world for the weekend. Realising that every single one of my girls had made or done something was really special. I felt very loved indeed.”

Hooray, so glad we could help take some of the hassle out of the hen do planning for this amazing weekend. If you’re looking for more hen do inspiration check out our readymade hen do patchworks, or create your own from scratch.

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