Kick-off Time: 9 Awesome Fantasy Football Draft Party Ideas

Score the winning touchdown with these memorable draft party ideas for the celebration of the year!

By: Elizabeth Jedrasek, Editor, AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com

The draft party is one of the most important aspects of a fantasy football league, and as a commissioner or league founder, it is your responsibility to learn how to throw a fantasy football draft party that everyone will remember for years to come. With these Kick-off Time: 9 Awesome Fantasy Football Draft Party Ideas you can be sure the party will go off without a hitch, so you can sit back and enjoy the trash talk, partying, and team drafting. A good draft is essential to creating a fair ground for some healthy competition among the teams, which means you'll want to do a little planning beforehand!

Fantasy draft day is the most exciting day of the fantasy football season, so it's only natural that you'd want to enjoy it too. Here you'll find some great party ideas for your fantasy league, and you'll get to join in on the fun all the while. Draft day may be the only time that everyone in the league can get together in person, so you're going to want to have a memorable kick-off. We've got plenty of party crafts and delicious party recipes that are sure to score a touchdown with your guests!

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Football Draft Party Ideas

1. Decorate!

You don't have to spend a pretty penny on expensive decorations, but some fun football-themed decor might be just what your party needs to bring it to the next level. Decorations will get everyone excited for the draft and what's a party without themed decor? Try out this Football Party Tablecloth to get your party off to the right start!

2. Have plenty of classic game-day snacks

Nothing says Sunday night football like salty snacks. Fill your tables with chips and dip, Chex mix, pretzels and anything else you know your guests like to eat while watching the game. It's a draft party, but you'll still need snacks and refreshments to keep your teams well-nourished. Throw your tasty snacks into these Ultimate Game Day Party Bowls that double as great decorations.

3. Plan a menu

Just snacks may not be enough to keep your guests filled, so have some larger entrees prepared to bring out later during the party. These don't have to be anything fancy, so you can have hot dogs, tacos, nachos, or any other easy dishes. Display your menu with a festive Football Party DIY Menu Board for even more themed decor!

4. Make a draft board

You can either purchase a draft board online or make one yourself. Whatever you do, don't cut corners with your board because it's obviously one of the most crucial elements of a draft party. You may even consider having a neutral presenter responsible for putting each person's picks on the board so you can worry about drafting your own team!

5. Hold a trophy ceremony

Assuming the league has been around for at least a year, award the previous year's winner a championship trophy. Allow for a short acceptance speech to really get the competition heated up. Hand out silly awards for the previous year too like ones for the biggest sore loser or last place so everyone can reminisce on good times. Personalize these First Prize Award Ribbons for all your winners so they have something to commemorate the occasion!

6. Choose the draft order with a fun competition

Before you need to decide on anything else, you have to know what pick you have in the fantasy draft. While the actual draft may be the highlight of any party, choosing the order can be fun too! Host a beer pong tournament for a classic football season game, or get a little more creative with a professional league trivia test, DIY Ring Toss Game, or even a bowling competition. There's plenty of ways to choose the draft order so be sure to make it fun for everyone.

7. Give your guest some football themed favors

While favors are definitely not required, it may be fun to give your fantasy football league a small gift like shot glasses, beer cozies, mini footballs, or even just a mason jar filled with candy. These Football Tailgating Party Printables would make awesome labels for your mason jar candy favors.

8. Have a half-time show

While a professional football draft party may not have a half-time show, your draft party definitely can! This will keep your guests entertained and having fun at the best party of the year. You can hire professional party entertainment, or you can create your own show with the league. Plan an impromptu dance-off or another silly competition so you all can share a laugh and cue the trash talk!

9. Create a time capsule

You're going to need somewhere to store everyone's draft fees, so why not get creative with storage and what else you collect. As the draft comes to a close, encourage the owners to make predictions and guess how they will perform against the competition. Store the money and predictions in a Recycled DIY Storage Container for a cool time capsule that can be opened after the season ends!