Let’s be honest, we all love our friends, but how many times can you suggest “let’s just order pizza and watch Netflix” before your girls’ night routine starts feeling like groundhog day? Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with pajamas and rom-coms (hello, comfort zone!), but sometimes you and your besties deserve something that feels a little more special without requiring a degree in event planning or emptying your wallet.
Consider this your permission slip to elevate your next get-together without the stress. I’ve compiled ten girls’ night in ideas that strike that perfect balance: they feel sophisticated and Instagram-worthy, but are actually super doable for anyone. Because let’s face it, you’re grown women who deserve more than microwave popcorn and whatever’s trending on Netflix, am I right?
1. DIY Spa Experience: Relaxation Station
Picture this: soft instrumental music, the glow of candles, and your best friends in fluffy robes laughing about that disaster date from last week. Heaven, right?
Setting up a home spa night is ridiculously simple. Dim the lights, light some candles (the more the merrier), and put on a chill playlist. Then, set up stations around your living room:
For face masks, skip the expensive stuff and raid your kitchen! My go-to is mashing half an avocado with a tablespoon of honey and a dollop of yogurt. It’s literally good enough to eat (and someone always does, without fail).
Create a nail station with everyone bringing a polish to swap. Last time we did this, my friend Sarah arrived with a polish called “Skinny Dipping at Midnight” which became the story of the night, especially since she’s the most conservative person we know!
Don’t forget foot soaks! Fill some plastic tubs with warm water, Epsom salts, and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Trust me, there’s something wonderfully bonding about having your feet in warm water while spilling the tea about your week.
Cost? Maybe $15 if you need to buy supplies. The memories of your normally put-together friend with green goop on her face and cucumber slices falling off her eyes? Priceless.
2. Wine & Cheese Pairing: Sophistication Without the Snobbery
I used to think cheese boards were for people who had their lives together in a way I never would. Then I discovered the secret: there are exactly zero rules.
Here’s my fool-proof formula for an impressive cheese board: one soft cheese (brie or camembert), one hard cheese (aged cheddar or gouda), and one “wild card” (blue cheese or something with herbs or spices). Add a bunch of grapes tossed casually on the board, some crackers arranged haphazardly, and honey drizzled over everything. Voilà! Instant sophistication.
For the wine, don’t overthink it. Generally, lighter cheeses go with white wines, and stronger cheeses pair with reds. But honestly? The best pairing is whatever doesn’t make you wince when you taste it.
My favorite addition: tiny chalkboard labels where everyone can rate the pairings with hilarious categories like “Would Date Again” or “Left Me on Read.” The last time we did this, my friend’s rating of “Reminds Me of My Ex: Bitter and Complicated” had us howling.
3. Cocktail Master Class: Shake It Up
There’s something about making fancy cocktails that makes you feel like you’re starring in your own cooking show. “Today on ‘I Can’t Believe I Made This,’ we’re crafting beverages that cost $18 at that pretentious downtown bar!”
Pick 2-3 cocktails beforehand (Pinterest is your friend here), and ask everyone to chip in for ingredients. You don’t need professional tools; a mason jar works perfectly fine as a shaker, and a wooden spoon handles the muddling job admirably.
Always include a mocktail option that isn’t just “juice in a fancy glass.” My go-to is muddled cucumber, mint, lime juice, and sparkling water. It looks gorgeous, and nobody feels left out.
4. Intimate Supper Club: Potluck with Panache
Hear me out: potlucks don’t have to feel like a church basement gathering from 1995.
The key is having a theme. Mediterranean mezze, comfort food classics, seasonal harvest—pick anything that sounds delicious and text it to the group with a dramatic “Our tastebuds shall embark on a JOURNEY!”
The rule for my supper club: everyone brings one dish they’re excited about (nothing they’re “meh” about allowed). This prevents the dreaded “I just grabbed chips” scenario.
Set the table with actual plates (no paper!), cloth napkins if you have them, and whatever candles you’ve been saving “for a special occasion.” News flash: enjoying dinner with your best friends IS a special occasion!
My friend group has a tradition of taking one glamorous, posed “dining” photo—forks poised, glasses raised—before the reality of us stuffing our faces and talking with our mouths full takes over.
5. Crafting Workshop: Create Together
Before you skip this section thinking, “I’m not crafty,” let me stop you right there. I once hot-glued my own hair while making a Christmas ornament, and yet I’ve successfully hosted craft nights that didn’t end in disaster or tears.
The secret? Pick ONE simple project. My recommendations:
- Hand-poured candles (melting wax is oddly satisfying)
- Simple macramé plant hangers (basically just fancy knot-tying)
- Personalized wine glasses (with special markers that bake permanently)
Prepare by buying materials beforehand and watching a YouTube tutorial twice so you can fake expertise. Set everything up before friends arrive so it looks organized (they don’t need to know you were frantically Googling “how to macramé” 20 minutes earlier).
