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15 Feminine DIY Projects For Your Next Girls’ Night In

It's official: Girls’ night out is out.

By Julia Remillard5 min read
Pexels/cottonbro studio

Getting together with your girlfriends is a tradition that stretches across decades and one we have come to idolize through famous friend groups such as that of Sex and the City. But what if going out...is out? 

In 2023, girlhood nearly broke the internet with major pop culture moments such as the release of the Barbie movie and Taylor Swift's historic Eras Tour. And with these iconic moments came a visible cultural shift where female friend groups of all ages began indulging in nostalgia more than they were in the traditional idea of what “GNO” stood for. From friendship bracelets to scrapbooking, a new trend quickly surfaced known as “GNI” (a.k.a. Girls’ Night In), and it majorly revolves around crafting.

Now that we are in our “crafty” era, staying in has gotten a whole lot cooler. No matter the size of your friend group (or even if you're riding solo), we have rounded up 15 of our favorite viral DIY projects that you can do at your next “GNI.”

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Candle Painting 

You may have seen this creative candle DIY while scrolling through your FYP on TikTok. This craft costs under $20, takes no time at all, and leaves you with one-of-a-kind pieces for your home. 

What You'll Need:

What is brilliant about this DIY is that you're using melted wax to paint vs actual acrylic paint. This method makes the candles safe to burn, and they look professionally made. We recommend buying multiple shapes of white candles to add variety for the group to choose from. 

DIY Lighter

This find is one of the more recent viral trends blowing up. Grab your girls because it's lighter decorating night. The trend erupted when a group of city girls shared they designed their own lighters to make them “girly.” This craft will surely be a crowd-pleaser because who doesn't love blending bows with practical items?

What You'll Need:

This DIY truly only requires a minimal amount of set-up. Each crafter will need a lighter, their chosen embellishments, and glue. Then all you do is design away, and voila! You have yourself a custom lighter that will serve the “I'm just a girl” vibes all day long. 

Wine Glass Painting

The only thing that is better than wine is wine with your girls. And why settle for boring regular glasses when you can spend under $30 to have ones that represent each of your personalities? This craft is one that will never go out of style. 

What You'll Need:

When it comes to painting on a blank canvas (in this case, a wine glass), it’s nice to have some ideas for reference, so we recommend perusing Pinterest to generate some ideas before diving in. Each station will need a table covering, wine glass, brushes, and a paint palette with various colors. This DIY will likely take longer than some, ranging anywhere from one to two hours, depending on the intricacies of each design.

Seashell Decoupage

You may be having “GNI” in your living room, but that doesn't mean you can't make it feel like a beachy vacation! Seashell decor is in right now. From phone cases to jewelry, we are seeing them everywhere. One new summertime DIY is shell decoupage, and it requires only three items.

What You'll Need:

This DIY may be our favorite of all for its simple creation and dainty results. In no time at all, you are left with a collection of what look like antique shells perfect for coffee table centerpieces, side table decor, or even as a gift. You can choose any printed napkin that suits your style and elevate each shell with add ons such as a gold painted rim to make your designs fit your aesthetic. 

Painted Tote Bags

Hot girls have too many totes to count, it's just a fact. So why not get the girls together to add one more tote to the mix? For this DIY, Amazon or your local Hobby Lobby will be your best friend. 

What You'll Need:

Whether you're painting flowers all over or keeping it simple with a single phrase, your tote is sure to be something that lives long beyond girls' night. This craft is easy enough and won't ruffle any major feathers seeing as all girls need a good tote bag restock. By the end of the night you all will be saying that looks tote-ally cute. 

Mini Cake Decorating

There's nothing sweeter than laughing with your best friends...except maybe these cakes you'll make. Vintage style cakes have been dominating Pinterest boards and birthday parties for the last year. Looks like it’s time to graduate from EasyBake to real baker!

