The Best of Uncommon: 23 Top Posts for Hosting, DIY, and Faith-Filled Encouragement

Welcome to your new Uncommon hub, where you’ll find our very best tools, tips, and encouragement. We’ve gathered it all in one cozy place, just for you!

Whether you’re hosting your first dinner, planning a milestone celebration, refreshing your home, or simply trying to show up with more intention, you’re in the right place!

Below, you’ll find 23 of our all-time favorite reflections on hosting, DIY, and faith. These are the guides that will help you show up with confidence, care, and creativity. 

So go ahead: bookmark this page, take what you need, and keep it in your back pocket as you plan, gather, and CELEBRATE!

6 TOOLS + PARTY-PLANNING ESSENTIALS

Get the confidence, systems, and budget-friendly tips you need to pull off the party of your dreams! These are your most tangible resources, practical tools, and step-by-step how-to's that make hosting totally doable for ANYONE!

• Confident Party Hosting for Beginners: 4 Steps to a Stress-Free Gathering: Your step-by-step guide to planning with confidence, presence, and purpose. Yup, even if you’ve never hosted before!

• Thrift Your Tablescape: 7 Steps to a Luxe Look on a Budget: Tablescaping is one of our all-time favorite things about hosting! Get Katie’s go-to guide for finding thrifted gems and creating show-stopping tablescapes on a budget!

• Holiday Hosting for Guests with Food Allergies: Knowing how to serve your guests with food allergies can be a struggle! So get the real-world scripts and hosting tips to make every guest feel safe, seen, and included.

• Mood Boards: Your Secret to Budget-Friendly Party Planning: I’m telling ya, mood boards are your secret weapon to saving time, money, and headaches throughout the entire party-planning process! Get crystal-clear on your vision … what fits, what doesn’t, and where you can save BIG without sacrificing style.

• The Faithful Gathering: How to Host at Home with Confidence & Grace: This is your heart-centered reminder that hosting is a sacred practice. Get the encouragement you need to leave the perfectionism and party-planning stress behind.

• The Uncommon Guide to Shopping, Prepping, and Party Planning This Holiday Season: Friends … the holidays are magical, don’t get me wrong! But they can be oh-so-stressful! Get your quick guide to planning like a pro, complete with your party supplies checklist.

• BONUS! To take this all a step further, snag some of our favorite bundles for Party-Planning Essentials, Designing Your WOW Moments, DIY Event Design, and Last-Minute Party Prep. Or, get in on Host + Gather, the ultimate party-planning masterclass! It’ll walk you through the entire planning process step-by-step and teach you how to show up for those you love, one celebration at a time!

4 PARTY IDEAS + INSPIRATION FROM REAL EVENTS

Need a little party-planning inspo?! We got you. Check out our real-life gatherings and see the step-by-step breakdowns of how we pulled each of them off!

• Christmas in July: Party Time: Why wait until December?! Flamingle, Jingle, and Deck the PALMS this summer! Learn to celebrate the JOY of Christmas with a Balloon Backdrop, all the Delicious Details, and how it all came together!

• 29 Going on 30: February is Fabuloso: Every birthday deserves a little razzle dazzle, and that’s exactly what Janie pulled off for Katie’s 30th birthday! Check out how Janie turned a fun concept into on-theme games, a tasty menu, and stunningly FABULOSO decor!

• The Uncommon Instafam Bash! Tablescapes + tacos? Bingo + giving back? Spending time with our favorite peeps? Yes please! See how we took our team-building day and made it truly Uncommon!

• Photobooths That Bring the Fun: No matter what your party theme may be, capture the memories like a pro! Get our favorite DIY photo booth tips, products, and prop ideas.

• BONUS! Get some crafty inspiration for multiple parties and settings. Save your biscuits with The Crafter’s Gift Guide, Buy This Not That: The Crafty Edition, and Party Decor Kits, Remixed the Uncommon Way!

5 HOME + DIY PROJECTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR SPACE

A round-up of some of our all-time favorite home DIY projects. These babies blend our loves of interior design, organization, and creativity!

• Home DIY: The Board + Batten Wall: This DIY board + batten wall tutorial gives you a clean look that adds serious character and charm!

• The Gallery Wall How-To! Let the creativity and Kraft Paper flow! Learn how to hang a gorgeous gallery wall to showcase your favorite art and wall decor.

• Editing Your Home: Learn why clearing physical clutter creates space for clarity on every level. Get practical tips so you can start breathing a little easier!

• Home DIY: Wood + Pipe Shelving: Get your step-by-step guide to building a custom media wall using wood boards and black steel pipes. And when you’re done? Kick your feet up, relax, and enjoy the beauty of what you built!

• Let’s Get Organized: Turn your home life chaos into lasting calm with these simple systems that stick. Even one of these tips can make a serious difference in your day-to-day! 

• BONUS! Katie’s Tool Kit: Stop by Katie’s Tool Kit to see ALL of the must-have tools and gadgets, perfect for when you’re starting a new project and need trustworthy recommendations.

5 FAITHFUL REFLECTIONS FOR CREATIVE WOMEN

Here’s the thing, sweet friend: All of the practical know-how in the world doesn’t quite give the full picture. Here are some of our favorite heartfelt reflections on what really matters behind all the pretty snapshots - service, gratitude, and growth.

• Tenacity: Real-Life Stories of Faith + Resilience: Time and time again, we come back to these hard-won lessons in grit, perseverance, and the beauty of finishing well.

• A Rich Life: Our reflections on sweet Grandma Dolly’s heartfelt wisdom and what “richness” really means (far beyond money or success).

• Attitude of Gratitude: This is your invitation to lean into what’s bringing you the most joy. Whether it’s people, places, or experiences, the most meaningful things are often hiding in plain sight.

• Showing Up: An Uncommon call to serve, love, and show up for others with intention because the smallest gestures can have the biggest impact. 

• Celebrating Closed Doors: Finding Purpose in the Waiting: Our reflections on faith, patience, and trusting God’s plan, even when opportunities don’t unfold as expected (Plus: A sweet gluten-free Bundt cake recipe!)

3 EXTRA PLACES TO FIND UNCOMMON ENCOURAGEMENT

Still craving some more Uncommon support?! Check these out:

• Coaching Sessions: Sign up for your one-on-one strategy session to clarify your party-planning vision, simplify your systems, stay on budget … and confidently pull off the party you’ve always wanted!

• The Uncommon Shop: Your go-to stop for all of our favorite balloon supplies, paper crafting tools, party decor, gift wrap, and printable tools … just to name a few!

• The Uncommon Pep Talk: Fifteen-minute episodes filled with faith, laughter, and honesty that will leave you feeling encouraged and empowered to tackle anything that comes your way.

Sweet friend, let each of these 23 tools remind you of what’s already true about you: you’re far more capable than you realize, far more creative than you give yourself credit for, and far more caring than you know. Everyone around you can already see it.

We’re just here to help you step fully into it.

So! Bookmark this guide, revisit it whenever you need a little boost, and make sure you’re signed up for The Uncommon Telegram so you never miss your monthly dose of encouragement, resources, and behind-the-scenes goodness!

We can’t wait to keep celebrating, creating, and growing right alongside you.

All our love,

Katie + The Uncommon Team