15 Party Hosting Essentials You Should Buy At Dollar Tree

When you think about shopping at Dollar Tree, what types of products do you expect to find? Your mind may first go to all its kitchen supplies. Or, perhaps you think about the various snacks, office supplies, or even cleaning essentials that Dollar Tree sells. And, while these are all items that you can certainly snag for a good price, there is one big category that you might be overlooking: party hosting essentials. Believe it or not, Dollar Tree actually offers a wide assortment of products that can help you host a successful party. From products that you can use to prep for your guests' arrival, options that will allow you to serve them in (economical) style or ensure that they're able to enjoy their meal, and even decorations that will help you create the perfect atmosphere for your event, Dollar Tree has you covered.

I've noticed a few party hosting products during past visits to the Dollar Tree, but I wanted to get a more complete picture of all that the chain had to offer. So, I planned a trip to my local store and strolled through the aisles to see what I could find. I considered one's needs when hosting a party and the overall utility and functionality of each product to help me decide which options to feature in this roundup. You can learn more about the methodology I used at the end of this piece.

You can't invite friends or family over for a party without having enough plates and cups to serve them with. Many of us don't have enough of these in our pantries to feed a crowd — or we may simply not want to deal with all of the dishes that will be left once everyone leaves. Fortunately, you don't need to worry about either of these potential obstacles if you shop at Dollar Tree. You'll find a wide assortment of paper products to make sure that you're able to serve everyone who comes to your event.

There are two plate sizes — 9 inches and 7 inches. So, you can even use the larger size for your main course and the smaller ones for appetizers and desserts. In addition to plates, you can also pick up 30-count packages of napkins and 16-count packs of paper cups. These supplies are available in a range of colors, allowing you to coordinate with the theme of your party and to give guests a more elevated experience. Even if you do decide to use your everyday dishes and cups out of your cabinets, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up at least a few packs of paper products to plan for any unexpected guests who show up to your party.

If you want to go for a more elegant alternative to paper cups for your party — but still don't want to spend a ton or worry about washing or breaking your collection — then Dollar Tree can still help you out. Look for the plastic tumblers in the catering supplies section. These are clear, so they look more like a traditional "glass." This can make them a more suitable option for a formal party.

Each package includes 10 tumblers, so they're still a pretty good deal. Even if you need to purchase multiple packs to accommodate the number of guests you're inviting to your party, it shouldn't break the bank. You could also consider using a mix of these tumblers and the paper cups, depending on the types of beverages you'll be serving. Set these up at the cocktail bar and leave the paper cups for soda, water, or tea.

What good will any plastic or paper cups do if you don't have beverages to pour into them for your guests? Dollar Tree has you covered here, as well. There are several beverage options throughout the food aisles. Pictured here are some 1-liter bottles of Aquafina water and Brisk products. Some of the Brisk products include sweet tea, half iced tea and half lemonade, pink lemonade, and strawberry melon iced tea.

However, these were only a few of the options I found at my local Dollar Tree — and there will likely be more beverage options that you can buy for your guests at your store. My store also offers various bottles and cans of juice, soda, energy drinks, and more. With so many different options, you can likely bypass the trip to the grocery store for drinks. You might be able to save money as well, with Dollar Tree's affordable prices.

Parties can get messy. With so many people gathered around the table, drinks can spill and food may get knocked off a plate. If you don't want to ruin your cloth tablecloths, you might want to consider a disposable option. When you're looking through the party supply section at Dollar Tree, make sure you toss a few plastic table covers into your cart. This way, after the party is over, you can just toss the tablecloth — and any mess that it's holding — into the trash.

Dollar Tree offers a wide assortment of color options, as well. So, you'll be able to find the best choice to match your home's decor or coordinate with the decorations for your party. You can even find plastic tablecloths to match the different colors of paper plates, paper cups, and napkins for a truly coordinated look. With both round and rectangular options, you should be able to find something that will work well with your table. Plus, since these are just made of plastic, you can always trim them down a bit if they're too large.

