Choosing a Theme and Sending Invites
Choose a venue if you don’t want to host at your house. If you’re planning a party for your work or simply inviting more people than you can fit in your home, you may want to consider using a venue. Contact local restaurants and event spaces and ask about their availability and pricing. You should also ask whether you’ll be able to decorate the space beforehand and bring your own food, if applicable. If you’re throwing a work Christmas party, you can also throw it right in your office. The right decorations can transform the space from work to holiday spirit!
Host at your home or office to save money. An outside venue definitely isn’t necessary for a great Christmas party. In fact, most holiday parties are held at home or, for work parties, at the office, which is good news if you’re looking to save money. You’ll avoid rental costs and have the convenience and freedom to decorate however and whenever you want. You’ll also be able to cook for yourself if you host at home or at the office, giving you more freedom and flexibility.
Decide on a theme to give the party a more unique feel. Christmas parties come with their own theme, of course, you can also step it up a notch by creating a more specific feel with decorations or activities. Consider themes like: Holiday Elegance, with shimmery metallic and green decorations and tasteful accessories like candles. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, with a focus on red and white colors and a homey, log cabin feel. Include festive activities like a cookie swap and lots of homemade decorations. White Christmas, with white, silver, and gold decorations and lots of snowflakes. You could even encourage guests to wear all white.
Send out invitations about 2 weeks in advance. It’s fine to invite friends via word of mouth or text, but paper or even online invitations make it feel like more of an event. Whatever you choose, make sure to get your invites out at least 2 weeks beforehand to give friends time to plan. If you’re on a budget, look for e-vites that are free to customize and send. Your invitations are the place to include all the information your guests need to know, such as the time, dress code, theme, and whether they should bring any food or gifts.
Throw your party at least 5 days before Christmas. The holidays are a busy time for everyone, and if you plan your party too close to Christmas, there’s a good chance your guests will be travelling or have other commitments. Setting it several days beforehand also ensures that you won’t be pulling guests away from their own holiday gift-buying and preparations.
Putting Up Festive Decorations
Hang wreaths and long garlands to complement your tree. String real or fake garlands along bannisters and hang a Christmas wreath on your door, or on the backs of chairs. You can even personalize them and match them to the rest of your decorations with ornaments or string lights. You can also save money by making your own wreaths and paper garlands.
Light candles to create a holiday mood. Candles will give your party soft lighting, nice scents, and a cozy Christmas atmosphere. Light ones with Christmas aromas, but stick to just one or two kinds, like vanilla sugar or evergreen, without mixing them. Make sure to put your candles in on a safe, flat surface out of the reach of children and pets, like a high mantle or table. If you have a fireplace, you could light a fire for an even cozier feel.
Hang up lots of holiday string lights. Twinkle lights can bring your party to life, providing nice lighting and a holiday feel at the same time. String them up around the room, let them hang down against a wall as a photo backdrop, or even scatter them across tables for a festive glow.Tip: You can never go wrong with plain white string lights, but if you want a more colorful look, consider multi-colored strands as well.
Make or buy fun centerpieces. Poinsettias are a classic Christmas flower that look great as centerpieces. If you’re not looking to buy lots of flowers, though, grab a few glass jars or vases and fill them with small, colorful holiday items. Depending on the feel of your party, your could go with: Red and white candy, like Hershey’s kisses or candy canes. Ornaments and tinsel Gingerbread or sugar cookies, with white sugar as a base Pinecones, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and nuts for a woodsy look
Set up a holiday photo booth. To save money and make your own “photo booth,” drape twinkly lights over a wall, paper it with fun wrapping paper, or hang up a garland or banner with a Christmas phrase, like “Be merry!” You can set out a camera and tripod, or simply let guests take photos on their phone. For a fun twist, place disposable cameras all around your party for guests to use. Get the pictures developed and send them out as Christmas gifts!
