9 Tips For Making New Friends That Have Actually Worked For Us

Visit A Local Fair

When's the last time you and your friends visited a local fair? If you have to think about it, that means it's been a while and that's expected when your schedules are super busy. But, we think it's time to go back to the basics and let your inner kids play.

Whether you throw your hands in the hair as the ferris wheel goes around or decide to stuff your face with fair foods like funnel cake or smoked turkey legs, you're guaranteed to have a great time.

Go Thrift Shopping

Instead of going to a crowded mall this summer, plan a friend date at one of your local thrift stores. There's always hidden gems if you're willing to look for them and all the eclectic pieces you find can make for fun stories.

Also, you may be able to find cute decor that ranges from kitschy to boho without having to spend over $100 (IYKYK).

Take A Dance Class Together

Have you and your friends been looking for a fun way to work out after your Pilates class mishap? Tray taking a dance class together!

It's one of the best ways to stretch your muscles and move your body. Plus, there's music involved! We're a little biased, but we think dance classes tend to have the best tunes. If you're lucky, your dance class instructor may share some inspo for your at-home workout playlist!

Try A New Brunch Spot

If you and your friends are mad because your favorite brunch spot has started watering down its bottomless mimosas, it's time to search for a new one! Honestly, this is one of the best friend date ideas you can do this summer because food and tasty drinks always opens the door for amazing conversations.

We don't make the rules, but we sure live by them!

Have A Fun Photoshoot For Your Friend's Birthday

There's always that one friend in the group who swears they don't care about doing anything big for their birthday. You can respect their wishes by keeping things low key with a planned photoshoot that includes your closest friends!

You can go to a studio if you choose, but you can also set up a backdrop in your living room or backyard!

As for the friend who's celebrating their birthday, they'll cherish the fun photos you take.

Enjoy A Concert In The Park

We just had to include an outdoor concert on our list of friend date ideas because they're the key to making core memories. Watching over people literally bond over music — from non-stop singing or dancing — is something we'll never get over TBH.

Explore A New Part Of Town

This is one of those friend date ideas where you don't have to spend money if you don't want to. It's more about finding new places to explore if you've grown tired of sticking to one side of town.

There's always new vintage spots, food trucks, shopping plazas, and bookstores to be found if you're willing to do a little hunting.

Host Sip And Paint Party At Home

Not in the mood to be around people you don't know? Grab some art supplies and wine, call your friends up, and host your very own sip and paint party at your apartment.

It doesn't have to be a competition, just you and your friends laughing uncontrollably as you try to recreate an image.

Books About Friendship To Read Right Now:

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Frances and Bobbi's friendship is one that's powered by their incredible differences. They've always accepted each other and aren't surprised by the lives they lead. So when they meet a prolific photographer and begin opening their circle to include her, Frances finds herself intrigued by the photographer's husband. He's charismatic and attractive, two things that drawn Frances in.

Before she knows it, Frances can't stop herself for hurtling towards a dangerous affair that shocks everyone around.

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent

Living in Edinburgh, Scotland seems like the best thing to Clare, a young woman who wants nothing more than to start over where no one knows her. As she gets settled in at the university she's attending, she meets and befriends another enchanting young woman named Tabitha. They begin building their friendship and Clare eventually meets other people from Tabitha's world.

The more Clare finds her life intertwined with Tabitha, the more the lines become blurred between their friendship and deep level of intimacy. It's only when she's in too deep that she realizes there's so much more to Tabitha and her group of friends than she thought.

The Friendship List by Susan Mallery

Ellen Fox thinks she's doing a great job at living her life until she realizes her son is willing to place his future on hold to make sure she's actually okay. This prompts her best friend Unity Leandre to create a bucket list that's supposed to help her do things she normally wouldn't.

By the time they near the end of the list, both Ellen and Unity find out things about themselves that they didn't notice before. Perhaps the best part about The Friendship List is realizing how much creating memories with our friends helps give us permission to move towards a different future.