6. Book Club Reimagined: Not Your Mother’s Literary Circle
I used to think book clubs were just excuses to drink wine on weeknights. Then I realized—that’s exactly what they are, and it’s WONDERFUL.
The trick to making the book club feel special is going beyond “did you like it?” questions. Instead, ask things like “Which character would survive a zombie apocalypse?” or “Who deserves their own spin-off novel?”
Match your snacks to the book theme. Reading something set in Italy? Serve bruschetta and prosecco. Murder mystery? Red wine and dark chocolate. Dystopian fiction? Well, that’s just cheese and crackers because we all need comfort food after contemplating the end of civilization.
My most successful book club addition was having everyone bring an object that reminded them of the story or a character. My friend brought a rubber duck for a thriller novel because “like the main character, it looks innocent but is probably filled with mold and bacteria.” Disturbing? Yes. Memorable? Absolutely.
7. Cozy Game Night Elevated: Not Just Monopoly Anymore
Game nights don’t have to mean dusty boxes of Scrabble and fighting over Monopoly rules.
Invest in a few grown-up games like Wavelength (testing how well you know each other’s minds), Wingspan (surprisingly addictive bird-themed strategy), or for the brave, Cards Against Humanity (no explanation needed).
Serve finger foods that won’t greasy up the cards—think fancy popcorn flavors, cheese cubes, and fruit skewers. Use actual glasses for drinks instead of plastic cups, and suddenly it feels like sophisticated gaming.
My group’s favorite tradition is the “winner’s sash”—literally just a piece of gold ribbon we pin on each night’s champion. It’s been sequined, bedazzled, and once returned with mysterious taco sauce stains. No questions were asked.
8. Seasonal Outdoor Movie Night: Cinema Under the Stars
Even the smallest balcony, patio, or backyard can transform into a magical outdoor cinema.
You don’t need a fancy projector—a white sheet hung against a wall and a borrowed projector (check your local library!) work perfectly. Pile every blanket, pillow, and cushion you own outside. Add string lights above for instant ambiance.
Skip the obvious movie choices. Instead of watching “The Notebook” again (we all know how it ends, folks), try foreign films with subtitles that make you feel cultured, classic old Hollywood movies, or documentaries that will give you conversation starters for weeks.
Upgrade your snack game with individual charcuterie boxes (literally just cheese, crackers, and grapes in a paper box, but doesn’t that sound fancy?), flavored popcorn, and wine in actual stemware because we’re adults, darn it.
9. Vision Board & Goal Setting: Dreams with Deadlines
Before you roll your eyes at this seemingly very Pinterest-y suggestion, I was skeptical too! Then I hosted one in January, and by June, my friend had actually booked the solo trip to Portugal she’d pasted on her board.
Set the mood with instrumental music (lyrics are distracting), candles (ambiance is everything), and start with a five-minute meditation to clear your minds. Then, unleash everyone on piles of magazines, poster boards, and scissors.
The key to making this not feel cheesy is balancing aspiration with humor. My vision board includes both “learn conversational Spanish” and “stop saying ‘sorry’ when I mean ‘excuse me'” alongside a picture of Jeff Goldblum that I refuse to explain to anyone.
Make it special with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Because manifesting your dreams pairs well with bubbles.
10. Collaborative Cooking Experience: Kitchen Confidential
Cooking together is interactive, creative, and ends with you eating the results. Win-win-win.
Choose something that involves assembly or personalization—sushi rolling, pizza making, build-your-own tacos. The joy is in everyone creating their own masterpiece.
Set up stations around your kitchen, pour wine liberally, and don’t stress about mess. Some of my favorite photos are of us with flour-dusted cheeks and sauce-splattered shirts, laughing harder than we have in months.
The Real Secret to the Perfect Girls’ Night In
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of hosting: the activity is just the backdrop. The magic happens in the moments between, when someone snorts while laughing too hard, when deep conversations unexpectedly bloom while you’re waiting for face masks to dry, or when you’re all singing dramatically to that song from high school.
These nights aren’t about perfection or Instagram-worthy setups (though, let’s be honest, the photos are usually fabulous). They’re about creating space for connection in lives that often feel too busy for the friendships that sustain us.
So text your friends right now. Pick a date. Choose one of these ideas or create your own. Because twenty years from now, you won’t remember that work project or that email you needed to send, but you’ll remember laughing until your sides hurt while your best friend tried to figure out why her homemade candle smelled like “tropical disappointment.”
Ladies, your friendship deserves more than another boring night in. Make it special—without making it complicated.
What’s your favorite girls’ night in idea? Share in the comments below! I’m always looking to add to my rotation!
