St. Patrick’s Day is coming!

Whether you call it St. Patrick’s, St. Paddy’s, or St. Patty’s, March 17^th brings the perfect reason to throw a party with family and friends. Even though St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Irish culture, that doesn’t mean everyone can’t join in the fun.

Now is the time to bring out your favorite emerald green décor, accessories, and party favors. Whether you’re hosting a small get-together or a huge shamrockin’ event, start with these party planning tips:

Make Party Invitations

If you’re planning a St. Patrick’s Day party at your home or at a rented venue, start making your guest list now. Once you have your guest list ready, let you inner card designer shine and customize the invitations.

You can go online and find easy to customize St. Patrick’s card templates. Or if you prefer the more homemade option, stop by your nearest Goodwill and stock up on green construction paper, cardstock, and glitter. Other card design options include making a shamrock design for the card. For an extra festive touch, use green envelopes and add a sprinkle of green glitter inside the card.

Decorate Your Space

Green, white, and gold should be the main colors for your party. Decorating your space should include hanging paper shamrocks, rainbows, and leprechaun cut-outs.

Depending on your space, you can also add green light bulbs to your lamps and green balloons to surround the perimeter. Since St. Patrick’s Day is a precursor to spring, buy some forever flowers from the Goodwill to brighten up the area.

Don’t forget about your tables and chairs. You can find green tablecloths at the Goodwill, and add plain white dishes for color contrast. Orange is another popular contrasting color for St. Paddy’s Day so add orange ribbons or napkins for an extra pop of color.

Make a beautiful Irish table centerpiece with glass vases or containers and adding green candles or flowers. MERS Goodwill has a wide range of home ware, from elegant to casual. Plus you can reuse it throughout the year for different holidays like 4th of July or Halloween parties.

Decide the Menu

Think about your guests and the type of party you’re hosting when deciding the menu. If you are hosting a complete dinner party, plan for three unique courses. Corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, and chocolate stout cupcakes are always popular options for St. Patrick’s Day dinners.

Having a big party and need to keep dozens of guests happily fed? Create big batches of St. Patrick’s party appetizers like green pepper shamrock dip or shamrock pepper and cheese bits.

MERS Goodwill may not be your first thought when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day party foods, but look through the books and information section to find cookbooks on party dishes. You can also find extra dishes, glasswares, and mason jars.

Don’t Forget the Extras

A proper St. Patrick’s party isn’t complete without the finishing touches. Stock up on party games while you’re at MERS Goodwill to keep your guests entertained. Buy extra green accessories like hats, streamers, and toys for the little ones.

You don’t need the luck of the Irish to plan the perfect party. With these tips, your St. Patrick’s celebration will leave all of your guests with good luck and good cheer.