Keep It Simple When Decorating For Your Christmas Party

The holidays are a natural time for gathering with friends and family to celebrate the season. Set a shining example of the perfectly set table and decorated home by following a few of these simple tips.

The first thing you’ll want to do is to choose a favorite color scheme or theme for the party. If you’re on a snug budget, take inventory of what you’ve already got to decorate with, and go from there. Once you’ve decided on a theme, finding and making more decorations will be simple.

Many people love to display the Christmas cards they’ve received in the mail for the holidays, so try to plan ahead to make sure your party invitation is attractive and ties into your theme or color scheme. Christmas wrap, ribbons, stickers, glitter, and the like all work great to decorate your invitations as well as your gifts.

A great place to make a strong first impression on your guests is right at your front door. Turn it into a huge Christmas gift and wrap it with decorative paper, use a huge bow, and accent it with a wreath or swag. Luminarias work great for softly lighting your driveway or walkway. You can even cut festive designs into the sides of each bag that tie into your theme. Take special care to ensure the bags are adequately weighted and provide enough sand to stabilize the votive.

Candles work great as centerpieces. Use candlestick holders and surround the base with a small flower arrangement. Accentuate the area around the centerpiece with either glitter or sequins that can be sprinkled around easily.

Be sure to have a wide variety of Christmas music to play. If your evening is more intimate, stick to the easier listening music. If your theme is a bit more energetic, be sure to complement that with snappy tunes. If possible, think about placing a stereo speaker outside so your guests can hear your selected Christmas as they are arriving to help set them in the right mood as soon as possible.

Be sure to carry your theme over to your table or buffet. Sprinkle glitter around the table, but be sure it doesn’t end up on plates or serving platters. Your food can even be decorative with a little thought. Something as simple as red spaghetti sauce and a nice green salad mix ties in nicely with Christmas colors.

Consider a small gift at each table setting for your guests. Tree ornaments work nicely as they can be simple to decorate, and can double as place cards.

Have a simple holiday decoration in every room that your guests will enter. They’ll remember they left their coats and handbags in the room with the pretty wreath, or that the restroom is the door down the hall with the candles and flowers on the counter. If guests must walk down a hallway, do the best you can to make it look warm, festive and inviting.

You’re only limited by your own creativity when it comes to planning the perfect party. Look around when you’re out shopping or visiting a friend. You’ll be surprised where you gain inspiration and gather ideas.