This post will break down every step of how to throw the best Christmas party at home including timeline checklists and materials checklists!
The art of throwing a successful party is one that can never be mastered. You could ask anyone who’s ever hosted events at their home if they’ve yet to throw the perfect party. They will tell you, not a chance.
There is comfort to be found in this, though! The beauty of people gathering is that nobody knows exactly how the event will go. Every guest brings different attitudes, conversations, and experiences.
So there’s no use trying to throw the PERFECT Christmas party. But that’s not what we’re here to discuss. We’re here to discuss how to throw the BEST Christmas party.
There’s one thing that all of the best parties have in common. A prepared host. The host sets the tone for the entire party and if the host is calm and having a good time, then the guests will follow their lead.
You may be thinking, then how the hell do I prepare? Being calm while hosting a Christmas party doesn’t sound like the easiest of feats after all. Don’t you worry, though, host to be.
I work for a non-profit company as their fundraising and events coordinator. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to plan for and execute an incredible event.
This post contains every single detail you need to have a successful Christmas party. I thought of EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, so you didn’t have to. You’ll be cool as a cucumber and ready for a fantastic night with these checklists in hand.
How to Throw the Best Christmas Party: One Month Before the Party
The best party is the one that is being planned at LEAST one month in advance. You never want to feel rushed in any part of the planning process.
Starting a month in advance allows you to find a date that works for most (hopefully all) of your guests. It also gives you ample time to order and receive any specialty items, and plan accordingly for the things you cannot get. Here’s where to start:
Before Sending Invites
- Date & Time: Consider all of your desired guests when choosing a date and time. For example, will there be little kids present? Then you won’t want to start any later than 7. Friends in the service industry? They probably work the days most people have off. Try a Sunday or Monday!
- Duration: How long are you comfortable with having people stay? What about your spouse or your roommates? Know beforehand if you need to have a strict cut off time.
- Number of Guests: Things to consider when planning how many guests to invite: how much extra seating do you own? How much parking is available outside of your residence? How much food is your kitchen large enough to cook in one day?
- Budget: A lot of costs go into hosting a party. Before deciding how many people to invite, what kind of food to serve, or if your guests should bring any, think of what you can afford.
- Kid Policy: Are you inviting anyone with children and are they allowed to bring their kids?
- Pet Policy: If someone asks to bring their pet, are you open to that? Do your pets get along with other people’s pets? Are you a renter that has to abide by pet rules on the premises?
- Type of Attendance: Would you like everyone to arrive at the same time and stay the duration of the party? Is it okay for people to come and go as their schedule allows?
- Take Inventory: What do you already own as far as seating, serving dishes, and decor? What will you need to purchase? Can you borrow anything from friends or family?
Once all of these questions have been considered, it’s time to make things official! When it comes to a party invitation, you have options.
An old-fashioned paper invitation is always a nice touch, but do take a little more work to prepare. A Facebook invite may be the best way to go if everyone you plan on inviting is on Facebook. This way they will also get reminders and you can update them in the event page if there’s any changes.
If a large portion of your guests aren’t on social media, you may want to stick to texting/email. If you still want to design an aesthetic invitation, build it in a tool like Canva and send the document via your platform of choice!
Here’s what to include on your invitation:
Send Party Invitations
- Date & Time
- Address
- What to Bring (If you’d like people to bring food dishes, leave a space for them to write in what they are bringing so you can plan accordingly.)
- Where to Park
- What Entrance To Use
- Ask for Allergies
- Dress Code
- RSVP by Date
Including an RSVP on your invitation is crucial when it comes to food and activity planning, so I highly recommend requesting an RSVP. This will also give your guests the opportunity to share allergy information.
Also, where to park and where to enter are very important details. You never want to be putting a meal together in the kitchen while getting bombarded with texts and calls about where to park.
Once the invite is out, you’ll have a little bit of breathing time. Now is the time to assess if any decor or large items will need to be ordered online as you want ample time for delivery. I suggest requiring an RSVP response a week before the date of the party.
Once you know the number of people (and types of people) that will be present. You can move on to the next stage of planning.
One Week Before Party
The week before the party is when the hands on, call to action planning truly begins. It’s tough to make any decision prior because you aren’t sure how many people will be present.
This is when the planning gets fun! You can start picking out your decor and planning fun activities for your guests! A good host makes the experience unique and personal to them in some way.