What You'll need:

  • Cake (*Bakers choice on premade vs homemade)

  • Cake Decorating Kit

  • Plates

  • Tablecloth 

  • Optional: Toppings

This DIY is by far the messiest in the round-up (but also the most delicious!). It's a 3-in-1 craft night where you get to learn something new, create something viral, and have a built in sweet treat. For this one, it’s most cost efficient to buy a cake decorating kit that encapsulates all the tools needed vs trying to locate each individual item. 

Friendship Bracelets 

As Taylor Swift said, “Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” By far the easiest DIY on our list is the tried and true friendship bracelet night. 

What You'll Need:

This craft was made viral with its resurgence during the Eras Tour, but in doing so it has become a staple in friend groups everywhere, even my own. It requires little prep and few supplies, and allows you to be transported back to when you were a kid making them just the same. 

Flower Arranging 

Roses are red, violets are blue, this DIY is going to be perfect for you. All rhymes aside, an essential part of girling is self-care, and fresh bouquets go a long way. One spring/summer DIY we are completely obsessed with is making floral arrangements with your besties.

What You'll need:

For this DIY, it’s easiest if each friend brings a flower of their choosing to share with the group. From there you can all start creating your own unique bouquets from the bunches and opt for ribbon and a preferred wrapping (Ex. newspaper) for the bottoms. 

Phone Case DIY

Ring ringggg, it's your new phone case calling! A little phone refresh is just what the doctor ordered, and why not make it a big affair by adding it to the next girls’ night agenda?

What You'll Need:

It really is as easy as one, two, three in this case. The add-ons are up to you, but we recommend assorted charms, shells, pressed flowers, or collage pictures. Just make sure each place setting has enough to go around!

Charm Necklaces

If you aren't aware of the charm necklace revival, then you are seriously behind. There is something indescribably relatable and loveable about a charm necklace/bracelet that is inherently known by little girls and big girls everywhere, which is why they are yet again back in style.

What You'll Need:

With many charm necklace DIY shops popping up around the U.S., this at-home version will save you money and time. No matter how old you get, picking charms to tell a story will never get old.

Air-Dry Clay 

For this DIY, we are time traveling back to middle school art class with all the pinch pots and trinket dishes we can dream of. By utilizing simple air dry clay, girls’ night just got a whole lot more creative.

What You'll Need:

This craft night is best performed on two separate nights. Night one consists of clay creation by hand with limitless possibilities from dishes to tic-tac-toe boards. Night two is the dried phase of this DIY, where acrylic paint can be used to finish off the pieces by adding color. The best part of this project is how individualized it is for each member of girls’ night.

Purse Chain

Prada's Re-Edition 2005 shoulder bag went viral on TikTok for its sleek features, including the iconic purse chain that comes attached. Since purse chains have become more and more popular across brands, we will be making our very own. 

What You'll Need:

You’re one Amazon order and one girls’ night away from unlocking your next fashion statement. This trend is up and coming with it gaining more traction by the day.

Fake Cake Decorating 

This next craft is for all the maximalists out there. Fake food has been on the rise as an interior decor trend since 2022, with many famous TikTok crafters paving the way. The most notable are fake cakes that follow the vintage cake trend mentioned earlier.

What You'll Need:

Make it your birthday all year round by adding this fun and cheeky piece to your place. This idea will definitely come as a surprise to your guests and serve as a new way to exercise your girly impulses. 

Baby Tees

We may be all grown up, but that doesn't mean we don't want to rock a baby tee. Host your very own ironic baby tee night for under $50 ASAP.

What You'll Need:

We personally love this idea and think there is so much fun and humor that can come out of it (not to mention some new wardrobe additions). Scroll through TikTok and Pinterest to get some extra inspiration before sealing the deal on your designs.

Vision Boards

Would we even be girls if we weren't dreaming about our future? Grab those magazine scraps and some glue sticks because it is vision board time at your next “GNI.”

What You'll Need:

The most important feature of this DIY is that it needs to feel unique to each girl. By coming together to create vision boards for the future, you are bonding not only through crafting but also through getting to know one another's goals. Take this as your opportunity to aesthetically put your dreams in motion. 

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