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

Books about friendships can be hilarious or they can move you to tears. The best ones often have both abilities! In The Friend, a woman inherits the dog of the best friend she's recently lost to death and it just about sends her over the edge. The dog's relentless commitment to being silent seems to intensify the grief she's feeling, but what the woman doesn't know is that its dealing with its own form of pain.

On the brink of losing the last remnants of her sanity, the woman and the dog begin to understand each other in ways they weren't expecting. They come to realize that friendships can be born as a result of heartbreaking situations and it helps bind them together in touching ways.

Faking Friends by Jane Fallon

Amy is confused about how she's unable to connect with her fiancé Jack or her best friend Melissa because they're the two people who are supposed to know her best. She's supposed to know them too, but understands this isn't the case when she finds evidence that her best friend and fiancé have been having an affair behind her back.

It's painful to lose your best friend and love of your life to each other, but it unlocks something in Amy she didn't even know was there.

The Celebrants by Steve Rowley

The Celebrants is a highly celebrated book that's featured on Jenna Bush Hager's book club list and revolves around a friendship that began in college.

Jordan Vargas hasn't seen his college buddies in a while even though they've known each other for almost three decades. Each of them — Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle — are faced with the knowledge that they feel like they're merely cosplaying as adults. Things are still confusing even though the purpose of their pact has been to remind each other that life can still be a wonderful mystery — except this reunion may undo all the ways they've tried to celebrate each other.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

Rachel and James meet while she's working at a bookstore, though their attraction isn't sexual. They're naturally drawn to each other which is why they soon become roommates. Their friendship is full of laughs in the face of impending disaster and it seems to get them through tough times.

But Rachel decides she has the hots for her very married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James decides to be a good friend by helping her plot to catch Dr. Byrne's attention. Thus begins a wicked dance that involves the three of them and Dr. Byrne's notable wife.

Us Three by Ruth Jones

Sometimes books about friendships highlight the heartaches that come with building a bond with someone like Us Three.

Lana, Judith, and Catrin are best friends who've always been sure that nothing could upend their friendship. Blood couldn't make them any closer and it's easy to see why. Honestly, there's no mistaking that they have something special.

Just when they thought they couldn't get closer, they embark on a trip that further deepens their bond. Things go well until something occurs that's shocking enough to shake what used to feel unshakable. In place of their assuredness is the uneasy feeling that maybe they won't always be in each other's lives.

And Then There Was Me by Sadeqa Jackson

Bea and Awilda's bond has also been super strong ever since they were teenagers. Awilda was the one who helped Bea come out of her shell and increased her confidence over time. She also play matchmaker and introduced Bea to her husband Lonnie. Isn't that what good friends are for?

The problem is that Lonnie isn't a very faithful husband and this slowly but surely shatters Bea's esteem over time. It leads her to develop a habit that no one is privy to, but that's still not the worst of her troubles. With no choice but to stay in the marriage as she prepares for their third child to be born, Bea moves with Lonnie to New Jersey and tries to act like everything is peachy keene.

She'll soon discover that she has to stop pretending and face reality, especially when betrayal is closer than she thought.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Taylor Greer may be feisty and determined to leave rural Kentucky behind, but she's left learning a series of lessons about life when she becomes a reluctant adopted mother of young Native American toddler. With no information about the little girl, Taylor decides to uneasily take her under her wings and finds herself surround by the best friends she didn't know she was looking for — Mattie who owns the Jesus is Lord Used Tires shop and Lou-Ann, her new roommate.

They fill Taylor and her daughter 'Turtle' with so much love that she has no choice but to reexamine what she thought she knew about herself and life.

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza

Jen and Riley's lifelong friendship has seen them through a series of events, but nothing has been able to tear them apart. Jen is living the life of a married woman who's finally pregnant while Riley has chosen to pursue her career goal of becoming a success Black news anchor.

Things change when racial tension enters the picture due to Jen's husband being at the center of a tragedy that involves a young black boy. She and Riley find themselves on opposite sides of the fence for different reasons, and it feels like there's no silver lining in sight for the friendship that's stood the test of time. It could be that this is the one test that finally unravels the thread of their bond.