Whether you're hosting a birthday party, a baby shower, or an anniversary party, balloons can make it more fun and festive. Shop at Dollar Tree, and you'll find the balloons you'll need to decorate for your event. There are a surprising number of options to choose from. You can pick up 20-packs of single-color latex balloons to match your theme (with color options such as pink, yellow, or black available). There are also packages of multi-color balloons if you want some more variety for your party's decor. These multi-color packs come in different options, with some packages containing balloons that are all the same size (9 inches) and others containing an assortment of sizes.

You can also find some more "specialty" options as well, including confetti balloons, balloons with smiley faces, or marble-effect balloons. Because of their special patterns, these packages contain fewer balloons than the other options (typically between 6 and 10), but they're still pretty affordable for the extra touch they can deliver.

Parties mean food — and, often, they mean a lot of food. If you're planning to serve several appetizers, main dishes, and desserts to your guests, you might not have enough serving pieces to go around. Even if you host regularly, you might not want to invest in several additional expensive sets of serving spoons, forks, and other pieces to use only when you're entertaining. Don't worry; you can find everything you'll need to make sure that guests can help themselves to a nice portion of your homemade mac and cheese, a slice of the roast you carve, or that delicious fruit salad you prepared.

When you shop at Dollar Tree, you'll find several serving pieces. Some of the options I saw at my local store include salad server sets, tongs, serving forks, serving spoons, and cake servers. These have either a clear or a silver finish, giving them a touch of elegance. Pick up a few extras to make sure you have enough to serve all the goodies you prepare for your party.

If you'll be serving wine at your party, there are several reasons you might not want to pull the wine glasses out from your cabinet. First, you may simply not have enough glasses. If you typically only share a bottle of wine with one or two other people, then you have no need to have more than a standard set of four or six glasses. The other reason you might be leery about pulling out your stemware is out of fear that it will break. With so many people moving around, the chances of a glass getting knocked off a table are certainly higher. If your party will be outside, then you'll have the additional fear of that broken glass being ever harder to clean up off of the deck or patio.

Push these worries aside and grab a few sets of mini stemless glasses from Dollar Tree. Each pack includes six clear plastic glasses. You don't need to worry about shattered glass, and their stemless design makes them less likely to get knocked off a table. The glasses are smaller than a standard wine glass, but that might not be a bad thing if you don't want your guests to blow through several bottles of wine.

For those who don't want to offer their guests plastic glassware, but don't want to pull out their favorite wine glasses, Dollar Tree also sells real glassware. You'll find options in a variety of shapes and sizes to match the types of beverages you want to serve your guests. At my Dollar Tree, I found wine glasses, margarita glasses, glass mugs, and glass cups of different sizes.

At the time of this writing, each glass costs $1.50. So, for only about $6, you can pick up a set of four. If you don't have enough wine glasses or margarita glasses at home, this could be a good way to supplement your collection without breaking the bank.

Picking up a few extra serving platters — especially when they're only a few bucks — is always a good idea when you're entertaining. You don't want to run out of platters and end up cramming the appetizers you want to serve onto a small plate, do you? Dollar Tree has some simple, yet attractive options for you to consider. The serving platters I found at my store were all in the catering section. They're made of plastic, so they're clear and perfect for giving off a sleek and attractive vibe.

I found a large round platter, which could be used for everything from slices of roast beef to mini appetizer quiches or cut brownies for dessert. My store also had a clear tray with handles and slightly raised edges. This might be a good option to consider if you want to put together a simple charcuterie board or are planning to carry around a tray of appetizers during the cocktail hour. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a deviled egg platter. It offers 15 wells which will be perfect for holding your favorite deviled eggs recipe.

Large serving platters are only half of the equation when it comes to making sure you're prepared to offer your guests all the recipes you've made for the party. You'll also want to have several large bowls on hand to hold a salad, pasta, mashed potatoes, and countless other dishes. Thankfully, Dollar Tree has you covered here too. I spotted a few large bowls in the catering section.

Like the serving platters, these bowls are made from clear plastic, so they'll help you create a coordinated look. One of the bowls I found had a very simple design with smooth sides. The other mimics the look of an etched glass bowl and could be ideal if you're looking for a punch bowl but don't want to spend the money to purchase an expensive glass one.

