Party Hacks: How to Throw a Cheap & Cheerful Summer Soirée

Guests unexpectededly knock on your door. Someone calls a friend, who brings their friend. You went from NetFlix and popcorn to full blown summer party before you even had a chance to change out of your sweatpants. Don’t despair, this is what summer is all about: spontaneous, easy, casual entertaining. Here’s how you can be party-ready in 20 minutes flat. (Assuming you don’t break into the wine first…) [pagebreak]

You Need Drinks

First order of business: drinks! It will keep everyone occupied until you figure out what to feed them. Assuming your uninvited house guests were polite enough to bring wine and spirits to guarantee entry into your house, here’s how to chill wine in 20 minutes:

• Fill a small bucket or bowl with ice
• add enough water to cover the ice
• drop in some salt
• submerge the bottle
• wait 20 minutes.

If you don’t have ice: run a few paper towels under cold water, wrap them around the wine bottle (or beer bottle), and place the bottle in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Coincidentally, that’s the same time it takes you to make simple syrup. Simple syrup is an equal mix of sugar and water, brought to a boil until the sugar is dissolved, and cooled. It’s the base for many a delicious cocktail! [pagebreak]

You Need Snacks  

Bodega, corner store, nearest supermarket. At any of these spots, you’ll find what you need for quick and easy appetizers that make a complete party spread and suit a variety of tastes.

• To start: queso fundido, made with chorizo, pepper, onion, and your favorite cheese. Set it out with tortillas and veggies and get dipping!
• Heartier fare: chicken tortas, made with shredded rotisserie chicken, canned green salsa, and tangy goat cheese. Assemble, press, and eat!
• Filling sides: sweet potato nacho fries, made with a bag of frozen fries, canned black beans, and plenty of cheddar cheese.
• And don’t forget dessert: s’mores! Fire up the grill (or, let’s be real, the microwave) and let guests serve themselves! [pagebreak]

You Need Music

No speaker? No problem! Here’s what you do to amplify sound:

• Grab a paper towel dowel (you know, what the paper towels are wrapped around? It’s probably in your recycling bin right now) and two solo cups.
• Turn the cups on their sides and slice a hole vertically, big enough to fill the dowel.
• Slide the dowel into one cup and then the other. Then slice a whole in the top of the dowel that’s large enough for your phone to slide in. (It should look like a makeshift iHome).
• Hit play!  

You Need Décor

Forget candles. Bust out the Christmas lights and clear plastic cups. Slice a whole on the bottom of each cup big enough to insert the tiny light. You’ve just made string lights, enjoy.

DIY glass tags: have guests write their names on rubber bands and wrap those rubber bands around glasses. Now they can easily find theirs and reuse.