âTis the season to be jolly and thereâs no better way to get into the holiday spirit than with a fabulous party. Whether youâre searching for ideas to liven up your family get-together or need some office holiday inspiration, we have you covered.
Even if you donât consider yourself a pro at event planning, this guide will get you going with the best holiday party ideas including decor, food, drinks, themes, games, and activities. Best of all, these ideas are perfect if you have a limited budget.
Holiday Party Planning: Decor, Themes, and Food
When itâs time to deck the halls, these holiday party ideas will work great for your home or office celebration. The first step is sending out your holiday party invitations. Once youâve handled that, itâs time to move on to other parts of the party planning process. Hereâs how to make it happen.
Decor Ideas
When it comes to creating the perfect setting, it doesnât have to take much time or money with these simple, cost-saving ideas for fabulous holiday party decor.
Forage for Decorations
Save your cash and go au natural! Use fallen pine cones, twigs, branches, and clusters of pine from your backyard, local park, or other public outdoor space. (You could also strategically clip a few branches from your Christmas tree â no one will even notice.)Â
After a little clean-up, youâll have truly natural decor for your winter wonderland tablescape and mantel. Scatter a few walnuts, chestnuts, or pecans for yet another seasonal touch.
Light Up the RoomÂ
To make the season bright and extra cozy, use string lights across your mantel, table centerpieces, and any other areas to add a bit of sparkle. Place flameless tea lights or votives inside mason jars. Wrap the jars with festive ribbon and mini jingle bells, sprigs of holly, or any other decorative items you like. Best of all, you can find most (if not all) of these items at your local dollar store.
Place Ornaments and Spices in a Jar
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Ornaments instantly add holiday ambiance, so fill up any clear vases or jars you have with a variety of colorful ornaments along with mini pine cones, star anise, and cinnamon sticks.Â
If youâre really in a pinch, use glassware of different sizes to create visual interest. For wine glasses, rocks glasses, or other small glasses, simply fill with mini Christmas ornaments.
Dress Up the Chairs
Whether youâre decorating your home or your office conference room, itâs easy to add festive flair by wrapping chairs with a wide ribbon and tying it in a bow at the back.Â
For a whimsical finishing touch, loop in fresh or faux greenery, pine cones, berries, or glittery plastic ornaments in snowman, snowflake, reindeer, and other holiday shapes.
Add Some Gift Box Glam
Who says gifts only belong under the tree? For a stylish spin on holiday decorations, simply wrap up empty boxes of different sizes in coordinating colors and ribbons and place them wherever you could use some holiday charm. Add them alongside the other decorative ideas on this list to create a lovely holiday vignette.
Holiday Party Themes
Now that you have some ideas on how to dress up your party, you need aÂholiday theme. Take a look at these options thatâll get your creative wheels turning for your next bash.
Favorite Things Fête
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens might be a few of Julie Andrewsâ favorite things, but you can jazz up your own holiday party by having guests gift one another with an item they love. Set a spending limit (say, $25) and watch as the conversation flows when people share the reasons why they chose the gift.
Holidays Around the World Potluck
This party theme is particularly suited for aÂcompany holiday party where coworkers come from all different backgrounds. Ask everyone to bring a favorite dish that celebrates their cultureâs culinary holiday traditions.Â
Whether itâs tamales, latkes, pasteles, toshikoshi soba, or bûche de noël, youâll have an instant conversation starter as attendees ask about the backstory of each dish.
Wintertime Beach Bash
Baby, itâs cold outside but you can heat things up with a fun summer-themed holiday party. Choose aÂtropical, beach, luau, or BBQ theme that brings those warm, sun-filled vibes indoors. Greet guests with party leis and colorful co*cktails, and encourage them to wear their favorite Hawaiian-print shirts and summer hats.
Holiday Pajama Party
It doesnât get much cozier or comfier than having aÂPJ party with your nearest and dearest. You could even host it as a virtual holiday party with family or colleagues. This theme might be a little hard to pull off for an office party, but weâre thinking your coworkers wouldnât complain. After all, once the party ends, thereâs no need to change clothes. Youâre ready for bed!Â
Christmas Party Brunch
The holidays are incredibly busy, especially in the evenings when most events take place. Plan aÂmorning brunch to increase the chances your friends and family can attend. Set out a delicious spread in your own home or head to a local restaurant to have them do the work for you.
DIY Ugly Sweater Party
Why buy an ugly sweater when you can design one yourself? Ask guests to bring an old sweater or sweatshirt to the party and set up a table with plenty of crafty supplies â think scissors, hot glue guns, fabric markers, stencils, rhinestones, pom poms, appliques, sparkles, and bells. At the end of the party, you can give a prize for the tackiest DIY sweater of the bunch.
Holiday Murder Mystery Dinner Party
For a spooky twist on a Christmas party theme, host a murder mystery party set around the holidays. Download a murder mystery game online or buy aÂChristmas-themed murder mystery game pack. You can even hire specialty companies to come run the game for you. Itâs sure to take your holiday gathering to the next level.
Food and Drinks
No party would be complete without tasty holiday treats. Here are a few ideas for filling up at your soiree.
