Welcome Home! 35+ Housewarming Party Ideas To Celebrate Your New Digs
Congratulations, new homeowner! You've found the perfect place and now it's time to unpack, start decorating and have loved ones over to celebrate! But what will that celebration actually look like? We've got 35+ creative housewarming party ideas to help you plan the ultimate get-together in your new abode.
A cynic might say, "Congrats on your new home, which the bank actually owns for 30 years." But you know what? We don't have to be negative all the time. A new home is a reason to celebrate, regardless of what mortgage rate you got. While "Just come over and party" is a perfectly reasonable way to show off your new digs, a theme can elevate and create cohesion around the menu, decor, invite and entertainment.
Stumped? It's understandable. The entire home-buying process may have been a headache and taken a lot out of you. These housewarming party ideas can open the door for major inspiration.
Related: 40 Fun 30th Birthday Ideas for a Celebration To Remember
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36 Sweet Housewarming Party Theme Ideas
1. Home Brewed
Depending on your beverage of choice, this party could refer to beer or coffee. Host a beer or coffee-tasting party. Extra points if you hire a local pro to come in and discuss the beverages and their production process for a fun learning experience.
2. Home Grown
Invite guests to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Give everyone some seeds to plant—flowers, herbs, you choose—and plant them in your yard. Then, send updates on the fruits of their labor as your garden grows.
Related: Avoid Getting Eaten Alive This Summer With These 25+ Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
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3. Brews & BBQ
A BBQ is classic and a cinch to pull off. Invite guests to bring their favorite beers in lieu of gifts.
4. Trash to Treasure
Nothing lets you know how much stuff you have quite like moving. Bring the whole buy-nothing concept that's popular on Facebook to your home. Set out items you'd like to give away for guests and invite (But don't pressure) them to take them. Parents-to-be may love the outdoor water table your little ones outgrew, for instance. Invite others to do the same.
5. Open House
Another classic theme, an open house can be a relaxed way to host friends for the first time while also meeting neighbors.
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6. Let's Unpack That
Therapy-speak has seeped into everyday lingo, but we're being literal with this sneaky-genius idea. Enlist pals to help you unpack while serving lite bites and beverages.
7. Stock the Bar
The gift-giving aspect of housewarming parties is a tad controversial (especially when people go ahead and include a registry link with furniture on their invites, especially if this invite comes after an engagement party, wedding shower and wedding...). Ditch the awkwardness by simply asking guests to bring their favorite drink to stock your bar.
Related: The Best Time to Buy a House, According to Experts
8. Home Sweet Home
Play off the quintessential welcome mat saying with a dessert-themed party. Cakes, ice cream bars, pastries, cookies and brownies make perfect sweet treats for this affair. Invite friends to bring a favorite dessert too.
9. Taco-Bout a New Home
A new home is certainly something to talk about—over tacos. Spice up your party with a DIY taco bar with all the fixing (guac is absolutely mandatory).
10. Margaritaville
You may not have moved to Margaritaville, but you found your lost shaker of salt when unpacking and can bet it's 5:00 somewhere. In other words, host a Jimmy Buffet-themed party. A playlist with Buffet and reggae tunes will set the move, and the signature drink is a given.
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11. Big Move, Small Plates
The small plates/tapas movement has been a favorite at restaurants. Many upscale spots have even developed noted multi-course tasting menus. Bring that to your new digs with passed hors d'oeuvres. The sky is the limit, but some examples include deviled eggs, coconut shrimp, sushi, deviled eggs and mini pastries.
Related: 65 Easy Cold Appetizers for Summer Cookouts & Pool Parties
12. Afternoon Tea
Think this theme is just for little girl birthday parties and the Royal Family? Please. Purchase a bunch of different tea flavors, and invite guests to bring their favorite sweet treats and toast to your new home in zero-proof, elevated fashion.
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13. Recipe for Success
Jumpstart the home cooking you hope to do in your brand-new-to-you kitchen by asking guests to write down their favorite recipes.
Related: Let's Take the Headaches Out of Birthday Prep With the Ultimate How-to Guide on Party Planning!
14. Cookie Swap
A favorite theme around the winter holidays, a cookie swap is literally a sweet way to celebrate home ownership.
15. Heartwarming Housewarming
Sentimental types will like this idea. Have guests write well wishes and sage advice for you. Then, spend one of your first nights on your new couch with a box of Kleenex.
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16. Pop on By
Guests can come and go as they please while noshing on different kinds of popcorn. Think caramel, regular, sea salt, cheddar, hot pepper and more. Giving some away as a favor will let your guests savor the party after it ends.
