Do you want to throw a festive party this holiday season, but don’t know where to start? I’ve got you covered. I’m going to show you how to plan a Christmas party that your guests will never forget, starting with one of the most important steps: choosing a theme.
How to Plan a Christmas Party Your Guests Will Remember Next Year
Choose a Theme
Every Christmas party needs a theme. Why? Because your theme will dictate your decor and help you plan other aspects of the celebration, like the food and activities.
Here are some fun ideas to inspire you.
Winter Wonderland
Winter wonderland themes are gorgeous. It’s all about whites, silvers and icy blues to make your guests feel like they’ve stepped into a wintry world.
When setting your table, try something like this idea:
Place crystal candleholders along the center of the table. Intertwine strings of white fairy lights and decor like snow-covered pine cones and greenery.
Along with a gorgeous table, you can set up a pretty photo area like this one:
Add a background with snow-covered trees and use balloons (like these) to create a frame. A shaggy white rug and some glittery silver beads will complete the look.
Make sure that you encourage your guests to take photos and share them on social media to make the night even more memorable.
Holiday Masquerade
Why not turn your holiday party into a fun, mysterious masquerade party? Everyone can dress up in formal wear and wear masks to disguise their appearances.
The tables can reflect your theme with different holiday-themed masks and greenery, along with silver plates and glittery ornaments tucked into the centerpieces – like in the Pin below:
Or you can set the table up in a more subdued way, like this:
Tall candelabras steal the show as the centerpieces. Greenery and fancy place settings really bring the atmosphere to life. Make sure that you have an appropriate menu planned if you’re really going formal. A multi-course meal and entertainment will make this a truly special holiday party.
Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
Here’s a classic theme: ugly Christmas sweaters.
Have everyone wear their favorite ugly Christmas sweaters, and everyone can vote on which one is the best. The winner gets a prize. You can even give out trophies or medals to winners to make them feel extra-special.
You can take this theme to your tableware and food.
Just look at this cute setup:
Use little knitted stockings to hold your silverware and get ugly sweater party decor to decorate a floral centerpiece.
If you’re setting up a food or drink bar, you can use this Pin as inspiration:
Here, you can also use little ugly sweater party supplies to decorate drinks, cupcakes or whatever else you’re serving.
Plan a Killer Menu – & Cocktails
No guide on how to plan a Christmas party is complete without food. If you want your party to be really memorable, serve delicious food (like these light appetizers) and cozy winter cocktails.
Here are some menu and drink ideas to inspire you.
Related: 15 Christmas Party Appetizers to Make The Perfect Gathering
Mini Brie Christmas Trees
These mini Brie Christmas trees are just as tasty as they are adorable. Make them with triangles of Brie cheese, dried cranberries, apricots, pistachios, cilantro and a drizzle of honey.
Stick toothpicks into the ends of each triangle to act as “trunks” and make it easy for guests to grab and enjoy.
Feel free to swap any of the ingredients you want to make this recipe truly your own.
Christmas Cranberry Meatballs
Meatballs are always a crowdpleaser, and this recipe is perfect for Christmas. The recipe calls for pre-cooked meatballs to save you time. They’re cooked in a jellied cranberry and chili sauce with sugar and spices for a unique and flavorful dish.
The sauce is made first in a simple skillet or saucepan. Once it’s smooth and heated through, just add your meatballs and let them simmer for 15-20 minutes.
You can serve these in a crockpot, or you can serve them individually with toothpicks for easy snacking – the choice is yours.
Dirty Snowman Baileys Ice Cream Cocktail
This adorable cocktail is so yummy. It’s made with Baileys Irish cream, hot chocolate, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and sprinkles. I like to add cookies for some extra sweetness and a little treat.
You can even make snowmen in your glasses with marshmallows or candy if you want.
Christmas Smash
A tasty, simple cocktail made with bourbon, cranberry juice, orange juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, Angorstura bitters and fresh herbs for garnish.
