15 Housewarming Party Ideas You Can Do Even if Your Apartment Is Itty-Bitty

This article is part of Your *First* Apartment, a collection of stories designed to help you settle into your very first post-dorm space.

When I moved out of a dorm into my first apartment, I was ecstatic. My roommate and I had a kitchen to ourselves, our own bedrooms, and even a skylight — it was perfect. The only thing I wish I would’ve done differently is host a housewarming party. 

But between moving all my stuff in and trying to catch up with the friends I hadn’t seen all summer, those first few weeks were busy enough that it fell to the wayside. Now that I’m a senior, though, my roommates and I love to host parties all the time — from a Taco Bell birthday party to a vision board-making night — and the beauty is, we don’t have a huge space and never spend very much money on any gathering. If you’re looking for some inspo for a low-lift way to celebrate moving into your new apartment, here is a list of fun housewarming party ideas that won’t break the bank (but might break your Instagram feed). 

Whether you’re moving into a house with several roommates or it’s a place of your own, these housewarming party ideas are the perfect way to make your house into a home with whatever space or budget you’re working with. (If you have roommates, make sure you all agree to the party and how long it will last and how big it will be.) 

Stealing inspiration from myself (and copious TikToks I’ve seen), vision board nights are the perfect way to set the intentions for the school year or your new space. All you need are some crafting supplies like glue, scissors, and some old magazines or books to clip from. This thrifty housewarming party idea is great for big and small groups alike, and if you don’t have a ton of table space, you can always spread everything out on the floor. 

One of my favorite things to do with my roommates is put on our pajamas, pop some bowls of popcorn, gather in the living room, and put on a movie (we just started Pitch Perfect). And honestly, this would make such an easy, cozy housewarming party theme, too! Just have guests wear their pajamas, put on a crowd-pleaser movie, and either provide some classic movie snacks or ask each guest to bring their favorite snack to share. It’s the perfect way to show off how comfy your home is without having to spend a ton of time or money planning a party.

Head to your local dollar store or convenience store to pick up some face masks and nail polish bottles (plus remover). Set them up on your coffee table or wherever you have some surface space, light a candle with a soothing scent, and turn your mood lighting on. To really lean into the spa vibe, you could prep a pitcher of fancy cucumber or lemon water, or pick up some cans of your favorite sparkling drink. Putting on face masks with your friends in your new space is such a great way to settle in and enter this new chapter in the best headspace. 

If filling your space with things the people you love adore sounds fun, a favorite things party is an excellent housewarming party idea. The idea is that each person in the friend group picks one of their favorite things (fluffy socks, the best matcha powder, or a really great inky pen) and brings one for each person at the party. Then, you all take turns presenting and exchanging your favorite things. You put a housewarming party twist on it by caveating that people should bring things for an apartment (a great-smelling candle, a nifty cleaning tool, a cute keychain, a satin pillowcase) and end the party with some new apartment gear that will always make you think of your friends. 

One of my favorite things to do with my friends is swap book recommendations. Instead of having your friends bring flowers or another gift to your new place, you could ask them to bring a copy of their favorite book. Not only do you get to read your favorite people’s favorite books, but you also will fill up a home library in your new space. For an extra touch, you could ask everyone to forget about writing a card and inscribe the front cover of the book instead, including a note about why they love it so much. 

Put the new kitchen in your space to use by hosting a dip night for your friends. In true potluck fashion, find a recipe you want to make and ask your guests to each bring a dip of their own. By each contributing a dip and a dipping vessel, you’ll have food for a group for relatively cheap. Just be sure to supply a variety of ingredients to scoop up the good stuff with, from chips and crackers to cucumbers and carrots. 

If you’re looking to get crafty, there isn’t a more iconic housewarming party idea than a paint and sip. Most craft stores sell packs of canvases and starter sets of paints for not too much. As for the sipping portion, have guests bring a drink of their own or make a cute mocktail to serve. Put a YouTube painting tutorial on the TV, and voilà! You’ll get to spend some quality time with your friends and get some cute artwork for your new space. 

Another party theme my roommates and I love to host is an album release party. We pick an upcoming album we’re excited about and invite all our friends over for a themed night where we stay up and listen to the album as it comes out and eat snacks that pair well with the album’s vibes. Most recently, we did this for Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album. Start your new adventure in your new space with a fun listening session and a possible new favorite album.

Keep literal tabs on who comes to your housewarming party by asking everyone to sign their name on a poster that looks like a massive guest check. Inspired by this TikTok video from creator Juan Marquez (@withjuan), this idea beats any guest book I’ve ever seen. Then, post party, you can turn your friends’ signatures into artwork by framing the check (a poster frame works great) and displaying it on your wall. It’s also fun for people to search for their signature the next time they come over. You can DIY your own guest check out of butcher paper and hand-drawn lines,  or you could buy a pre-made one from Etsy like Juan did. You can get it printed in a large size at a copy shop and then leave the check out with markers for your guests to sign. 

Invite all your friends over for a kaleidoscopic housewarming party. Insist that everyone dress head-to-toe in their favorite color and bring one food or activity in that same color. Since my favorite color is blue, I’d probably bring a sour candy or make a blue beverage of some sort. 

If the vintage aesthetic is more your jam, you can create a DIY photo booth for your housewarming party. All you need is a device to take pictures with like a laptop or tablet and access to a free online photo booth site like MySketchBooth. If you want a cute background, you could also decorate a corner, hallway, or closet to set the vibe. Not only will you capture lots of fun digital memories, but you could also print the photo strips out and make a collage to remind you of the first event you hosted in your apartment. 

If you stick to an early bedtime and would prefer a daytime housewarming party, here’s your excuse: Host an at-home coffee shop! Use the coffee machine you’ve got or buy a jug of cold brew to make custom drinks for your guests. You can even create a cute menu with exclusive drinks that are only available at your cafe. Depending on where you have space in your apartment, you could host this low-key event in your kitchen or living room, or even take it outside. Once you’re all caffeinated, you could either go about your days or hunker down for a study session. 

If your friends are all the entertainment you need, turn your housewarming party into a PowerPoint party.  Each person picks a topic of interest and builds a presentation, then presents it to the group. If it sounds boring, it’s not: You could school your friends on your favorite conspiracy theory, walk them through your dating profile, or do a thorough reading of each person’s zodiac sign. All you need is a computer or TV to share the presentation, and some yummy snacks to fuel you. 

Inspired by this video by London (@lonforsberg), I want to host a drink that matches your major night so badly. As someone who has friends in lots of different majors, I would be so intrigued by what drinks my friends think represent their major. I know I’d have so much fun researching and coming up with a mocktail to share with my friends that represents journalism. I think I’d make a blackberry and ginger beer/ale drink which can have a nice grayish purple color that reminds me of pencil graphite. This housewarming party idea is customizable, too: You could bring a snack, gift to swap, or outfit that matches your major, instead!

I believe that everyone could use more crafting in their lives. Whether you want to paint tote bags or create charm bracelets, this party theme would allow everyone to flex their creative muscles. Even a big tub of air dry clay is plenty to keep your hands busy, and you can make all sorts of things with it, from trinket dishes to cute fridge magnets. You could even ask friends to leave one homemade magnet with you, so you have a daily reminder of your housewarming party whenever you go to open the fridge!