Rebecca, Not Becky by Catherine Wigginton Greene

De'Andrea Whitman and her family move to Rolling Hills, Virginia, a wealthy neighborhood, to live in a better environment, but she's wildly uncomfortable once they're there. To be fair, she'd rather be back in Atlanta, but life has called for them to leave the city behind. Talking to her therapist about her concerns about being a black family in a primarily white neighborhood, she's encouraged to make a friend in her neighborhood.

At the same time Rebecca Myland, chair of the Parent Diversity Committee at her daughter's school, is thrilled when she learns the Whitmans have moved into Rolling Hills. Nothing could be better to her than when her daughter befriends the Whitmans' daughter. It feels like fate that she's supposed to befriend D'Andrea.

They eventually meet when De'Andrea joins the Parent Diversity Committee and tentatively begins a friendship with Rebecca. But soon the tension in their neighborhood brings them close and they realize they're not that different from each other.

Djerf Avenue Summer Field Top

How could we talk about Scandi summer style and not mention the Scandinavian style icon herself, Matilda Djerf? She's the queen of the effortlessly cool style that we're talking about. This top is one of their new pieces, and it's just perfect to throw on with a pair of shorts and ballet flats for the summer. I've purchased so many items from this brand, and every single piece is so high quality! It'll definitely make you feel like a Scandi cool girl in no time. 100/10 for me!

Djerf Avenue Airy Midi Dress

Another amazing Djerf Avenue find! It's currently number 1 on my wishlist for Scandinavian girl summer given how versatile it is! I love the flowy, effortlessness of the dress, especially styled with dainty flats like above! This will make for the easiest outfit combo to throw on when you're in a hurry, but still want to look chic.

Pink Stripe Linen Shorts

Striped linen shorts are the #1 essential of mastering Scandinavian style! They're in practically every Scandinavian cool-girl's closet, and can be worn in a multitude of ways. With flats and a sweater, a matching set with Birkenstocks, the list goes on and on. A versatile essential for the summertime!

Havaiana Flip Flops

These flip flops are not only one of the most popular Scandi-girl shoes, but they're also insanely affordable! You may think, "But these are just basic flip flops?" And while yes that is true, they're also just the perfect casual statement to add to a fancier look. Scandi girl aesthetic is all about comfort and looking effortlessly cool, so if you're wearing something traditionally more fancy like a maxi dress, then throw these on to add the signature Scandinavian style to it!

Topshop Linen Button Down

Another incredibly versatile piece is a linen button down. You can throw it over so many outfit options like a dress or linen pants or even as a cover-up like above! This is a staple to take an outfit to the next level, adding an additional layer or dimension to an otherwise simple look.

Birkenstock Boston Clogs

You may think that these are more of a fall and winter shoe, but scandi girls love these for the summer! I have to say that I agree as well. I wear these everywhere in the summer. I wear them with matching shorts and button down sets, or to the beach, or even sometimes with denim skirts! They're also insanely comfortable so definitely add this to your "minimalist wishlist."

Abercrombie Linen Pant

Pajama style is seriously taking off right alongside the rise of Scandi style — and that's because they were the ones to revolutionize it! Really though, pajama sets in public are so in, and I'm here for it! I love these exactly styled how they are above with a white tank (another Scandi basic), flip flops, and a straw bag!

Canvas Tote Bag

Scandi girls are always on the go, so they're always carrying a classic, tote bag to carry everything they need! I love this stylish option from Amazon for under $20. You can use it as an everyday accessory, or as a beach bag, in typical Scandi fashion.

Oval Sunglasses

The perfect accessory to every Scandinavian outfit? You guessed it, oval sunglasses. These ones from Amazon are so affordable so you can get the Scandi girl look on a budget. They come in black and — my favorite — brown leopard!

Petal & Pup Linen Set

Scandi girl summer is all about linen. It's breezy, easy, and so comfortable. Bonus points if it comes in a matching set like this one does! You can pair this cute set with your oval sunglasses, tote, and Birkenstock clogs!