From Classy Cocktails to Festive Desserts, Here’s How to Host the Perfect Holiday Party

The holiday season is around the corner and it’s the time of the year that everyone eagerly awaits. From decorating houses to arranging parties, everything is just so beautiful. The best part about this season is that you get to spend quality time with your family and friends. As your calendar starts to fill up with festive celebration invites, you might be thinking about whether or not to host a celebratory gathering of your own. Despite the hustle and bustle of the season ahead, you can still arrange a successful gathering without too much hassle. To get you started on your journey to creating a spectacular seasonal soiree, this article has everything from how to start planning for the party to arranging food, drinks, and several decor ideas. So whether you’re a novice party host or a seasoned vet in the art of entertaining, start your holiday party planning here. 

THINGS TO DO BEFORE HOSTING A HOLIDAY PARTY INDOORS 

There will be several things on your plate once you decide to arrange a party during the holidays, be it Christmas or Hannukah or ringing in the New Year. Before starting with the actual preparations, you must do the following things to stay organized.

Send early invites 

Everyone has their calendars packed for Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties. If you want to ensure the maximum number of guests are present, it’s vital to send them early invites. You can still get creative while sending advance invites through email. It’s better to opt for e-invites than sending mail as it’s an easier and cost-effective option. 

Plan a budget 

Sticking to a budget can be one of the most challenging aspects of party planning. You might want to add in extra costs to ensure luxury arrangements. However, this approach can leave you with very little money for personal expenses for the month. To ensure everything remains financially controlled, you should create a budget beforehand. 

Make separate sections for your big spending categories like food, drinks, decorations, and entertainment. Then, dedicate a fixed amount for each category. Creating a budget before a party will help you avoid spending extra money and allow you to host a perfect party on a reasonable budget. 

Create a list of things to do

There are several things to take care of when organizing a holiday party. You have to arrange everything from food to music and house decor simultaneously. There is a high chance of forgetting a few important things in these high-stress scenarios. To avoid any eleventh-hour panic or dilemmas, you should create a list. 

Write down everything you’ll need to prepare before the party begins and divide them into categories to keep them organized. For example, in the food category, you could put cutlery, ingredients for appetizers and main courses, drinks, and tablecloths. 

You should set your priorities while listing down all these things. So, if you’re exceeding your budget, you can cut a few unnecessary items you wrote at the bottom of the list. 

Don’t go overboard

You may want to invite many people to your home for an exciting holiday party. However, hosting too many people altogether might not be possible if you’re doing everything alone. It’s better to stick to your close family and friends. 

It’s the host’s responsibility to check on every guest personally. You might not be able to enjoy yourself if there are too many of them to cater to. In that case, it’s better to be with your close ones, so you can also enjoy the party wholeheartedly.

You will also get to spend quality time with them as it’s the only time of the year when everyone is free. Fewer guests mean less work allowing you to get some time to relax amid all the chaos. 

Use recyclable utensils

A pile of utensils everywhere in your kitchen after a party can haunt you. You will definitely need some rest from weeks of preparation. Hence, you can stock up on paper plates, cups, spoons, etc. Besides simplifying the clean-up process, this approach will save water as well.

Don’t become a one-person army 

No matter how quick and efficient you are, hosting a party from start to end without any support is quite difficult. That’s when your spouse or best friend can help. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a helping hand, especially from your close ones. 

You can even form a team of your family members and dedicate particular stuff to them. Working as a team with your loved ones will also help strengthen your bonds. It will not only save you time but will also give you more time to enjoy the party as well. 

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR HOUSE INNOVATIVELY FOR A HOLIDAY PARTY 

Decor ideas vary according to the party theme. For example, if you’re arranging a Christmas feast, red and green decor props would be ideal. Similarly, if you are seeking an idea to make your home ready for a New Year’s Eve bash, going a bit sparkly wouldn’t hurt. You can add twinkle lights all around your house to give it a much-needed party glow. Also, using a combo of gold, white, and silver balloons will work wonders.  

