Holiday Party Trends & Ideas

The holiday season brings us so many things to make us smile. Whether it's getting cozy by the fire, singing carols, or getting the gift you dreamed of, the holidays are always better when spent together. It's something about the cheer and joy of December that makes us appreciate all our friends and family members even more. Combining all the good vibes of the season, holiday parties are a favorite occasion this time of the year! Gone are the days of jellied fruit salads and the dreaded fruit cake. Your holiday party invitations should be full of engaging activities, themes, and crafts that will not only get the children involved, but the adults as well. Keep your guests excited to celebrate each year by trying a few of these festive ideas.

Theme Parties

You can never go wrong with a solid theme party! There are tons of great holiday/winter themes that would work well for these types of gatherings. Here are a couple of our favorites:

Ugly Sweater Party - Each year, guests can duke it out for the most hideous holiday garment.

Plaid/Flannel - Rustic and cozy, a flannel party will make everyone feel at home.

Tree Decorating Party - Each guest brings an ornament that represents them. Decorate the tree together and you'll have a tree beaming with personality and sentiment.

Craft party - Pour some good wine or hot cocoa and your team of creative guests can churn out beautiful handcrafted ornaments and projects over a few hours. The many wonders of Pinterest await you. They'll make great gifts too!

White Elephant - This always leads into hilarious and outlandish surprises. Sit back and enjoy the clever gifts everyone has traded with each other.

Activities

Keeping your guests entertained is of the utmost importance of course! While some might be content by the tree with a nice scotch in hand, others might be looking for something more hands-on. The party will naturally have everyone in a great mood to start, so keep it going with some of these activities.

Photo booth - As a host, you might not have the time to run around snapping photos all night. Setting up a photo booth or simple festive backdrop with seasonal props lets your guests naturally create great memories. You'll love looking through the photos after the party is over. They'll make the perfect photo book  and gift back to your guests on gifting day.

Hot Cocoa Bar and Cookie Making Station - Nothing says holiday like a warm cup o' cocoa. Display a hot cocoa bar full of different flavors so your guests can make joyful concoctions all evening long. Of course, a hand decorated sugar cookie will go perfect with that.

Games

Ditch the usual board games and try something more holiday related. Keeping the festive theme throughout a party creates a very merry experience no one is soon to forget.

Pin the Nose on Rudolph - A holiday take on an old party classic!

Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt - This will surely keep the kids busy. Similar to easter egg hunts, hide candy canes throughout the house and surrounding yard.

Gift Wrap Relay - A set of teams rush to wrap a variety of objects or packages one-by-one relay race style.

Wreath Ring Toss - With a flick of the wrist, wreaths can turn into both an indoor or outdoor activity.

Party Favors

As a host, you'll always want to thank everyone for joining you with a parting gift. Most party favors are budget friendly DIYs with mass appeal. Your guests will appreciate the care you put into the event. Mason jars are incredibly versatile when it comes to gifting.

Jam in a Jar

Cupcakes in a Jar

Cinnamon Butter

Kisses in a jar

Cocoa to Go

Hosting can be a big responsibility, but also a lot of fun. Just remember that holiday parties are about being with the ones you love the most. No matter the theme, games, or activities that you decide on, it's memories like these that will be worth the most as time goes on. Celebrate the year's end and everyone's accomplishments and conquered obstacles. Enjoy each other's company and save a cup of cocoa for us!