The Best St. Patrick’s Day Party Ideas

You're in luck! From authentic Irish food to ideas for decor, here are the best St. Patrick's Day party ideas.

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Make Festive St. Patrick’s Day Sweets

A St. Patrick’s Day party needs colorful St. Patrick’s Day desserts, like leprechaun cookies, rainbow cake, ice cream shamrocks and St. Patrick’s Day popcorn. Whipping up just one will help set the theme, or make a few to create a dessert spread. Stir up adult-friendly Guinness floats for a boozy option.

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Create Your Own Irish Tavern

You don’t have to hand-carve a mahogany bar or hire an Irish folk band to outfit your home with Irish pub decor. Start with self-adhesive brick wall wallpaper to mimic a pub’s “snug,” where guests can cozy up and sip drinks. Stock up on these Celtic knot macrame coasters and Guinness pint glassesNext, commission a custom Irish pub metal sign. Serve these St. Patrick’s Day drinks, Irish whiskeys, classic Irish beers or a couple of St. Patrick’s Day shots, too.

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Send Themed Invitations

Why settle for a group text when you could mail St. Patrick’s Day invitations? We love the idea of sending ticket invitations or these classic St. Patrick’s Day party invites, both from Etsy. Guests will be happy to RSVP when these show up in their mailbox!

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Serve Irish Dishes

Traditional Irish cuisine can be best represented by corned beef. For a different St. Patrick’s Day party idea, this classic Irish stew pie is always a hit. Bake a batch of Irish soda bread, served with plenty of butter for slathering. You can also create awesome  St Patrick’s Day charcuterie boards this holiday season!

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture through drinks, food, and a whole lot of partying. Try this St. Patrick’s Day party food. These snacks, treats, and—yes—drinks will keep the good luck flowing.

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Decorate with DIY Crafts

Get crafty and make a few St. Patrick’s Day decorations to set the scene. Here’s an easy one: Cover black cauldrons with gold spray paint to create your very own pot o’ gold. Then, fill it with a small houseplant or chocolate coins and use as a centerpiece.

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Set up a Photo Booth

In lieu of party games, set up a photo booth for social media-happy guests. Use a green sheet backdrop adorned with a St. Patrick’s Day balloon backdrop paired with some photo booth props. You can invite people to snap some selfies—or supply a Fujifilm instant camera and film so guests can take their pics home.

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Send Guests Home with Good Luck

These four-leaf clover bracelets will bring them good luck while these Pot of Gold treat bags will give your St. Patrick’s Day party guests something yummy to munch on during the drive home.

Amanda Kippert
Amanda Kippert has been an award-winning freelance journalist for nearly two decades. She is based in Tucson, Arizona and specializes in food, health, fitness, parenting and humor, as well as social issues. She is the content editor of the domestic violence nonprofit DomesticShelters.org.
Christina Herbst
Christina is a Social Media Editor for Taste of Home. She enjoys trying out local restaurants and coffeehouses and adding copious amounts of garlic and cheese to any recipe she can get her hands on. In her free time, you can find her hunting down one-of-a-kind furniture pieces at thrift and vintage stores and DIYing trendy home decor crafts.