You can choose the standard holiday colors if you don’t want things too shiny. A color combination of blue and white is perfect in that case. You can fill a glass bowl with embellishments of both colors and use it as a decor item. 

Even stringing some garlands of basic colors can do the job. You’re not restricted to using a specific color combination. Any beautiful combo can work just fine unless you plan to stick to a particular theme. 

SEVEN DISHES TO LEVEL UP THE FOOD MENU AT YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY 

What’s a party without food? Absolutely nothing. It’s one of the few things everyone looks forward to when attending a get-together. Adding a few creative and delicious dishes to the menu of your next holiday party will have all the guests satisfied and happy. Check out these top dishes sure to elevate your holiday party.

Antipasto skewers 

No holiday dinner is completed without some flavorful appetizers. Our first choice, antipasto skewers, isn’t only easy to prepare but will also perfectly fit your budget. You can serve these with cocktails, so your guests can just grab them while interacting with each other. You’ll need the following ingredients to prepare this delicious dish. 

• Cheese tortellini 
• Italian dressing
• Spanish or black olives
• Basil leaves 
• Salami, ham, or any other meat 
• Cherry tomatoes 
• Cheese 
• Bamboo skewers 

Once you have all the ingredients ready, you can quickly assemble them ahead of time. 

Warm soup 

The holiday season and cold days go hand in hand. Hence, serving your guests a hot bowl of delicious soup will keep them cozy. It’s also the perfect way to start the party. Preparing it won’t take much of your time. 

You can quickly add all the ingredients and let them slow cook throughout the day. There are many types of soups you can prepare, but french onion and potato soups are ideal for savoring when the outer temperature is at its lowest. 

Christmas pizza 

Pizza is always a crowd-pleaser no matter the occasion. Try this holiday twist to a classic, simple dish that is sure to impress your guests at the next soiree or gathering. 

The below tips will help you serve hot Christmas tree-shaped pizza slices straight from the oven. 

• Roll the dough into a huge triangular shape, separating a few rectangles from the dough to place as the tree’s trunk. 
• Decorate it just the way you like. The best part is that you can customize the pizza slice using basic vegetables. 
• You can use basil leave as the tree’s greenery, while red peppers make the perfect choice as ornaments. 
• Place some sliced onions as garlands, and your Chirismasy pizza is ready to lay out in the oven. 

Roasted turkey 

Although more time-consuming, roasting a turkey doesn’t have to be too much of a pain. This holiday staple is such a great addition to any dinner party. Placing it as a main course item on your holiday party menu will definitely amaze your guests.  

Ground beef meat pie 

Another dish that you can perfectly pull off as the main course on your party’s food menu is ground beef meat pie. It’s easy to prepare this dish at home. This classic French dish is full of Christmas eve sentiments. You have to cook ground beef with some vegetables, seasonings, and sauces of your choice. 

The next step is to fill this mixture in a double-crust pie pastry. You can either make the puff pastry at home or get some ready-made ones from a nearby bakery or grocery store. 

Chocolate Christmas roll cake 

Enough of the pumpkin roll cakes; it’s time to bring chocolate center stage. This simple dish comprising a soft chocolate sponge filled with chestnut cream will have your guests going in for seconds. 

This cake is a perfect mixture of European and Japanese cultures. The idea of a yule cake with a unique wood-grain look and no extra frosting feels like heaven without being too decadent. 

You can use a pie server with sharp edges to serve this finger-licking cake in style. One slice of this and your guests will be hounding you for the recipe so they can recreate it at home. 

Cranberry tartlets 

There should be at least some variety in sweet dishes and the more, the better when it comes to desserts. If someone doesn’t like chocolate much, they should have some side option to satisfy their sweet cravings. 

For that purpose, you can include the famous cranberry tartlets in the food menu. It’s one of our favorite festive and crowd-friendly desserts. A burst of sweet, tart, and savory flavors will surely make it one of your guests’ favorite items from the menu. 

