Winter is Coming: Host a Game of Thrones Watch Party
My last couple of posts have been all things Spring as I was relishing in the 60 degree temperatures and melted snow. But, just like that Winter is here again with blizzard conditions! Then, I had a thought, HBO must have contracted with Mother Nature for the ultimate marketing ploy to remind us all of the Game of Thrones season premiere on Sunday, April 14! That has to be it, right?! Haha!
Admittedly, I was not on the Game of Thrones bandwagon until last year. After hearing everyone and their Mom and Grandma rave about the show, my hubby and I decided a good Winter activity would be binge watching all 7 seasons. Woah, that was a time commitment! But, it was kind of cool to watch it all back-to-back. I’ll definitely need a quick recap before Sunday!
If you’ve been a reader for awhile, you know that I love throwing viewing and watch parties! I’ve thrown gatherings for TV shows like Fixer Upper and The Bachelor in the past, which were always so fun! Whether you are having people over this weekend, throughout the season, or decide to binge watch GOT later, I’ve got Westeros approved ideas for a dinner party before tuning into the show.
Invites
Invite your guests over with an old fashioned snail mail invite! I know you won’t be able to deliver it via Raven as they do in the show, but the postal service is second best, right? I teamed up with JM Custom Invites, one of my favorite invitation Etsy shops, and Jackie created the perfect design! You can have it customized to fit your event by visiting her shop. She also designed a suite of coordinating items that you’ll see more of below.
Table Setting
Start your table with a plain black tablecloth. Black is a great color linen to invest in because you can use it again and again. If you buy any two tablecloths, get a white and black! You won’t regret it.
Next, I layered on a faux fur blanket I already had at home from Pottery Barn. If you don’t have something like this around the house, I’ve linked to an option you can order online or check out Ikea’s faux fur rugs that can double as a table runner! Fur just seemed fitting to pick up on that Winterfell ambiance.
Remember these DIY wood chargers from my Friendsgiving Food Drive? They are making another appearance giving that medieval vibe to the table. I love when a project can be used again in a new way! Check out the post for a full tutorial and supply list. Next, I layered on vintage gold chargers from a local thrift shop that I grabbed for $1 each. Thrift shops are a great place to get chargers at a fraction of the retail price. Dollar Tree can also be a good place to find gold chargers.
Speaking of Dollar Tree, I used my black plates for this table! I bought these a few years ago for my Vampire Themed Halloween Dinner. Funny enough, that was another collaboration with JM Custom Invites. She’s a go-to gal for dinner party paper goods. DT frequently carries solid color plates in black, but you can also order a basic set online.
Each setting was topped off with a grey linen napkin I had from Crate & Barrel and the PERFECT thrifted napkin rings. Sometimes you are out shopping and you just see something that you know will make your table and the best part is, it doesn’t break the bank! I’ve done my best to find something similar for you on Amazon! Finally, each setting was topped off with a themed dinner menu and place card from JM Custom Invites.
Who’s excited for some Red Woman Beet Salad, The Crow’s Blackened Chicken, Ramsey’s Scalloped Potatoes, Garlic Ginger Bastard Snow Peas, and White Walker Ice Cream Cake? Pinterest has some great themed food ideas!
I also used my set of gold flatware mixed with black handled steak knives for the utensils and a set of stoneware glasses from a local pottery artist as well. No gold silverware? Plastic or whatever you have on hand will do, too!
Centerpiece
I kept this pretty simple! Like any avid crafter, when I am done drinking wine, I keep the bottle and the cork for projects of course! I had a bunch of wine bottles saved up that I’d soaked the labels off and cleaned with Goo Gone.
In each bottle, I added a candlestick. You can pick up a pack of 6 shorter candles for $1 at Dollar Tree. I was also going to try and mix in some taller tapered candles, but the smaller sized candles ended up working better in the bottles.
Much of the rest of the centerpiece is Dollar Tree as well! As of yesterday, I saw many of these similar items in the toy aisle. Keep a look out for shields, helmets, swords, or other related items that fit the show. Keep them for a kiddos playroom or donate afterward. I didn’t feel too bad spending $3 on these!
I also found a plastic toy dragon for about $2 on one of my thrift store runs and spray painted it with a shiny black spray paint. I nestled that into the mix along with a crow that I had stored in my Halloween decor. A little vignette is all you need to complete this look!
Banners
Last but not least, I strung some of the various house banners on our dining room wall! Washi tape or Command strips/hooks are a great way to temporarily hang up decor like this and you won’t get any wall damage. These were also a creation by the lovely JM Custom Invites. I’d love to know who some of your favorite GOT families or characters are! I obviously love the Starks, but some of the Lannister clan grew on me over the course of the show, too!
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