What to buy to host the best World Cup party
What to buy to host the best World Cup party
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1/21 Hanging spiral streamers, £9.95, Amazon
World Cup 2018-themed party streamers — for ceilings, doors and windows. Perfect for entrance ways and indoor-outdoor spaces. Contains 30 swirls and 16 cardboard footballs.
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2/21 Keep Calm and Come on England poster, £2.82, Party Packs
It’s one of the most British phrases in our stiff upper lip vocabulary – and despite the World Cup not exactly requiring the Blitz spirit of World War II, this poster is sure to boost morale among your fellow fans and keep them all cheering on England until the final whistle blows. It's printed on A3 silk card – just tack it onto the wall.
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3/21 Football boot light, £14.99, Argos
If you're after something silly and a bit different, this football boot night light is great fun – either leave it glowing white or set it to change colour from purple to pink to red to green to blue. It can be plugged into the mains or powered by battery (3 x AAs, not included).
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4/21 Bunting banner, £3.95, Amazon
Minimal effort, big impact. A bunting banner is sure to set the scene without detracting from the main event. And of course it's reusable for any football-related celebration, too.
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5/21 Lumens LCD Projector, £65.99, Amazon
Supersize your world cup parties with a projector and screen...
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6/21 PVC projector screen, £26.99, Amazon
...ideal for both indoor and outdoor viewings.
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7/21 Ice core beverage dispenser, £24.99, Drink Stuff
No-one wants to watch their country bring it home with a warm pint in hand. This dispenser keeps beer – or the beverage of your choice – chilled thanks to its ice core. More fussed about the quantity of beer than its temperature? Simply remove the ice core for bigger capacity. It will store up to 2.5 litres.
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8/21 Gareth Southgate mask, £3.50, Amazon
Choose express delivery to get this (and other squad member masks) by Wednesday's semi final.
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9/21 St. George's Cross apron, waistcoast and jester hat, from £2.99, Peeks.co.uk
Channel Gareth Southgate with this waistcoat or order the apron for your semi-final host.
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10/21 Football string lights, £9.45, Tesco
There's no need to plug these LED football string lights into the mains – just pop in 3 AA batteries and you can use them outside too. There are ten footballs per string and any football-loving children in the family will snap them up for their bedrooms once World Cup mania dies down.
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11/21 World Cup flag cocktail sticks, £21.26, Amazon
Jazz up your culinary offerings with this pack of 128 cocktail sticks (four of each participating country's flag). Ideal if your football party is an international affair.
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12/21 Fire pit with cover, £24.99, studio.co.uk
With a BBQ grill, mesh guard, carry case and grill handles, this portable fire pit is an ideal gift for the host who's had everyone over all season. Or treat yourself, it's reduced from £60.
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13/21 Firebox pizza oven, £85, Wyevale Garden Centres
For a mid-week BBQ alternative, this pizza oven sits on top of any barbecue. It's light, portable and easy to use - perfect for hosts who don't want to be chained to the BBQ while the game's on.
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14/21 Football party kit, £7.99, Party Pieces
Get the basics sorted first – this must-have kit includes eight plates, eight cups, sixteen napkins and a table cover. If you’re throwing a bigger bash, the 16-person kit costs £10.99.
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15/21 Ultimate BBQ kit, £29.95, World of Zing
The perfect accompaniment for the world cup BBQs, these sauces and rubs have a range of flavours to suit even the fussiest fans.
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16/21 Retro beer ice bucket, £15.99, Tesco
In the heat of the action, sometimes the fridge is just too far. This drinks pail has a handy bottle opener on the side so you won't break a sweat while fetching yourself another cold one.
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17/21 Balloon weight, £4.99, Partydelights.co.uk
A must for any helium balloon or banner, this weight can be used as a photo or place card by football fans long after the world cup celebrations fade.
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18/21 Bestway football inflatable chair, £12.49, Frank
This inflatable chair is lightweight and easy to pack away when not in use. It comes with a handy repair kit so you can fix it on the spot should it deflate. Bear in mind that it’s best suited for children around the age of 6 – adults will almost certainly pop it!
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19/21 3-piece BBQ set with apron, £13.99, Very.co.uk
Perfect for any host this World Cup (and BBQ) season, the storage bag doubles as an apron with straps going over the head and around the waist.
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20/21 Faux leather football bean bag, £129.99, GreatBeanBags
This extra-large bean bag comes in 13 colours but, naturally, the red and white is our top choice. It’s made from faux leather, making it vegan friendly, and is easy to wipe down after the inevitable celebratory spills.
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21/21 Football shirt floor cushions, £29.99, rucomfy
Too many friends to fit on the sofa? Grab a few of these comfy and easy-to-clean floor cushions, with the fillings included. You can customise the colour of the cushion and writing, and choose the name and number. Harry Kane is number 9.
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England have reached the World Cup semi-final for the first time in 28 years, but Gareth Southgate's lads aren't the only ones under pressure — as anyone hosting a home viewing party knows.
It's a big game, with hopes and expectations running high, so if you're brave enough to have offered (or should we say sacrificed?) your pad to your friends, you'll want to make sure it's a night to remember for the right reasons, whether Harry Kane gets one goal closer to the Golden Boot or not.
Predictably, the shops are awash with football-themed paraphernalia, from paper cups and plates adorned with the St George's Cross to bean bags resembling giant footballs and customisable floor cushions designed to look like your favourite player's shirt.
Much of this can be bought for less than a tenner, so you can add a touch of patriotism into proceedings on a shoestring.
Dedicated hosts have been Googling how to set up a big screen and projector for a cinematic experience.
Such commitment can be costly if you don't already have the gear, but there are some good lower-end options available that may appeal to smaller budgets, such as the QKK 2200 Lumens LCD Projector, currently £65.99 in the sale (note that it connects to devices with the HDMI output but an extra cable is required for smartphones and Macs), and the Henzin 100-inch PVC Projector Screen for both indoor or outdoor screenings, priced at just £26.99.
Not willing to splash out on a 'proper' projector screen? Try making your own with a white bed sheet, two eyelets, a couple of screw-in hooks and some PVC piping.
Simply cut the sheet to your desired size, insert one eyelet at each top corner, sew the piping into the bottom edge to help the screen hang flat, screw hooks into your ceiling…and ta da! You'll be the proud owner of a DIY home cinema to enjoy all summer, even after football's finally come home.
Flick through the gallery above for our best buys to help you score the party of the year.