17. Moved-In Mimosa Bar
Feeling bubbly about your new home? Cheers to that—literally—with a mimosa bar to celebrate. Put out different mixers, like orange juice, lemonade and raspberry juice, and let guests put new twists on the classic brunch beverage.
18. Garden Cocktail Hour
In the spring or summer, a garden cocktail hour can feel straight out of the Hamptons playbook. With your beautiful botanicals—and perhaps a sunset—as the backdrop, invite guests to mix and mingle as they sip and savor their drink of choice.
19. S'More Fun to Come
Catch up with pals and discuss all your hopes and dreams for at-home adventures over the quintessential campfire dessert.
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20. Wine Not Celebrate?
We discussed beer or coffee tasting above. But this theme is for the oenophiles of the bunch. Have guests sip, savor and raise a glass to you while sampling new vinos.
21. New Groove(y)
Get into a new groove with '60s music. Think The Doors, The Supremes, The Mamas & the Papas, Marvin Gaye and, obviously, The Beatles.
22. Game Night
Game nights made comebacks during the pandemic and make for a fun housewarming idea now that we're all back together. You can go the family-friendly route with Charades, Monopoly and Connect Four. Or, get a little raunchy with adult party games like Off-Topic
OFF TOPIC Adult Party Game - Fun Board and Card Game for Group Game Night, Yellow
23. Crafts and Cocktails
This theme offers a spirited twist on Paint & Sips. Put out a craft (painting, adult coloring books, pottery—your house, your choice). Then, play bartender and mix up some cocktails. Finally, create something fun with your pals.
24. Fancy Dinner Party
Have a white tablecloth affair in your new home by serving a multi-course meal (or hiring a local chef to do it for you so you can handle house tours). Bonus points if you make use of any applicable China (perhaps for the first time ever) and illuminate your table with candlelight, fancy-pants restaurant style. Frankly, nothing screams "sophisticated adult nailing this adulting thing" like one of these bashes.
Related: What Color House Sells Best? Experts Share the Answer
25. Scavenger Hunt
Instead of house tours, get competitive juices flowing by organizing a scavenger hunt around your home. You can find templates on places like Etsy, but good prompts include the color of the roof, your address, the color of the guest room and where the dog bed is (could be a trick question if the answer is "mine" because the pup sleeps in your bed).
26. Room Memory
This party game is a hybrid of house tours and the scavenger hunt. Take guests room to room. Give them about a minute to take in their surroundings. After the tour, hand them a list of questions about what they saw.
27. Gatsby
Though you may not have moved into digs quite like those on Long Island's Gold Coast, you can still party like it's the 1920s. Play Jazz hits, invite guests to dress to the nines (flapper-style and suits) and serve beverages like The Bee's Knees and French 75.
29. Murder Mystery
Instead of a game night, become part of the game. A who-done-it is part Clue, part escape room and totally fun. Your town or city may have a company that can host these for you, so you don't have to figure out all the details and can partake, too.
Related: Host the Ultimate Whodunit With 15 Murder Mystery Games to Liven up Your Dinner Party
30. So Cheesy
Housewarming parties may feel a bit cheesy, especially if you're coming off several other life changes. Lean into it with tons of cheese types. There are a ton of different kinds of cheese, from asiago to cheddar and romano—consider numerous charcuterie boards.
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31. Aloha, Home
Your new home may feel a world away from Hawaii (or maybe you moved there), but you can still celebrate like the Aloha State with a Luau. Tiki torches, leis, a pig roast and tons of pineapple-infused food and drinks are a great place to start when developing your party plan around this theme.
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32. Firepit
Put the emphasis on the "warm" in housewarming by making the firepit the centerpiece of your celebration. S'Mores around the only food you can make around the fire. Some have cooking grates, allowing you to add smokey flavors to your BBQ fare.
Sunnydaze 30-Inch Bronze Crossweave Wood-Burning Fire Pit - Includes Spark Screen, Fireplace Poker, and Round Cover
33. Wish Us Luck
Host a casino-themed party with card games, poker chips and dice rolls because you clearly hit the jackpot with your new home.
34. 4th Be With Us
No, you don't have to host this housewarming party on May 4th. But if you could use some assistance from your force to feel at home after a stressful move, host a Star Wars-themed party with decor and invites to match.
35. Karaoke
Sing your tune loud and proud. A karaoke-themed party will be the gift that keeps on giving, as you and your guests will likely laugh at your antics for years to come. Pro tip: Invite the neighbors (or at least warn them).
36. Candy Land
Self-explanatory and totally sweet.
