The Ultimate The Summer I Turned Pretty Watch Party + Coastal Craft Night + Birthday Celebration

Over this past weekend, I hosted the sweetest girls' night in — a dreamy The Summer I Turned Pretty-themed watch party full of cozy vibes, coastal decor, birthday celebrations, and all the DIY fun you could imagine. It was one of those nights I’ll remember forever — full of laughter, creativity, sisterhood, and a little serotonin in the form of snacks, crafts, and cute outfits.

Here’s a little recap of the most magical night in:

🌊 The Setup: TSITP: Coastal, cozy, and candlelit

To make space for the ultimate crafting-and-binging setup, I did a full furniture flip. We moved everything from the family room into our formal living room and transformed the space into a cozy DIY zone right in front of the TV.

I set up two six-foot tables in conference room style (so everyone could face each other, still see the TV, and still be able to craft), covered them in floor-length white tablecloths, and added white chair covers to create a soft, beachy, elevated look. The setup seated 10 of my closest girlfriends, plus my baby niece — who absolutely stole the show!

🧵 The Crafts: Coastal Cowgirl Meets Cute & Custom

We kept our hands busy all night with two adorable DIYs:

• Coastal Cowgirl Hats – think seashells, multi-colored beads, coastal charms, rhinestones, and straw cowgirl hats

• Patch Tank Tops – the cutest personalized tanks with iron-on patches and coastal themes.

Five of us chose to make the cowgirl hats, and the other five went for the tanks — which worked out perfectly! Everyone got to create something they were excited about, and we may have turned the living room into a war zone by the end of the night but it was worth it!

🐚 The Decor: Seashells, Candlesticks, and All the Coastal Charm

I went all in on the decorations to set the mood. The tables were styled with:

• Candlesticks for a soft glow - I used different shades of blue, pale pink, and light purple

• Blue cheesecloth runners for a breezy, ocean feel

• Seashell garlands and scattered shells for a beachy finishing touch

• Fishing net draped across the table for that true “by the sea” vibe

It felt like we were in Cousins Beach for the night, and the ambiance made the whole experience so much more special.

🍋 The Food & Drink Situation

Of course, no girls' night is complete without good snacks. I set up different zones to keep everything easy and festive:

Wet Bar – The Drink Station

• Water with lemon slices and seashell ice cubes

• Classic lemonade

• A dreamy blue punch that looked like the ocean in a cup - made with Blue Hawaiian punch, pineapple juice, gingerale, and vanilla ice cream. It was so tasty!!

Kitchen – The Savory Spread

• Mini ham and cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian buns

• Mini Italian sandwiches - My friend Bri brought these and they were SO delicious!!

• A charcuterie board (because girls night = cheese always)

• Fresh fruit salad mixed with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries

• Caprese salad

• Chips & Salsa in a cute sea shell bowl

• Crockpot mac and cheese (cozy and nostalgic) - super easy to make and delicious

Kitchen Table – The Dessert Table

• Popcorn (sweet + salty essentials)

• A lot of fun candy options from Sour patch kids, M&Ms, Sea Salt Chocolate, Swedish fish, Peach rings, & more!

• Homemade butter toffee sea salt chocolate chip cookies brought by my friend Hallie (SO good)

• And the showstopper: a beachy, seashell-themed cake that was almost too pretty to eat... almost.

We also took the chance to celebrate Ali's birthday, which added even more fun and love to the evening!

💐 The Little Touches

Right at the entrance, I set up a welcome table with a floral arrangement I made using blue hydrangeas and pink roses with white fillers— simple, stunning, and very on-theme. This table also held the party favors, which included:

• Hydrating face masks

• Soft blue hair scrunchies

• Seashell-themed earrings for everyone to take home

These small details made the night feel even more thoughtful and curated — and seeing everyone smile when they opened their favors made it all worth it.

🎉 Celebrating the Birthday girly

Not only did we celebrate TSITP but more importantly our birthday girly! Ali's birthday is this week and what better of a way to celebrate than getting all of our friends together, crafting, and eating cake! Of course we sang and did presents and had the best time celebrating our sweet Ali. & she had no idea the party was planned to celebrate her which was a fun little bonus :)

💤 Cozy Vibes to End the Night

We all wore cute comfy sets from cozy PJs and matching sweat sets and kept watching The Summer I Turned Pretty late into the night. The vibe was pure comfort, complete with blankets, inside jokes, and one too many peach rings and wayyy too much buttery popcorn.

💕 Final Thoughts

This night was everything I wanted it to be: cozy, creative, and full of the kind of joy you only get from spending time with your girls. The Summer I Turned Pretty set the perfect backdrop for a night full of friendship, fun, and the kind of memories that feel like a warm hug.

Whether you’re planning your own TSITP night or just need inspiration for your next girls' get-together, I highly recommend mixing your favorite show with a creative twist — add crafts, snacks, and a little sparkle, and you’re guaranteed a night to remember.

If you want a checklist, DIY instructions, or a printable party plan for your own version of this night, let me know — I’d love to share it! Stay tuned for my next themed party. I'm thinking a fun Parent Trap night or A Cinderella Story night, or a Princess Diaries night!

Until next time—

xo,

Caroline🤍