Ask any successful party host, and they'll tell you it's the little details that make all the difference. Which is why, if you want to host a get-together this holiday season that's both festive and fun, you need to have a plan.
We're here to share our best holiday party ideas, including activities and a complete cleaning and prep checklist.
Holiday parties are a traditional way of connecting with friends and spreading happiness. And while there's a lot that goes into hosting during the festive season, with a great plan in place and a little prep work, it's totally possible to put together a fun event that won't leave you feeling overwhelmed.
The trick is to have a clear plan of action and to give yourself enough time to prep as much as you can ahead of the celebration, so you aren't stressed out and running around the day of the big event.
You want to be able to enjoy the party as much as your guests will. Here's a list of our ten best-kept party secrets for pulling off an enjoyable holiday celebration.
Choose a date and time for your holiday party that works for key guests. The holiday season is a busy time of year. You'll want to get the date on people's calendars early, at least one month before.
If you're planning a family party that will include kids, you'll likely want to choose an earlier start time that won't interfere with bedtime.
Whether it's a color scheme, a festive plant or fruit, or even a holiday movie or song, choose one design element, like winter wonderland, as your focal point to tie the entire party together.
Your friends' holiday calendars will fill up fast, so get those invites out ASAP. Regardless of whether your event is big or small, an accurate headcount is a must.
Choose a beautiful invitation design that matches your overall theme (either digital or paper) and stay on top of your RSVPs. Follow up with non-responders so you don't have any last-minute surprises on party day.
Don't blow your party budget on a bunch of unnecessary decor. You likely have lots of seasonal decorations, plates, linens, etc., hiding in closets, drawers, the garage, or storage.
Inventory what you have before you even think about buying anything new. You want to save money where you can.
Even if you love to cook, don't plan on making everything from scratch. Make one or two signature holiday dishes and then do yourself a favor and buy the rest.
The same goes for drinks. Make a pitcher of a signature cocktail that goes along with your theme, but then set up a bar area where guests can serve themselves for the rest of the night. You want to enjoy your company, not get stuck cooking or making drinks all night long.
Speaking of to-go boxes, grab a pack of festive holiday print plastic food storage containers to make sending goodies home with guests quick and easy.
People will congregate wherever there is food or drink. Plan ahead for this.
Set up different food and bar stations in different areas of the house. That way you won't end up with a traffic jam in one area and an empty room just waiting for guests.
There's no reason to go out and spend a bunch of money on a DJ, but you want to keep the mood lively and fun. Queue up your holiday playlist!
You can easily use Spotify to create your own customized music list or browse through existing holiday playlists and choose one that matches your party's theme. Either way, come the night of the big event, all you need to do is hit play, and there will be festive music in the background all night long.
Map out a schedule of events with their start times (i.e., guests arrive, dinner, activity, dessert, etc.). This will help you feel more organized and provide structure around the event. Plus, you don't want things to run too late, or guests might have to leave before a certain activity takes place. A timeline keeps things on track.
Music, drinks, and food are the backbone of any good holiday party, but sometimes it just isn't enough. Plan for one fun merry-making activity as a kind of icebreaker to get people up, connecting, and having fun.
One planned activity is plenty to avoid overwhelming your guests. But plan this out ahead of time so you can let guests know what to expect when you invite them. Some holiday party activities to consider:
Choosing a theme and sending out invites is the fun part of holiday party planning, but it's not the only part. You've also got to get your home ready for guests — all the behind-the-scenes cleaning, disinfecting, and prep work that needs to happen before your holiday party. Don't wait until the last minute to get your house in order!
Here's a quick holiday party cleaning prep checklist to make sure your upcoming festive get-together goes off without a hitch.
Set out the seasonal hand towels, stock up on toilet paper, and clean and thoroughly disinfect your bathroom. Don't forget to disinfect high-touch surfaces like faucets and door handles.
Make all the necessary preparations for a warm and cozy space by piling a stack of firewood next to the fireplace (it also makes a stylish display). If you haven't used your fireplace in a while, clean it first to avoid chimney fires.
If your dog or cat loves to sit on furniture, give it the sniff test. If it smells funky, check out this tip for removing pet odors before guests arrive.
Guests tend to gravitate to the kitchen. To avoid spreading germs, skip the sponge — a kitchen sponge can harbor over 134,000 bacteria and spreads more germs than it kills. Use Simple Green Clean Finish and paper towels to disinfect counters and cupboards, cleaning and helping kill illness-causing germs in one step.
Give the living room and guest rooms some love by freshening up those throw pillows. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner makes it easy to lift dirt and stains.
Holiday gatherings mean lots of trash. Make clean-up easier on yourself by strategically placing lined trash cans throughout your house — one by the bar, next to any food stations, in the bathroom, and on the patio if guests will be going outside.
We adapt to the smells in our home quickly, which can make them harder for us to notice than for a visitor. Do your guests a favor: light a few holiday-scented candles or set out potpourri to create a pleasant, inviting aroma. Now you're ready to party!
