Are you looking to give your friends or family a sweet goodbye that they are sure never to forget?

Enter the perfect theme: Donuts!

Some of my friends were getting ready to move, and a group of us started casually talking about their going away party. It was apparent the party theme needed to be fun, tasty, and memorable. I immediately pulled out my phone and did a quick google search. This unexpected theme popped up, and my friends loved it!

I want you to know party planning and hosting doesn’t have to be complicated. You are smart and creative. If you have access to the internet, you can host a super fun party!

The guest list

After we had decided on the theme, I asked my friends to compile their guest list and send it my way.

That is a crucial step in the party planning process. You don’t need to be worried about creating the guest list. Your friends know who they want there anyway, which allows you to spend your time focusing on other aspects of the party.

Party supplies

Then I started researching donut themed party supplies. I was super surprised by the number of options! While many lend themselves to use at children’s birthday parties, I made the event slightly more sophisticated with a little tweaking.

Amazon provided a lot of options, which I will link below. Hobby Lobby was my other go-to, and those items will be linked below as well.

Include your people

One of my friends helped with activities and picking up the actual donuts. She was a lifesaver.

If you have friends or family that are willing to help, make a plan to include them, and never be shy about asking for their help. If you plan on hosting a decent amount of functions, you will need to delegate; otherwise, you will get burnt out super quickly.

That is extremely important for enneagram 2 wing 3’s like me! We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do everything. Remember that people enjoy being apart of the process, and you are blessing them by including them.

Another friend offered to host the party at his house. My apartment is on the smaller side for group functions, has no backyard, and COVID adds a whole additional layer of obstacles.

Don’t let the size of your home keep you from hosting events. I have found that many of my friends love having the events in their homes, but they would rather have me plan the event. That takes the stress off of hosting and throwing the party at the same time! Highly recommend.

Donut Party Activities:

• Piñata! I found a cute donut piñata at Hobby Lobby and bought it on a whim. My friends love activities, and this was the perfect solution. If you think that you are too old for a piñata, think again. Everyone loved being able to take out their stress and relive their childhood at the same time. Donut Piñata is linked below.

• Game —> One friend created a trivia game about the two honored individuals and the cities where they were moving. Each team earned extra points by throwing ping pong balls into inflatable donuts. You can get creative with this. Trivia games are a great way to help the honored guests feel loved and keep everyone else entertained/engaged. Inflatable donuts are linked below.

• Cocktail —> My friends found this recipe, and it was a major hit!
  • If you want to keep things simple, Rosé is also a fun pairing with donuts.

Table Display:

My Mom always taught me that a fantastic table display has various heights. That has stuck with me and is still in the back of my mind when setting up tables.

For this table display I found:

• Donut themed trays that would be on the shorter side.
• A donut pegboard and white cake stand for medium height.
• A Pinterest idea that would create lots of height: A DONUT TREE

To add some more pizazz to the table, I bought a packet of donut themed foam stickers and placed them randomly. That little touch brought the entire look together. Foam stickers are linked below.

As a hand-letterer, I always try to incorporate something hand lettered into the party. That adds a personal touch and gives the party a more sophisticated vibe.

I used a small whiteboard I already had but, any whiteboard or acrylic sign will do the trick.

Donut tree supplies and step-by-step

• Foam tree

• 100 donut holes or so depending on the size of the foam tree

• Toothpicks

One at a time, press the toothpicks into the foam, then press a donut onto the toothpick. Start at the bottom and work your way up the tree. Each donut hole is a different shape, so I would advise against covering the tree in toothpicks first as this can create spacing problems and more work for you later.

Covering the tree is going to take longer than you would expect. So, give yourself plenty of time.

Bonus Tip: Some donut holes are more massive than others and will need more than one toothpick.

This party got rave reviews for it’s originality and tastiness.

I can’t wait to see your twist on the donut theme. Send me pics from your party and I will share them over on Instagram 🙂

Party Items:

Hobby Lobby

Inflatable Donut

Donut Piñata

Donut Cake Stand

Donut Peg Board

Sprinkles Tablecloth

Donut Paper Plates

Donut Foam Stickers

xo, Lindsay

Photo Credit: Rebecca Vann