Disconnect to reconnect: How to host a “going analog” party

Yes, technology can be great. It adds convenience to our lives in so many ways (Hello, online invitations, anyone?). But digital fatigue is real. And lately, the more time we spend browsing curated social feeds and endlessly doomscrolling, the more important it feels to connect meaningfully offline, gather intentionally in real life, and create lasting memories—outside of our phones. 

That’s why it makes sense that in these chronically online times, there’s been a significant rise in the desire to get together and build connections with our community. Catch up with old friends and make new ones. Find third spaces that feel warm and inviting. Host IRL gatherings that center around a shared interest or hobby. Attend a party where bonds are formed with or without alcohol. Whatever the occasion, the intention is the same: To quote a wise adage, “Not a cell phone in sight, just people living in the moment.” 

Enter: analog parties. Analog parties are a recent event trend in which guests go phone-free and engage in a hands-on or nostalgic activity such as crafting, playing board games, or simply bonding without distraction. These get-togethers can be anything from a ’90s-themed birthday party to a ‘paint and sip’ night to a silent disco dance party—the offline world is your oyster!

So if you find yourself longing for the days when the only gadget at a party was the boombox blasting a Spice Girls cassette, or when the phrase “tag me” only made sense in the context of a classic playground game, an analog party may be just the digital detox you’ve been craving. Read on for our guide to hosting an analog party, from crafting (no pun intended) the perfect invitations to planning fun activities and more.  

Tips for hosting an analog party 

Hosting an analog party can be as easy as hitting the “off” button on your phone. Okay, fine, maybe that part is easier said than done. But if you’ve set your mind on hosting a gathering that gets everyone away from their screens for a while, follow these steps to plan a party that everyone will remember, even without posting it on their stories. 

1. Decide on the guest list

For a get-together where guests can really bond, a more intimate guest list may be the way to go. Anywhere from 5 to 10 guests feels like the right balance of casual group hang meets all-out celebration. And depending on what craft or activity you decide on, a smaller guest list makes it easier to prepare all the supplies. This type of party can also be the perfect opportunity to include guests who may not all already know each other and let new friendships form. 

2. Choose an activity 

Before you get any further along in your planning, it’s time to decide on the main focus of the event. A knitting circle for your craft club? A listening party for a highly anticipated album? A “learn to play mahjong” night? Whatever you choose, it’s a good idea to keep things on the simpler side, especially if you’re inviting guests of varying skill levels. No one wants to feel in over their heads while learning a new skill or trying their hand at a craft for the first time. We’ll get into more specific ideas for analog party activities later on. 

3. Send invitations with all the details

Once you have your guest list set and activity picked out, share all the details with an invitation that sets the tone and matches your theme. Customize a fun Flyer invite or classic stationery-inspired invitation and share it with guests instantly via text, email, or link.  

Add a Details Block to your invitation to include the analog party ground rules, such as whether you’d like guests to arrive with their cell phones powered off, leave their phones in a bowl at the door when they enter, or however you prefer to facilitate the unplugged nature of the event. 

4. Gather your supplies 

Make a list of everything you’ll need for your chosen party activity and either source materials from what you already have, ask friends to bring their own craft materials, or shop for supplies with plenty of advance notice in case anything is sold out or difficult to find. You can also send a multiple-choice, checkbox-style, or open-ended Guest Question with your Paperless Post invitation to survey guests about supplies they may be able to bring. 

If you’ll be providing materials for the whole group, make sure to grab a few extras to have on hand for do-overs or examples. For gatherings where guests are learning a new craft or skill, you may also want to print a set of instructions for each guest or find a how-to video that everyone can learn from. 

5. Plan food and drinks

Even if the focus of your analog party is on a craft, game, or activity, snacks and sips are still always a must. Prep light bites, snack bowls, or handheld appetizers that guests can easily nibble on throughout the gathering—preferably something that won’t make a mess or distract from the main event. Chips and dip, popcorn, mini sliders, or cheese and charcuterie are all ideal and simple to prepare. You can also never go wrong with sweet treats like cupcakes, candy bowls, or cookies. 

Depending on your group’s preferred beverages for the evening, you can provide ingredients for cocktails or mocktails, ask guests to bring bottles of wine, or prepare some coffee, tea, and lattes for more of an apartment café vibe.

6. Prep your party space

Whether you’re hosting at home or elsewhere, get your party space ready for all the fun that awaits. For hosting at home, embrace décor that feels nostalgic and cozy, like paper chains, candles, and DIY details like handwritten place settings. If your analog party involves a craft or art project, set out paper tablecloths and furniture coverings to protect from any potential mess. Arrange enough seating for everyone on the guest list, put on a playlist full of throwback hits, and get ready to party like it’s literally any year but 2026. 

