We applaud the gumption of the woman who chooses to host a Christmas party. It’s not easy – the season is stressful and expensive, for the host especially. That being said, Christmas parties are where the memories are made! Where the cocktails are drunk! Where the cookies are feasted upon! They must happen. And someone must pull it all together. If that someone is you, don’t stress. Keep the planning simple. Make use of these party hacks and save time, effort, and most importantly, your sanity.
1. The cheapest and most versatile garnish ever: candy cane dust. Toss a bunch of candy canes in to a blender, grind into dust, use to garnish everything fro ho-cho with whipped cream to cheesecake to martini glass rims.
2. Make a big batch of crock pot hot chocolate. Stick in a ladel, lay out some marshmallows and mugs. Not only will you have a warming treat to welcome your guests with, but your house will smell like a chocolate factory all night.
3. Holiday-themed pancakes: Pour pancake batter into tin cookie cutters in the frying pan to make festive shaped pancakes for a holiday brunch.
4. DIY cookie containers: Send guests away with some home made cookies in a Pringle cookie caddy. Just wrap a Pringles tube in some gift wrap and tie a ribbon around it. It’s a perfect cookie carrying kit.
5. Pinecone centrepiece: Dip pinecones in white paint, let dry, set in glass vase for a super-simple pinecone centrepiece. Pro tip: bake them in the oven beforehand to kill bugs.
6. Wineglass centrepiece: Or, even simpler: turn wineglasses upside down onto multicoloured christmas ornament balls and set votives on the flat bottoms.
7. Jello shot tree: Make a Christmas tree out of red and green Jello shots in salad dressing containers. Individual servings make for easy consumption.
8. Ornamnet chandelier: Hang ornaments from your light fixture with ribbon to transform it into a festive chandelier.
9. Take hot chocolate to the next level: squeeze whipped cream out of an icing dispenser in a swirly shape and freeze on a cookie sheet.
10. Light show: Decorate your tree using two strings of different sized lights for a magical effect. One size: boring. Two sizes: magical.
Now ready your festive apron and get planning! For more pointers, refer to our guide to throwing a party without meyhem or tragedy.
