While book clubs seem all the rage these days, gathering with the girls to discuss books leaves little room for a girl to express her creative side. Why not change up your next girls night in with a hip and soulful poetry party? With inspiration from National Poetry Month, Girlfriend Celebrations has created a party plan for girlfriends like you looking for a fresh, expressive outlet. A poetry jam for women who want a creative slice of life or an alternative to the humdrum girls night. Yes, you can create this party with poetic ease, even if you’re feeling at a loss for words.  So go ahead, get your guest list together and plan away with us.

Invitations

A pretty paper invitation makes a beautiful statement, especially if the verse is handwritten. Any personalized invitation with the host’s own penned rhyme always make the request seem a little more special. However, in this digital age, not all girlfriends like to take time to send the written word. So if that’s the case or you are short on time, try using MyPunchbowl. For invitation wording, we’ve provided an example below:

Join me for some

poetry and  rhyme

a charming girls night out

without spending a dime,

Sharing reverie in lines

is sure to be an awesome time

even if your tongue is tied

never fear, my dear

catty words are not spoken here.

April 27, 2010

7 pm

Be there or be square!

Setting and Setup

Give your guests the intimate coffee house feel with plenty of seats and a staging area. If you have enough room, set up little tables with chairs or stools. An ottoman and scattered floor cushions can create a cozy touch. Set aside an area for reading your pieces. This can easily be done by draping a sheet or curtains on the wall as a backdrop. You can even create a stage with shipping pallets covered in fabric.

With guests coming to share a poetic piece, decide ahead of time if you want guests to write their own or if it’s okay to simply bring one to read. If you’re looking for a little more structure, ask each guest to create their poem around a set theme. The theme can be spunky, funny, playful, serious or whatever the girls in your crowd can relate to. Some ideas might include:  dating, dislikes, mom, first loves, exes, vacation, lipstick, sex or lack of, best friend, family and friendship.  Whatever decisions you make, be sure to include it in your invitation. Letting your guests know what to expect, will dash uncertainty and the embarrassed feeling of not being prepared. The ultimate goal for you and your guests is to share in the moment with no pressure but with the willingness to open up. And just in case a guest still shows up empty-handed, make sure you have a few published poems on hand, just in case. Poets.org is a online resource to check.

Food and Drink

Serve coffee shop confections, such as cranberry scones, oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate mini muffins. Set out a bevy of toppings, mini chocolate chips, fresh fruit, granola, and nuts for a yogurt parfait bar. Be sure to have a garnished pitcher of lemonade and bottles of sparkling water on hand for thirsty guests. To get things rocking, deliver a round of Starbucks Lattetini’s to your guests.

Connecting Activities

Create a group poem. Write the first line of a poem, then pass it around to each of the guests to add a line.  As the poem is being passed, fold the paper so that only the last line is visible to the next person. It will be amusing to see what the group comes up with.  For a twist, start the same line on different sides of the room and ask the guests to pass it to someone they choose.  It will be interesting to see how two different poems with the same beginning ended.

Create a group challenge. Separate the group into two teams.  Each team will have five minutes to create a poem with a pre-selected theme. With a set number of rounds, mix up the challenge to have a funny theme followed by a serious one.  Working together as a team is  a fabulous way for your girlfriends to get to know one another.

Create word verses. Cut out words from magazines, newspapers, fliers, etc.  Ask each guest to select ten of the words. After the word selection give each guest a pretty piece of stationery and a stick of glue to create their own word poem. Set a rule that they may add five written words to their poem. This is a great activity to spark imagination since you can only use the words that have been given to you.

Party Favors

If you are creating a monthly poetry club in lieu of a book club, don’t bother with favors.  However, if it’s just another eclectic girls night out, here are a few options:

For the do-it-yourself creative-types, buy blank mini notebooks and pens.  Embellish them with stamps, ribbon, unique artwork or even words. A personalized favor is a fabulous way for your guests to feel appreciated.

A mini journal for your guests to write in is a thoughtful gift and has a myriad of uses (even if you don’t write poems).  Tell your friends how much they mean to you with a “Girlfriends make life better” journal. Look at sites like Etsy or wedding favor websites for other great girlfriend party favors. If you take the time to look, there is something for everyone’s budget.

We’d love to hear how you’ve made your girls night out noteworthy. Drop us a line, even a comment or two, because the girlfriends always love to hear from you. And, be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter filled with the latest girlfriend goings-on.