When it comes to the week before, there are three primary subjects of focus you’ll want to consider for how to throw the best Christmas party:
Food Planning
- Number of People: Now that you know your approximate number of guests, begin to plan food accordingly. Usually the recommended amount of people to serve is 1/2 a pound per person. For example, if you have 10 people coming, you’ll want a 20 pound turkey. On average, about 4-6 side dishes are served for a large meal.
- Type of Food: This is important to establish early. Are you providing a sit down meal for every guest, or will the food consist of appetizers and hors d’oeuvres? Go back to the budget you set for the event and think of what you can realistically handle. Also how much kitchen help/space will be available to you the day of.
- Allergies/Preferences: Don’t forget to account for people’s allergies. The most common allergies you’ll encounter are nut, gluten, and dairy allergies.
- Source: Are you providing all the dishes or will your guests be supplementing? Many guests love to bring a dish to share so I always let them! It’s very common for the host to provide the main course, and guests to provide desserts.
- Drinks: Will alcohol be allowed? Are you providing drinks or will it be BYOB? If you plan on having children, pregnant people, or any one else who cannot drink alcohol present, make sure to have an alternative for them.
- Grocery List: Create your grocery list and be sure to check when your local grocery store is open around the holidays. If you will need to make any last minute runs for perishables, you don’t want to be surprised by alternate holiday hours!
- Food Prep: Will anything need to be thawed before hand? Can anything be made in advance to lighten the burden day of? Usually things like pies or bars can easily be made in advance and will save you a lot of hassle on party day!
Decor Planning
- Theme: Knowing what direction you want to go with your decor will make planning MUCH easier. Check out this post that breaks down some classic Christmas decor themes to get ideas.
- Centerpiece: When it comes to building a centerpiece for a Christmas table, you can easily get creative with things you already have. Skillfully place ornaments and garland to make a low cost centerpiece!
- Table Setting: Think about how you’d like each individual setting at the table to look. Browse this post for inspo. Your choice of silverware may depend on what food is being served. Also, do you need to have table settings for children? Simple chargers and cloth napkins will go a long way with place settings.
- Christmas Tree: When it comes to how to throw the best Christmas party, having a Christmas tree in your home is very important! If you don’t already have one, find a good place in your living room or dining room for that needed festive flair.
- Florals: This may be old-fashioned, but I think every good dinner party should have some florals on the table. Whether it’s a whole bouquet or some festive greenery, it can really liven up the space.
- Outdoor Lights and Decor: This is totally optional, but I love the idea that all your guests get a light show as they come to the front door! There’s truly no better way to get your guests feeling the Christmas cheer.
- Candles/Scents: Candles are a much more powerful tool than many people know. Having your home smell like Christmas will instantly brighten everyone’s spirits. My favorites for Christmas are pine scented candles and cinnamon reed diffusers.
- Music Playlist: I mean, it’s a must. You have two main routes you can take when it comes to Christmas music. There’s bright and cheery like Mariah Carey and Kelly Clarkson, or the warm holiday classics like Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble.
Activities Planning
- Games: Not all Christmas parties will need games, but it’s an amazing tool to have in your back pocket if conversation needs a little push. Some great ones for all kinds of parties are Pictionary and Jackbox Games.
- Participation Activities: Similar to games but better for groups that are “anti-games”. This can be as simple as asking everyone at the table to share what they’re grateful for (check out my post about gratitude activities) or you could have question cards like the ones by psychologist Esther Perel.
- Location Changes: Do you want to plan a location change for some point in the party? Maybe your guests are the type to want to go caroling? Or maybe everyone goes out to look at Christmas lights? Be prepared with extra hats and gloves if this is the case.
- Schedule for Activities: If you have multiple activities planned (for example, an ice breaker game, followed by dinner, followed by opening gifts, than going on a walk to see Christmas lights) it might be helpful to schedule rough time estimates to stay on track.
- Party Favors: All the best Christmas parties have gifts! Having party favors for your guests is something over the top special that will stick with them. I love utilizing traditional Christmas crackers, or do something more personal like a jar of homemade jam for each guest.
Congratulations! The brunt of the planning is over once these checklists are filled out. Pour yourself a glass, you deserve it.
Now that you’ve thought of every possible planning detail, it’s time to switch gears and start EXECUTING.
One Day Before the Party
Now begins the do, do, do part of preparing for how to throw the best Christmas party. Don’t worry, though, since we’ve planned everything so well, this part should be simple!