You can serve these in any glass you like, but make sure it has ice. These taste best when ice cold.
Go Maximalist with Decorations
When people ask me for advice on how to plan a Christmas party, one of the first suggestions I make is to go crazy with decorations.
It’s the holidays. Make your place feel magical – wherever you’re hosting it.
Use these ideas to inspire your own party planning.
Related: 16 No Bake Christmas Party Food Ideas to Make Last Minute
Umbrella Decorations
How fun and unique is this piece of decor? Take an umbrella and hang it upside down from the ceiling. Add strings of Christmas lights, ornaments and tiny presents hung on strings to complete this “chandelier.”
You can hang multiple umbrellas in your space to make it feel more magical.
Go All Out
This mid-century modern-inspired decor will make your guests feel like they just stepped onto a movie set.
Here are some tips to bring this idea to life:
- Hang lighted and decorated garland along doorways
- Hang matching wreaths on doors
- Use festive ribbons to hang large Christmas ornament balls from the ceiling
- Add vintage Christmas throw pillows to your seating
Don’t forget to decorate the tree, too.
Hang Presents on the Walls
Here’s a fun way to add holiday cheer to all corners of your space. Wrap cardboard boxes with shiny paper and add matching ribbons and bows. Hang the presents on your walls to complete your decorations.
You can use whatever kind of wrapping paper you like, but solid colors will prevent your walls from looking too busy.
Plan Memorable Activities
Want to know how to plan a Christmas party everyone will remember? Plan fun activities. It’s the memories that really make the party special.
Yes, food matters – a lot. But how you spend your time together matters even more. So, plan fun things for your guests to do.
Play games. Share stories. Watch movies. Or do one of the activities on the list below.
Karaoke
Are you embarrassed to sing in front of others? If it’s your friends and family, it’s one of the moments where you feel vulnerable, but it often ends with lots of laughs and cheers.
Plan a karaoke event at your party using Christmas classics, such as:
- Jingle Bells
- Santa Baby
- Silent Night
- Walking in a Winter Wonderland
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- Frosty the Snowman
- Anything you like
Amazon has these really neat karaoke bundles that you can use.
If kids are involved in the festivities, karaoke is even more fun when they sing along in groups or with their parents.
Related: 25 Christmas Finger Food Ideas to Try This Year
Ornament Making
Memorable parties are always the ones where you walk away with something that you can look back on, such as an ornament that you made that goes on your tree year after year. You’ll need clear DIY ornaments, like these on Amazon.
What’s fun about this option is that you can put your decorations inside of the ornament, think:
- Fake snow
- Glitter
- Mini Christmas figurines
You can also add paints, sequins, beads, ribbons and markers,
Set up decoration stations that everyone can explore and use to make their own ornament.
Reindeer Paws
Reindeer paws are one of the games that I wish I had growing up. Sometimes, people are just so creative, aren’t they? It’s a super simple game, which will need:
- Red plastic cups (Solo cups)
- Disposable styrofoam plates
- Marshmallows
Place the plates in front of each guest or where you expect them to be standing when they’re playing. In the middle of the table, scatter all of the marshmallows so that they’re in everyone’s reach.
The goal? Each guest will wear the cups as a sort of “glove” and will need to use both hands to pick up the marshmallows and put them on their plate.
You’ll then count the marshmallows to declare the winner.
It’s a fun game that is sure to get a lot of laughs from your guests,
Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are always a welcome addition to any holiday party. You can purchase the cookies or follow a recipe, like the one below:
You’ll then set out decoration stations that allow your guests to customize the cookies. Add decorative items, such as:
- Vanilla frosting
- Sprinkles
- Mini M&Ms
- Gum drops
The idea is to put the frosting on first, followed by your toppings, to be sure that they stay on. Of course, the toppings are just suggestions and you can swap them out for anything you prefer. If you want to plan a memorable Christmas party, follow my guide above. Start with a theme, plan your menu and cocktails, and don’t forget the activities.
