Best Ideas for Christmas Party Planning

Photo: The Party Planner

Idea number one for Christmas party planning - and this can apply to any other kind of party - it is important to know the number of guests you're going to entertain. As a matter of fact, planning a Christmas party for 4 people is different from planning a Christmas party for 100 individuals!

Therefore, when you start building your Christmas party planning check list, make sure to know the number of people you're inviting beforehand.

Knowing this will help you plan the appropriate Christmas party type: sit-down formal dinner, buffet party, Christmas potluck party or a simple cocktail party. Knowing how many people are going to attend your Christmas party will also allow you to learn if your house is big enough for the occasion of if you'd rather book the local ball room.

Sending Christmas party invitation cards is the best way to know the exact number of guests that are going to attend your party. In addition, I recommend to send Christmas party invites one month before the Christmas party day so that you make sure your potential guests aren't engaged somewhere else.

What kind of Christmas party invitation cards to send? Well, I'd say that making Christmas party invites at home is a great way to keep the kids occupied during the holiday season. However, if you don't have time to create your own Christmas party invitation cards at home, a quick search on the Internet will provide you with many beautiful designs for Christmas party invites to choose from.

Whatever the type of Christmas party invitation cards you decide on, make sure to specify the date of the party, your Christmas party theme (if you want a specific theme), the kind of party and let your guests know if they're supposed to bring a dish and some drinks along with them (in case of a potluck Christmas party).

Don't forget to add an RSVP so that you know how many guests are going to attend your party on time.

Photo: Jacques Pepin's Christmas Celebration

In the list including the best ideas for Christmas party planning, we find food and drinks.Are you going to serve food at your Christmas party? Or just drinks? Also, depending on the number of guests who are going to attend your Christmas party, preparing a meal can take a lot of time and require a lot of money.

Another thing to pay attention to is that if you cook the entire dinner yourself, you'll need to start cooking the day before the party so that you won't have to spend the Christmas party evening in the kitchen. Naturally, you will also select the recipes that you're going to serve at your Christmas party.

The easiest way for you to not have to spend the party cooking and serving guests is to host a buffet Christmas party. A buffet allows you to place all dishes on the dining table and enjoy the party with your guests as they'll pick up the foods and drinks themselves.

However, my favorite alternative, when it comes to a buffet party, is the potluck Christmas party. A potluck Christmas party is incredibly exciting: all guests are asked to bring food and drink. This is a great way to provide a wide variety of different specialties on the buffet table. As the host or hostess, you'll just have to provide some more drink options and the appetizers.

Photo: Illuminated / Lighted Party
Beverage Fountain (Punch Bowl)

When throwing in a Christmas party, you need to provide some kind of drink. The easiest way to serve beverage to your guests is a big punch bowl filled with punch or sangria or whatever other beverage you'd prepare for the occasion.

However, you might want to make the bar area original and get creative. This can be done easily; for example, you can prepare three different punch bowls: one containing red alcoholic punch, one filled with green non alcoholic punch and a bowl orange juice for the kids. Such an arrangements won't just be delicious, it is also a clever way to display Christmas colors in the bar area.

Another great idea is to add food coloring to your Eggnog: present two different Eggnog bowls using red and green food coloring and served in twin beverage dispensers; the effect will be even more impressive if you provide your guests with one bowl Eggnog made out of skim milk for those who are on a diet. How about a lighted beverage fountain on the center of the table used as bar? This will definitely wow your guests!

The dessert can also become a fun time, especially if you serve hot chocolate prepared with a hot drink maker displayed on the table and surrounded by dozens of Christmas themed cupcakes.

Depending on the type of Christmas party you host, you might want to serve beverages in classy Christmas glasses.

This work is property of their respective authors, all are members of Garden Web forums and faithfully authorized Purplemoon's Holiday Album to feature them. All pictures in the gallery above are courtesy of my friend Purplemoon and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Photo: Lenox Holly & Berry Napkin Rings
Set of 4

So, in the best ideas for Christmas party planning list is this one: if you made a decision on hosting a formal Christmas dinner party for a handful of guests, then you're going to decorate your dining room table for the ocasion.

Christmas table decorating doesn't require ornaments as long as you set the Christmas table theme. Here are a few decorating ideas for a lovely Christmas party table:

Dress your table with a white or red table cloth and place a Christmas themed table runner on it; the table runner will provide your table with a gorgeous look.

A Christmas table centerpiece will be the focal point of your dinner table. Remember to add some Christmas candles on each side of the centerpiece to warm up the ambiance of the dinner.

Green or red napkins will enhance the Christmas theme of your table and you can even use Christmas napkin rings if your selected monochrome napkins.

