Christmas Party Ideas: The Foolproof Formula
As an event planner, I get extra excited when it’s the time of the year that I get to host and attend parties. But I realize it’s not everyone’s forte, which is why I thought it would be helpful around this time of year to divulge my secret weapon formula for entertaining. I called it the 5,4,3,2,1 method. Yes, I know, very creative lol.
I use this method for pretty much every party I plan personally, but in today’s post I am focusing specifically on Christmas or holiday parties. Tis the season!
Grab a pen and paper so you can write this down and stick it on your fridge…
5 Foods
4 Drinks
3 Decorated Spaces
2 Activities
1 Favor
Now let’s get into how we can take this formula and create Christmas Party Ideas very easily!
Christmas Party Ideas
Christmas Appetizers | 5 Foods
The first, and probably most important, part of the formula is 5 foods. This works with almost all types of parties, but my favorite way is serving appetizers or heavy hors d’oeuvres. For a Christmas party or gathering, this is my no-fuss Christmas Appetizer menu…
Marinera Crockpot Cocktail Meatballs prepared the day before and stay in crockpot overnight into the next day.
Holiday
Charcuterie Board assembled before guests arrive
Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs prepared the day before and stored in fridge
Classic Tomato Bruschetta Bar prepared the day before and assembled before guests arrive
Holiday Dessert like cookies or cupcakes from a local bakery picked up the day before or morning of
I found this article on creating a holiday Charcuterie board. That’s the only item that really requires some finesse. All the other things are relatively easy to pull together!
Holiday Drinks | 4 Drinks
The second, and maybe also most important, part of the formula is 4 drinks. In general, serving 2 non-alcoholic drinks, and 2 alcoholic drinks is a good rule of thumb. You can also always have a self-serve bar and/or stick sodas and waters in a cooler. For a Christmas party, the 4-drink menu can look something like…
Infused Water with Cranberry and Mint served in a dispenser and prepared before guests arrive
Christmas Punch served in a dispenser and prepared the day before
Eggnog served in a punch bowl with Rum as an option on the side
Specialty Seasonal Martini batch made, served in individually glasses on a tray and garnished before guests arrive.
Goodhousekeeping has a great list of Christmas Martini’s which you can find here.
Christmas Party Décor | 3 decorated spaces
The next part of the formula is 3 decorated spaces. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean you need to go all out and decorate 3 rooms extravagantly. Simply, as a rule of thumb, make sure you have 3 spaces decorated thoughtfully and/or theme.
Typically for a Christmas party since the house is already decorated, I will concentrate on…
The buffet/appetizer display, really decking it out with pretty platters, cute cutlery and napkins.
Little centerpieces for tables wherever guests may sit - places like the dining room table, end tables, porch tables, and coffee tables. Simple themed or seasonal florals, bowls of ornaments, or an actual centerpiece are all options here.
Themed self-serve drink station like a hot chocolate station or eggnog bar are always a hit, and you can use fun cups and signs to really decorate it up.
Other ideas include setting a pretty tablescape (shown here), creating a dessert display, setting up a lounge area, decorating an activity space, making a favor table, or making a grand front entrance.
Things to Do | 2 activities
Eating, drinking, and mingling will take up most of your guest’s time. But it’s still always good to have 2 things to do a.k.a. activities for your not so social guests, little ones, or just as a distraction if you need more time to finish something up.
I usually have one easy activity, something that can be setup prior and left for guests to enjoy on their own, and then one intricate activity like a game, experience, or craft. I have listed out some ideas below for the Christmas season…
Easy ideas to set and leave before the party:
Ugly Christmas Sweater Idea or any fun holiday theme that guests know about before the party. This is just a fun way to spark conversation or have a laugh.
A Backyard Bonfire that is lit when guests arrive, doubles as an extra space and a place to converse and watch the fire - add S’more fixings for even more to do.
A Holiday movie playing in the background is always an easy go-to and you can choose the movie based on the vibe of the party (It’s a Wonderful Life for a more upscale cocktail party vs. The Grinch for a family based casual party.)
Christmas Books or Holiday Photo Albums spread throughout your home for people to read.
Setup a Karaoke area for guests to sing popular Christmas Songs.
Idea’s that take a little more planning and participation:
A Holiday or Christmas Game like a themed scavenger hunt, Bingo, Jeopardy, or Family Feud.
Cookie decorating station for kiddos (and adults) can also double as a favor.
Seasonal Beer or Wine Tasting that you can do as a group or individually.
A visit from Santa or another themed holiday character.
Some type of craft, mostly for kids, like creating snow globes, cutting out snowflakes, or writing letters to Santa.
Heres a blog post from two years ago where I go in depth about creating a Christmas craft activity for little kids. And here is a blog post about setting up a seasonal beer tasting at home. This post is Fall themed but you can easily convert it over to a Winter palette.
Christmas Party Favor | 1 favor
Finally, 1 favor for your guests to take home with them. This can be as simple as having to-go boxes out at the dessert station for people to take home cookies and goodies. Or as intricate as putting together Christmas Goodie Bags. Either way, it’s nice to have something for guests to take with them. It’s thoughtful and gives a wow factor at the end of the party.
Ideas for Christmas Party Favors include…
Christmas or NYE poppers – here are really cute ones from Meri Meri
Themed Sugar Cookie
Seasonal Soap
A small, labeled gift “from Santa” or from the host
Christmas Ornaments with the year or theme of the party
DIY Fire starter with leftover Christmas Tree branches (shown to the left)
Christmas Goodie Bags with various little $1 store items
I hope you enjoyed this blog on Christmas Party Ideas and found the formula helpful. If you want even more help on how to create a menu specifically for the holidays, check out this blog post I wrote on entertaining a crowd over the holidays.
Cheers!