Making a Christmas Party Feast
Ask guests to bring dishes for a potluck-style party. Depending on the size of your party, it might be too much work and money to cook for everyone by yourself. To avoid the stress and cost, ask each guest to bring a dish to share. To ensure that no one brings the same thing, assign different dishes, like salad, side, or dessert, to each guest. Make sure to specify that the party is a potluck on your invitations. Remember to communicate with your guests prior to the party about any dietary restrictions to ensure they can participate or bring tasty alternatives.
Have plenty of snacks like nuts and popcorn. Set out bowls of chips and nuts, veggies, and fruit for guests to snack on throughout the party. To add a Christmas flair, have green and red snacks, like celery and strawberries, placed next to each other. If you want, you can serve just hors d'oeuvres for the full party. Make sure to have lots of filling options, like deviled eggs, hearty dip, or shrimp cocktail.
Serve a main course for a more formal party. If you’re planning on a more upscale dinner party, choose a nice entree with a wintry feel, like roast beef, turkey, or ham. For a vegetarian option, try pasta, like ravioli or lasagna, or a vegetable quiche. Make sure to give yourself enough time to prepare the dish on the day of and have it hot and ready to eat by dinner time.
Make a tasty holiday dessert, like Christmas cookies or red velvet cake. Whether you serve an entree or not, sweets are a must at any Christmas party. You can go with traditional frosted Christmas cookies and milk, or make a bigger dish like red velvet cake, pudding, or tiramisu. You can have your desserts out for the whole party for guests to munch on, or serve them after dinner or hors d’oeuvres.
Offer holiday drinks and cocktails. Set up a bar on a counter or island and stock it with your favorite holiday drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Make sure to have red wine, champagne, and eggnog on hand, as well as peppermint hot chocolate and milk for cookies. Try experimenting with fun Christmas cocktails, like: A snowball, with advocaat and sparkling lemonade Hot chocolate with Bailey’s Mulled wine A hot toddy, with whiskey, honey, lemon, and spices
Planning Fun Christmas Activities
Play plenty of Christmas songs and carols. No Christmas party is complete without a playlist. Make your own with your favorite carols, or look online on sites like Spotify or YouTube for pre-made playlists. Remember to test your sound system beforehand to make sure everything’s working!Tip: Make sure your playlist matches the theme of your party. If it’s a more formal affair, go with slower, simpler renditions of your favorites. For a casual party, Christmas pop hits might be the way to go.
Play holiday movies for a cheap, continuous form of entertainment. Even if Christmas movies aren’t the focus of your party, it’s always a good idea to have one playing in the background in case conversation gets dull. Choose a few favorites and get one playing before everyone arrives. Make sure to check back throughout the party to pop the next ones in. You could go with animated classics, like How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, or favorite live-action movies, like A Christmas Story, Elf, or The Holiday.
Host a gift exchange at a small party. Gift exchanges require some planning, but can be tons of fun at a party with close friends and family. Get the word out early that you want to do a Secret Santa or white elephant exchange and set a price limit and theme, like games or things that make you laugh. As the host, offer to help guests that aren’t sure what to buy.
Ask guests to come in Christmas costumes for a contest. Have your guests come dressed as Santa, reindeer, elves, or a character from their favorite Christmas movie. Hold a contest at the end of the night to see who’s costume is the favorite! Remember to specify that it’s a costume party on your invitations! For a twist, have guests wear ugly Christmas sweaters instead.
Decorate Christmas cookies or gingerbread houses to make tasty treats. Bake gingerbread houses or Christmas cookies beforehand, but don’t decorate them or put them together. Set them out with plenty of frosting, sprinkles, and other sweets and decorations, then decorate them with your guests. You can have a contest to see who’s creation is the best, or simply munch on your cookies as you make them. This is also a great way to entertain kids at your party.
Decorate ornaments for a crafty activity. Buy a few packs of cheap, plain bauble ornaments in different colors and set them out with art supplies like paint, glitter, colorful paper, and more. Your guests will have a fun, creative way to stay busy during the party, and will end up with a fun keepsake to hang up on their tree.
Comments
0 comment