Your most beautiful cutlery set along with a delicate Christmas themed dinnerware set will provide your table with a very classy appearance. For a more fancy theme, add Christmas place card holders on the table so that people know where they're going to sit down.

Photo: Candy Cane Snowman Deluxe Party Pack

The best idea for Christmas party planning ever is hosting a buffet party which will allow you to let your imagination run wild in terms of decorations. Indeed, when hosting a Christmas buffer party, you can set up several different table themes in the house: one on which you place the foods and the other that you'll use as bar area.

The best way to decorate a buffet table is using a plastic or paper table cover, adding one decorative Christmas centerpiece on the center of each table (if you have several tables) and spread some some more Christmas decorations between the plates to enhance the Christmas party dinner. Naturally, you can spread some miniature Nutcrackers, wrapped gifts, Santa Claus figurines and other Christmas themed decorating items.

Another idea for hosting a Christmas party in the form of a buffet, is getting a Christmas dinner party pack made out of paper; this way you won't have to wash the plates and cups after the Christmas party and it will only take you five minutes to throw the plates, napkins and even the decorations away and, therefore, help you save time cleaning up the house after your Christmas party.

There are many wonderful sets available in any party supply stores. For an adult party, you'll obviously select a set such as the Enchanted Christmas party set or the Poinsettia paper plates, cups and napkins pack; which provide a more neutral tone.

However, if you host a Christmas party for kids and adults, then sets such as the Peanuts themed Christmas set will please everyone since we all grew up knowing all about Charlie Brown's adventures. A Chrismtas Story themed party pack is also a nice theme for a party which includes both children and grownups. For a special Christmas party for kids, a theme featuring Snowman and pinguins will work wonders.

Photo:
Sugarplum Kit Kit

Another idea for Christmas party planning to put into action beforehand is choosing the Christmas decorations that you're going to use to enhance the holiday mood.

Christmas party decorations will then include front yard signs that will show your guests the way to the entrance, a Christmas themed banner which would wish a "Happy Christmas form your family name" or a Christmas candy arch that will mark the area where the party is held.

Your indoor Christmas decor should make people feel that they're in Wonderland. For an henhanced cheerful Christmas effect, hang some Holiday lanterns in the main party room. A Santas sleigh stand would make a fantastic decoration for a Christmas party for kids and adults alike. For a fairest ambiance, a windows and fireplace scene set is certainly a good option.

Hanging some holiday swirls will add a festive look to your party room while holiday confetti are ever enjoyed elements of a any kind of party.

If you're on a budget, then a Christmas decorating kit can also cheer up your Christmas party decor and ambiance.

Just keep in mind that if you host the party at the local ball room, you'll have to get many more decorations than the few listed here. So, make sure that your Christmas party matches your budget.

Photo: Lava Lite Disco Ball

When you're planning a Christmas party, you should think of Christmas lights that are going to provide your party with a fancy and warm atmosphere. So, I suggest you get some more lights than for your personal decor as Christmas lights will make the ambiance of the party more fancy.

The day before the party, hang some more Christmas light strings along the outline of the ceiling around the entire room where you'll hold the party. If dancing fits within your Christmas party plans, then, I suggest to get a disco ball; which will impress your guests!

Some snowmen or Santa Claus and gifts will work wonders if the party is for both children and grownups as everyone loves those cute winter symbols.

Instead, if you want to opt for a more formal Christmas light decor, you'll choose monochrome or multicolored Christmas party rope lights. And if you definitely want to go original you'll add a few cocktail themed light strings to your Christmas tree just for the occasion.

Photo: Deluxe Christmas & New Year's Games Collection - PrintableGamesAtoZ

Another thing to take into consideration when planning a Christmas party is to plan some specific activities and/or games to keep the kids that take part to your event occupied.

A first idea for planning a successful Christmas party is to plan a karaoke to which kids can take part. The best idea is to plan a constest in the same vein as American Idol and have the kids sing on the most famous Christmas tracks. After the contest, the winner gets a prize (a board game, a toy or so) while all other contestants get Christmas party favors so that nobody gets disappointed.

Another idea would be to get some Christmas printable games

from the Web and play both children and adults in teams. These packs generally include different Christmas bingo games, various Christmas trivias, Christmas song lyrics (which are useful for karaoke), Bible word scramble games, word find games, and much more.

Different Christmas themed board games can also do the job to keep the kids occupied. With games such as Christmas Monopoly, To Bethleem, Christmas Jenga, the kids will have lots of fun and a party might take place into the party. Naturally, adults are welcome to join the fun and play with the children.

If your Christmas party isn't meant to end late at night, a good old Christmas movie such as It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol is an excellent way to spend the remaining hour with your guests, children and adults alike.