There’s something festive yet casual about a Christmas Tree decorating party. It’s an occasion that celebrates the fun of the holiday season, built upon one of the more enduring holiday symbols. Yet, by its very nature, things don’t have to be perfect. When guests attend your party, they expect to find a naked tree and a house that is not quite ready for Christmas.
Before your guests arrive, you should have purchased your tree (!) and set it up in its stand. Light a fire in your fireplace and play Christmas carols as background music. If you have a piano, place Christmas sheet music on it in case any of your guests feel inspired to play. Serve your food buffet style, since this will be an active party with your guests moving around decorating, or at least admiring your tree.
You can also expand on the cookie buffet by adding hearty appetizers. This way you are still keeping things very casual, holding down the expense of the party, and in my opinion, offering the two most interesting courses.
A weekend brunch is another relaxing alternative. You can offer a selection of fresh bagels, muffins, cut up fresh fruit, and one or two breakfast casseroles, which can be made the night before, and baked that morning before your guests arrive. Serve orange juice, coffee, punch, and eggnog, with optional champagne and rum.
You can always make any of these buffets heartier by adding a roast turkey and trimmings or baked ham. Or, to keep the mood very casual, arrange a large crockpot of chili on your buffet table, and serve it with sour cream, chopped onions, grated Monterey jack cheese, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, and salsa.
Whether or not there will be children present, you can set up a table for guests to make their own ornaments to take home as a party favor. Simply choose the craft based on the age and craftiness of your participants.
For another planned activity, you can set up bowls of popcorn and cranberries in cozy corners of your home for guests to string as decorations for your tree. It’s a great way for guests who don’t know one another well to interact.
If you will be having young children at the party, you can have Christmas coloring pages and crayons already set up on a low, easily accessible table. If you’re concerned about crayons on the table, wrap the table in Christmas wrapping paper. You’ll then have a festive surface that serves to protect your furniture. Or, plan a few Christmas games that will keep kids entertained.
If you’re lucky, when the party is over, your tree will be fully dressed and ready to welcome Christmas. If not, you still will have helped your friends to forget, at least momentarily, their seasonal chores, and to remember the fun of the holiday season.
