Thanksgiving has rules. Who hosts, whose recipe, which side of the family, what time the game starts.
Friendsgiving doesn't.
It's the holiday you get to build from scratch with the people you chose. Mismatched chairs, a borrowed folding table, somebody's questionable casserole. That's the whole point.
Here's how to plan one without losing your mind, starting with the part most people put off: the invite.
When to send Friendsgiving invitations
Send them 2 to 3 weeks before the party. Thanksgiving is November 26 this year, so most Friendsgivings land the weekend before, around November 21 or 22. Everyone's calendar fills up fast in November, so earlier is kinder.
If you're doing it casual and last-minute, a text invite a week out still works. Just make it easy to say yes.
What to put on the invite
A good Friendsgiving invite answers every question before anyone has to ask it:
Date and time, including when food will actually be ready
Address, plus parking notes if it's tricky
The plan: potluck, hosted dinner, or "you bring drinks, I've got the turkey"
What to bring, or a link to a sign-up list
How to RSVP, and by when
One fun line that sets the tone
That last one matters more than you'd think. A cheeky line tells people this isn't a stiff dinner party. Our template uses "Leftovers are mandatory," and you can swap in your own.
A simple Friendsgiving potluck plan
Assign categories instead of hoping for the best. Otherwise you end up with five bags of chips and zero vegetables.
Host: the main dish and the space
2 to 3 guests: sides (one starch, one veggie, one wildcard)
1 to 2 guests: dessert
1 to 2 guests: drinks and ice
Everyone else: bread, rolls, or to-go containers for leftovers
Put the plan right on the invite or in the group text, so nobody has to guess.
The invite template
I designed an editable Eat, Drink & Be Thankful Friendsgiving invitation for exactly this. It has a big stacked headline in tomato red, pink and black, a little pie doodle, and that "Leftovers are mandatory" line.
You get two versions:
A 5x7 printable for the fridge-magnet crowd
A phone-sized version (1080x1920) you can text to the group chat or post to your Instagram stories
Everything edits in the free version of Canva. Change the host, date, address, RSVP details and the closing line. Change the colors and fonts too, if you want. No Canva Pro and no design skills needed.
Get the Friendsgiving Invitation Template ($3.99)
Setting the table too? The Cottagecore Thanksgiving Table Bundle has a matching menu card, place cards, table numbers and a "Grateful" sign.
The food doesn't have to be perfect. The table doesn't have to match. The people showing up is the whole holiday. 🦉