When your guests walk into your home, you want them to feel like they're walking into a party. Parties are fun and exciting. So, if your walls are blank or lacking in decorations, you might miss the mark on creating the right environment for the event. Don't let this happen. Instead, when you stop by Dollar Tree for all your other party hosting essentials, make sure to add some hanging decorations to your cart.

You'll find some options that are specific to certain events, such as a birthday party. But, you'll also likely see some more generic decorations that can add a splash of color to any event. For example, at my store, I found some foil garland that you could hang across the top of a doorway or along a wall and some colorful hanging pompoms. If you are hosting a birthday party, there are also letter banners that spell out "Happy Birthday" to hang on one of your walls.

You can wow your guests by serving them a fancy trifle for dessert if you pick up one of these trifle containers from Dollar Tree. Since the container is made from plastic, you won't have to worry about it breaking if an overzealous guest accidentally knocks into the dessert table. The trifle bowls are a bit on the small side, but you could certainly use this to your advantage. Instead of making just one trifle, split your recipe in half, and you'll have two bowls that your guests can serve from to keep the dessert line moving more quickly. 

You could even consider making two different trifle recipes to satisfy the different preferences of those you invite. Some might want to indulge in a decadent black forest trifle, while others might prefer something a little lighter and more refreshing, such as a summer peaches and cream trifle. While it is called a trifle container, you may also find other uses for this little serving bowl during your party. For example, you could layer a salad like a trifle to give it some added flair, make a layered dip, or use it as a candy dish.

There are a few reasons you might decide to pick up some artificial flowers and vases from Dollar Tree ahead of your next party. First, while fresh flowers are nice, they're not always the most affordable. You could end up shelling out a small fortune to buy fresh flowers, especially if you're looking to create multiple arrangements to add to your dining table, entry table, or other areas of your home. Shopping at Dollar Tree will likely save you a lot of money.

Beyond the initial cost to purchase real flowers, they also don't last for very long. So, you'll have to carve time out of your busy schedule just before your guests are scheduled to arrive to make sure that the floral arrangements look their best and that the petals aren't starting to fall if you go with a fresh bouquet. When you shop at Dollar Tree, you can pick up the flowers and the vases whenever it is convenient for you — they won't die, so you can even save them for future parties. Or, you could decide to repurpose the vase as a kitchen utensil holder to get even more bang for your buck.

One thing you won't want to forget to add to your cart when you're at Dollar Tree are some foil pans. These can come in handy when preparing so many different dishes, including casseroles, roasts, and even desserts. Plus, they will greatly reduce how much time you'll need to spend cleaning up after all of your guests have left. Instead of soaking and scrubbing metal pots and pans, you can just rinse these out and put them in the recycling bin (be sure to check the specific recycling regulations for where you live).

Dollar Tree offers a rather extensive selection of foil bakeware, so you should be able to find the right size pan to match most of your needs. There's everything from pie plates to larger pans that could work for cooking a roast. If you end up cooking something heavy — like a full tray of lasagna or a large beef roast — don't forget that the trick to stabilizing a flimsy roasting pan is to put it on top of a baking sheet.

Whether you're hosting a New Year's Eve party and want to have a toast at midnight or just want to serve some champagne at your party, you'll want champagne glasses for your guests to drink it out of. However, chances aren't good that you have enough champagne glasses for all the guests at your party. Instead of spending a small fortune to purchase glass ones that you'll hardly ever use, just pick up some plastic ones from Dollar Tree.

The champagne glasses are clear plastic, so they mimic the look of real glass. Each pack has six glasses in it, so you'll just need to do some quick math to determine how many to add to your cart depending on how many guests you're expecting. Keep your costs down by purchasing the absolute best cheap champagne — or choose this area to splurge a bit.

I stopped by the Dollar Tree closest to my home to help me compile this list of party hosting essentials to consider. As I walked down the aisles, I imagined that I was in the middle of planning a party and thought about which products I could use to get my home ready for guests to arrive, prepare and serve food to those who attend, and allow my guests to enjoy the various recipes I prepared for the event. Even though Dollar Tree products are inexpensive — though some cost more than the standard $1.25, now — I also considered whether each pick was a good value for the money. If something only costs you a few bucks, you still don't want it to break before you even get a chance to use it.