Finger Foods
If youâre trying to keep expenses down, remember that you donât have to host an entire sit-down dinner. Instead, host it happy-hour style with an array of appetizers and easy party snacks and ask guests to BYOB. If youâre not doing booze, ask attendees to bring some holiday sweets instead.
Hot Chocolate Station
Have the cocoa, marshmallows, chocolate shavings, mini candy canes, cinnamon sticks, and sprinkles ready to go for this sweet idea that appeals to the kid in all of us. For a âNaughty or Niceâ theme for the grown-ups, consider options for spiked hot cocoa. You could also apply this same idea to create an eggnog station.
Dipping Station
Along with (or in lieu of) the finger foods, offer creative dips and dippers â spinach dip with zucchini chips, unusual hummus recipes with pita, baked brie with crudite, and breadsticks with marinara are filling options that donât cost much money.
Champagne Bar
Pop, fizz, clink! Break out the bottles of bubbly with this fun holiday party idea that lets guests create their favorite sparkling drink. Include a few liqueurs, mixers, and garnishes (sliced winter citrus is a good seasonal choice).Â
To save some cash, opt for a prosecco or sparkling wine rather than springing for real Champagne. After a few sips, nobody will know the difference!
Holiday Party Games and Activities
Step up the festivities with these fun, interactive party games that work for both family get-togethers and company holiday parties.
Selfie Station
For an affordable alternative to pricey photo booths, gather a few fun props (Santa hats, reindeer antlers, silly glasses, etc.) and encourage guests to grab a prop, take a shot, and hashtag it. You can inform everyone of the partyâs hashtag in your email invitations and remind them at the party. Itâs a fun way to relive the revelry and see fun pics that others took.
Wrapping Paper Fashion Show
Gifts wonât be the only thing youâre wrapping this holiday season thanks to this hilarious game. All you need is wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and a killer catwalk style.Â
Break up into teams of two (one model and one âfashion designerâ to dress the person) or have each participant dress themselves to make it even more challenging. Consider giving a small prize for best dressed â and biggest fashion faux pas!
White Elephant Gift Exchange
A holiday celebration favorite, this game is all about getting surprise gag gifts for friends and family. In your invitations, ask guests to bring along one present and set a maximum spending amount so everyone brings something of similar value. You can even include some suggestions for gift ideas. At the party, draw numbers to see who gets to pick a present first and set the rules for stealing already opened gifts.
Do a Cookie Swap
Plan aÂcookie exchange where every guest brings along a tasty batch of homemade cookies. At the party, everyone gets to try different recipes. Itâs a great way to try new flavors and enjoy age-old recipes handed down through generations. If you or your guests arenât much into baking, make it a store-bought cookie swap or contest to see which ones are the best.
Host a Gingerbread House Competition
Get competitive with a gingerbread house competition. Step up the difficulty level by asking everyone to bake their own gingerbread house or keep it simple with store-bought kits. Be sure to grab bags of candy like Mike & Ikes, candy canes, and Skittles to decorate them with.
Everyoneâs Got Talent
Get to know your friends, family, or colleagues better with this fun holiday party idea. Let guests know ahead of time that there will be a talent show, so those who want to participate can bring any necessary supplies. (Juggling balls, glow sticks, or an accordion, perhaps?) For better or worse, this is one activity thatâs sure to amuse. (Who knew Uncle John could eyebrow dance like a boss?!)
Holiday Movie Trivia
From âThe Grinchâ and âA Christmas Storyâ to âElfâ and beyond, test everyoneâs pop culture prowess with aÂprintable holiday movie trivia game. You can always add quotes and fun facts from your personal faves if you donât see them on the list.
Turn this event into a full evening of fun by making it into a movie marathon night. You can play all of your favorite classics or spend the evening discovering new Christmas movies you haven’t watched. Make it a themed night by watching only Hallmark holiday movies or a franchise like âHome Alone.â
Merry Textmas Showdown
For this entertaining twist on texting, come up with a holiday message (at least 280 characters to up the ante) and write it down on a chalkboard or poster board so everyone can see. Then, set a timer for 10-20 seconds and have everyone text the message (there doesnât have to be an actual recipient) to see who writes the message error-free. Read some of the texts aloud â you might be surprised at the hilarious autocorrects.
Turn Caroling Into Christmas Karaoke
Sure, you could go around the neighborhood and sing Christmas carols with friends. Or you can take things up a notch and host an at-home Christmas karaoke competition. Download a playlist of all the best holiday songs. Don’t be afraid to branch out with holiday tunes like âLudacrismasâ and âThe Chipmunk Song,â which are sure to have guests cracking up.
Holiday Party Ideas to Celebrate the Season
Thereâs nothing like gathering with friends, family, and coworkers to enjoy some holiday cheer, and we hope this list sparked your own creativity. Donât forget that sending online invitations is one of the best ways to save time and money.
Greenvelope lets you choose from a variety of customizable designs, track RSVPs, and so much more. While youâre already in the holiday spirit, be sure to order your holiday cards and Christmas cards to share your merriest greetings of the season.