BONUS TIP 

You planned a perfectly delicious menu for the holiday party ahead of time. Besides the exceptional taste, you should also think about serving it innovatively. The visual detail of a dish matters before the bite as it adds to the dish’s appeal. 

While there are several ways by which you can level it up, our bonus tip is one of the most simple and effective. Using charcuterie boards to serve party food is an excellent idea, especially when you don’t have much time on your hands. 

Decorating every dish separately on the table presentably can take a lot of time. At the same time, you also require some expert-level presentation skills to ace it. Since we always seek to make things easier for you, we suggest using the charcuterie boards that come with several separate areas on a single platter. It lets you place different items on display together. 

For example, you can display cheese, hummus, and various sauces using this one board instead of wasting separate bowls for each dressing. 

HOW TO CREATE A CUSTOMIZED ALCOHOLIC DRINK FOR THE HOLIDAY PARTY 

An adequate alcohol stock should be a priority while hosting a holiday party. However, it can quickly get out of your budget as the prices of high-quality drinks are touching the skies. For this, we bring you a perfect money-saving solution. You can use a home brewing kit to prepare a drink at home to serve your guests. Here are some more ideas to ace the drink sections too. 

Serve homemade wine 

A home brewing kit lets you prepare alcohol at home, but there’s nothing better than the classic concept of wine and dine. Again, a single liquor bottle can completely mess up your party budget unless you are ready to spend thousands of dollars just on the drinks section. If not, then getting a home wine kit can solve this problem. 

You will only need the right ingredients, and your budget-friendly drink is ready to serve your guests. Nothing can match the vibes of spending quality time with your closed ones over a glass of tasty wine. 

Set up a home bar 

Serving cocktails in addition to seltzers or beers can be a fun way to elevate your party experience. You can even set up a home bar station for guests to customize their own mixed drinks. Just place this cost-effective bartender kit out with a variety of cocktail ingredients, and everything will be good to go. 

If you’d rather make the drinks yourself, this kit is perfect for you to prepare decent cocktails to serve your guests at a holiday party. Most bartender kits come with a fancy stand to serve the purpose of setting a home bar. Different types of shakers and strainers ensure the drink is served full of flavors and ice-chilled just as your guests demand. 

EXCITING COCKTAIL IDEAS FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES 

You can prepare the following cocktail recipes to impress your guests with a flavorful drinks menu. 

• Mulled wine: A combo of orange, lemon, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves mixed with red wine will hit the right spot on a holiday eve.
• Eggnog: For your dairy-loving guests, you can serve this drink made of eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and cream. You can also add some complementary spices to enhance its taste. 
• Christmas punch: What’s a Christmas party without a flavor-bursting mixture of pomegranate, orange, and cranberry juice? You can also keep it alcohol-free and offer it in the kid’s section. 
• Hot Chocolate: This drink is something both children and adults love equally. Serve with whipped cream or marshmallows to keep the kiddos happy. Or, add a little whiskey to give it extra warmth.
• Tea: A cup of hot tea with a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors is ideal to end the party on a good note. 
• Holiday Sangria: This super sweet drink tastes like fruit stripe gum with a touch of your favorite wine. 
• Classic Snowball: Made from lemonade, lime, advocaat and some chilly ice cubes, this cocktail will impress your guests and their palates. 
• Homemade Mojito: Treat your guests to homemade mojitos made with simple ingredients, including sugar, limes, white rum, and peppermint leaves. 

WRAP UP 

Hosting a holiday party isn’t easy, as you have to run errands throughout the day. In fact, you can only finish the preparations on time if you start everything at least a few weeks before. Everything takes time, from sending invites to deciding the food menu and decoration theme of the party. 

Follow and adhere to this extensive guide as your party hosting plan. Your guests will be sure to appreciate your hospitality and leave your house impressed. It’s time to get ready to host a perfect holiday party that includes everything from delicious food to tasty drinks and a perfect festive vibe.