I love the day before the party. The calm before the storm if you will. When it comes to getting the house ready, though, this is when checklists are CRUCIAL!
House Checks
- Bathroom Check:
- Toilet Clean
- Tub Clean
- Floor Clean
- Sink Clean
- Mirror Clean
- Toiletries Stocked
- No Bad Smells
- Take Out Trash
- Living Room Check:
- Floor Clean
- Windows Clean
- Couch Clean
- Extra Seating Out
- Coasters on Tables
- Christmas Tree Decorated
- Gifts Wrapped and Placed Under Tree
- If kids/pets are coming, move low placed valuables and choke hazards
- Kitchen Check:
- Dishes Clean
- Counter Clean
- Floors Clean
- Sink Clean
- Empty Dishwasher
- Empty Trash Cans
- No Bad Smells
- Dining Room Check:
- Table Decor Set
- Needed Seating Added/Subtracted
- Floors Clean
- Place Settings Set
- Serving Dishes Set
- Outdoor Check:
- Entrance Clear of Debris
- Entrance Shoveled
- Entrance Salted
- Available Parking Shoveled
- Trash Bins Pulled
- Personal Cars Moved
- Entrance Check:
- Clear of Clutter
- Decided Place for Shoes
- Decided Place for Coats and Bags
- Mat Placed for Muddy Shoes
Materials Checks
- Cutlery
- Plates
- Glasses
- Serving Dishes
- Serving Spoons
- Serving Tongs
- Napkins
- Hand Towels
- Coolers
- Ice
- Toilet Paper
- Wine Bottle Opener
- Beer Bottle Opener
- Wine Cooler
- Ice Bucket
- Cocktail Shaker
- Drink Mixers
- Water Pitchers
- Salt and Pepper
- Dish Soap
- All Purpose Cleaner
- Party Favors and Gift Bags
Hopefully by the end of the night before, you’re feeling confident about the day ahead of you! Everything is clean and in its place to make your life easier tomorrow.
The biggest thing and hopefully only thing to tackle day of will be preparing food and drinks. The hardest parts of how to throw the best Christmas party are over!
Day of Check List
Now that you’ve set everything out the night before, party day is all about the food.
Hopefully you were able to make some things in advance be it pies or bars. You’ll want to decide if you’d like to have the food ready at guest arrival time, or if you’re okay with popping in and out of the kitchen while guests arrive.
If you went the appetizer route, it’s probably best to have everything ready at arrival. If you went the dinner route, your guests will probably expect to share your time with the kitchen. They may even offer to help!
Depending on what food you’re serving, many items on this list may not apply to you. So take what is helpful to you and roll with the rest.
Kitchen To Do’s
- Thaw Frozen Pre-Made Dishes
- Ice and Cold Drinks in Coolers
- All Vegetables/Ingredients Cut
- Main Protein in the Oven/Crockpot
- Assemble Side Dishes
- Cook Side Dishes as Needed
- Make Sauces/Gravys
- Hot Drinks like Mulled Wine On a Warmer
- Set out Condiments (butter, salt and pepper, ketchup, etc.)
- Food into Serving Dishes
- Bring to Where They Will Be Served
House To Do’s
- Light Candles
- Start Music
- Turn any Lighted Decorations On
- Put Movie/Ambiance on TV
- Unlock Guest Entrance
- Last Minute Cleaning
- Last Minute Gifts Under Tree
- Set Out Party Favors
- Pets in Place
After the Party
Congratulations! If you made it this far, it means you have successfully followed this guide on how to throw the best Christmas Party!
I’m sure the event was a SMASH. Your friends and family will be asking you to host every year going forward. I’ll leave the decision on whether to take them up on that or not to you.
The day after is all about clean up and relaxation. If you’re like me, you like to save the bulk of the cleaning until the day after the party. There’s no way you could get me to wash dishes after hosting!
So if you wake up the next morning to a destroyed house and don’t know where to start, I’ve got you with my final after-party checklist.
- Clean Dishes
- Take out trash
- Empty Coolers
- Clean Dinner Table
- Sweep Any Messes
- Mop Any Mud Spots
- Return Valuables and Moved Items
- Throw Away Wrapping Paper
- Send A Thank You Text to Anyone Who Helped
- Think of Things You Liked About the Party
- Think of Things You Would Change for Next Time!
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