Analog party activity ideas

If going to the same old bars, drinking the same old martinis, and nursing the same old martini hangovers (just us?) has you wondering how to be more playful with your extracurricular activities or how to add more whimsy to your life, these alternate party activity ideas will make any get-together feel as refreshing as deleting all your dating apps—regardless of whether or not you just redownload them next week. 

• Game night: Break out your favorite classic board games, team up for rounds of Charades or Salad Bowl, or let the chips fall where they may with a beginners-welcome poker tournament (or any of your favorite card games). Alternatively, a murder mystery, or Mafia or Werewolf guessing game, will bring out everyone’s inner sleuth for a thrilling night of intrigue, drama, and…*read with a Scottish accent* murder.  
• Craft circle: Whether you’re a seasoned expert or have never picked up a ball of yarn before, a craft circle can be a great way to practice a skill, engage in a tactile activity, and create something from scratch that you’ll cherish, no matter how lopsided it turns out. Knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross-stitching, and embroidery all lend themselves perfectly to a cozy craft night or instructional session that guests of all skill levels can enjoy. 
• Paint, draw, color: Art class is in session. Host a ‘paint and sip’ night with a still-life—or live model—as inspiration, follow a paint-by-numbers guide, provide coloring books and colored pencils or crayons for the kids at heart, or set up easels for guests to sketch anything they like. An art party is a perfect way to express your creativity and share some laughs, whether you’re someone who colors carefully inside the lines or feels more drawn to a splatter paint creation. 
• Collage club: Grab your glue guns, scissors, photos, mementos, stickers, and plenty of recycled magazines for a hands-on night of scrapbooking or junk journaling, perfect for highlighting your favorite memories while creating new ones. Or manifest good vibes for the year ahead with a vision boarding party complete with goals, intentions, and aura cleansing with sage, palo santo, and maybe a witchy spell or two.  
• Make it musical: Rather than wait in an online queue to shell out your life savings for nosebleed concert tickets, bring the concert to you with a listening party. Celebrate the release of a new album from your favorite artist, enjoy old favorites together on vinyl, or dance the night away with a silent disco. Karaoke night is always a hit as well, and if you want to turn it into a contest, offer prizes for “Best Duet,” “Most Unexpected Performance,” and “Best Stage Presence.” 
• Book club meetup: One way to spend less time staring at a screen is to spend more time staring at a page. Trust, it’s better! Host a book club meetup where everyone has read all or part of an assigned book, and provide fun and thoughtful discussion questions, snacks, and even ask guests to dress on-theme with the book. If the book you’re reading happens to be adapted into a movie, you can watch it together afterward and discuss the similarities, differences, and who you would have cast. 
• Capture the moment: Without cell phones, how will you possibly capture memories to look back fondly on an epic party? Tip: They actually do make cameras without phones attached. If you or a friend has a film camera or Polaroid, set up a cute backdrop and snap both posed and candid photos of the group that will feel even more special for that eventual photo dump. 
• Decorate your own: When it comes to arts and crafts, there are endless options for things you can create or decorate. Send guests home with something that’s both pretty and practical, like a bedazzled reusable water bottle or phone case. Or invite guests to spend an afternoon making something that’s just for fun, like a construction paper princess hat (otherwise known as an “analog party hat”). Guests could even decorate their own tote bags (or “analog bags”) for bringing books or craft supplies to the next gathering!

How to make a nostalgic invitation 

“All Grown Up” by Paperless Post

Look, the irony of sending digital invitations for an analog party is not lost on us. But to be fair, the phone-free rule doesn’t apply until guests arrive at the party. And with Paperless Post Flyer, you can design your own custom invite that feels like your very own digital scrapbook. 

Choose one of our existing templates or start from scratch to make your own one-of-a-kind invite using your photos, videos, or GIFs—or upload a vintage-looking photobooth strip for a truly analog vibe. Then, decorate your invite with animated stickers, play with fonts and colors, add filters and graphic effects, and create a full event page that provides guests with all the party info in one convenient place. Send your invite to guests however you prefer. Copy and paste the link and drop it in the group chat, text it to friends directly, DM it on social apps, or even post it to your story. Track RSVPs, message guests directly or as a group, and send event reminders to get everyone excited to unplug and unwind. 

Bring the plans out of the group chat with Paperless Post

In a time when we see our coworkers more on screen than in real life, our algorithms know us better than our own family, and parasocial relationships with chatbots are no longer just a thing of science fiction, it’s more important than ever to spend quality time with the people we care about and prioritize shared, real-world experiences. Host dinner parties. Watch the season finale together. Play kickball in the park. Whatever your gathering of choice, share it with friends far and wide with the help of Paperless Post. And then, maybe we should all put our phones away for a while and touch some grass.