How to Throw an Easy Paint and Sip Holiday Brunch
I’ve participated in a few paint and sip activities over the past two years. They were loads of fun. And brunch is totally a favorite New Yorker thing to do. So when it was my turn to host a family event this year, I chose a paint and sip holiday brunch. It’s a great idea for any holiday, or just because you want to have girl friends over to chill. Either way, here’s the steps I took to host mine.
Step 1. - The Menu:
One of the best things about brunch is that its easier than doing a whole dinner. Typically it’s a combination between breakfast and lunch so I wanted items that were traditional breakfast, but would be hearty enough to keep folks full. As with any hosted event, be aware of your guest’s allergies and restrictions. This was my menu:
Bacon
Beef Sausage
French Toast
Mini Pancakes
Shrimp & Grits
Scrambled Eggs
Baked Salmon
Tossed Salad
Mixed FruitMy mind literally does not function without a list, so I made my shopping list and shopped my local Trader Joe’s for all of the items.
My daughter and I prepped as much of the food as possible the day before. Doing things like washing and cutting fruit, marinating the salmon, cutting the sausage really helped the flow of the day go easier
Bonus tip: Pinterest is a gold mine! There’s tons of ideas for recipes, presentation, etc. I found the best recipe for the french toast using French Vanilla ice cream. It was a hit. Google and Pinterest are your friends!
Step 2 - Decor and Dishes.
Presentation is key and makes your guest feel special, however, your tablescape does not have to be fussy or expensive. Use what you have and add some special touches. I spent $13 on real greenery and hydrangea flowers from Trader Joe’s. I added gold and plain white dishes. It’s stuff that I had and fit into my holiday decor. Use your creativity.
Plastic dishes are fine, but if you choose real dishes and glasses, shine and freshen them up ahead of time.
Place your serving dishes on the table ahead of time and decide what will be served in each. Use post-its and label it. It saves an enormous amount of time and allows someone else to help set out the food exactly the way you want it.
Step 3 - The Paint Set Up
You need 3 basic things to have a paint at home party: paint, paintbrushes, and canvas. Canvas holders are optional, but convenient. You can get all of these very inexpensively from stores like: Dollar Tree, Five and Below, Michael’s and Amazon.
I ended up buying every color of acrylic paint at Michael’s for about $10. I got paint pallets and brushes from Five and Below. Then I got mini canvas and metal picture holders from Dollar Tree.
You need a subject to paint. So we picked three holiday scenes and printed them out. Since there were various ages and skilled levels, we used graphite paper to trace the picture on the canvas to make it easier.
Step 4 - The Sip
Brunch needs a beverage, alcoholic or not. Pick what you will serve, whether it’s a signature drink, wine or an assortment.
My main tip is set it up ahead of time and make it self-serve. We had fruit infused water, egg-nog, sparkling grape juice, and prosecco mimosas. We prepped the fruit for the mimosas, poured the juice in carafes and saran wrapped them and placed them in the refrigerator. Before anyone arrived, I set up a bar area and let them go at it.
Optional: Hostess Gifts
Whenever its a special event, I like to give a little something to guests to take home. I found these little wine tumblers from Michael’s and filled them with Godiva chocolates. You could do plain wine glasses from the Dollar Tree filled with candies, shot glasses, cookies, etc. I placed them in a little gift bag and handed them out as the guests left. Since I had a couple of little ones, I made little gift buckets from them filled with Christmas candies and trinkets.
The brunch ended up being a great gathering for friends and family this season. We put on some holiday music and my guests did the painting activity while the food was being prepared. It was some work to throw, but it was very rewarding. These are my final takeaways:
Make a budget and stick to it. If money is tight, potluck is a great option.
Be mindful of the guests you invite and consider their needs; dietary and personal. When guests get along and are comfortable, it makes a successful event.
You don’t need a ton of space to entertain. Less is more.
Take inspiration from others, but make things your own. Don’t get caught up with what everyone else is doing.
As long as you have your loved ones, food, and great spirits, you’ve succeeded. Don’t sweat the small stuff and have fun!
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