Super Bowl party ideas: decor tips for the last-minute host

With Super Bowl 51—and, thus, the time-honored American tradition of Super Bowl parties—a mere five days away, you don't have much time to get your act together if you're planning to host enthusiastic Patriots or Falcons fans for a rollicking good time.

Every good sportsball party has awesome, shareable food and drink, and, of course, a few comfy places to watch the game. To that end, here are some festive Game Day Decor recommendations for setting yourself up for a stellar Super Bowl 51 soirée, even on a time crunch.

1. A slow-cooker emblazoned with your favorite team:

Photo courtesy of Target

If you're feeding a bunch of people, making a huge pot of chili is your best bet for satiating large numbers without a lot of effort. And what's a better implement for that than a Crock-Pot? Well, this New England Patriots-branded version, available through Target, for one. Chili not your thing? Make a vat of queso and keep it warm and oozing, or pulled pork, or baked beans—the possibilities are endless. The six-quart Crock-Pot also doubles as an impressive conversation piece.

2. Serving dishes for all the wings:

Photo via West Elm

You'll want something elegant to bring out your award-winning buffalo wings, so why not spring for a vessel you'll want to use for fancier special occasions, too? These serving dishes from West Elm are glazed in a crackling ombre that would contrast nicely with those fiery red nibbles.

3. A two-in-one cheese board and knife kit showing off your team pride in a classy, clever way:

Photo courtesy of Target

Not to worry, Atlanta fans, we got you, too. The Circo is a circular cutting board made of eco-friendly rubberwood that also contains a secret. Swivel the top to reveal a set of cheese tools including a cheese cleaver, cheese plane, fork-tipped cheese knife, and a hard cheese spreader. Show your friends that your cheese game is as strong as the stinkiest Stilton—or the Falcons' offense.

4. Sturdy disposable cups that are also cool looking:

Photo via The Party Dialect.

Metallic. Paper. Cups. Need we say more? Ditch the red Solo variety you can find them on Etsy for $6 for a set of 24.

5. Coasters for all those metallic paper cups (and beer) to go on:

Photo via Of a Kind.

Rad coasters aren't hard to find, but here are two of our favorites that you'll want to use long after the Super Bowl is over: these Rampli coasters ($35 for four) from Wolfum's collection and these cork trivets and coasters ($47) from Of a Kind.

6. Design-y disposable cutlery, plates, and bowls for shoveling all the goods onto:

Photo via Bamblu.

Let's face it: Sad, wasteful paper plates, bowls, and cutlery are party poopers. Compostable tableware company Bamblu has some great looking, sustainable options that can also hold a lot of food (take it from us).

7. For souping up the audio on your tiny apartment's entertainment system:

Photo via Ultimate Ears

If you don't yet have the kind of home entertainment system that requires its own, enormous "media cabinet," and are watching the game from a laptop or smaller screen, you can still make the audio big. We're fans of Logitech's Ultimate Ears UE Roll 2, which, despite also having Bluetooth capabilities, can also be plugged in to your personal computer or tiny television, if it's equipped with an audio out port. It's also waterproof for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. Now that's what you call a party speaker. They start at $86.99.

8. A football-shaped serving tray, because, why not:

Photo courtesy of Target

If there's ever been a time to break out your best themed partyware, it's this Sunday. The Touchdown! cutting board, available through Target, is made from eco-friendly bamboo and also doubles as a serving tray. Load it up with veggies, make it a sporty meat and cheese plate, or plop on a few pigs-in-a-blanket, and you have yourself a winner.

9. Extra seating for all those guests:

Photo via Muji.

Have you heard about Muji's very comfortable Body Fit Cushion? It's not just an updated version of the classic bean bag; it's actually, as the name implies, an ergonomic cushion for sitting (and lying, and snoozing) and watching the big game on. The cushion and cover combined will set you back about $190-200. If you want a more traditional option for extra seating, Ikea's (extremely affordable) stackable stools may suit you, too.