Sunday, December 6, 2015
Christmas Party #6: Christmas Ornament Making Party
CHRISTMAS PARTY ACTIVITY:
Gather together a few other craft-obsessed women, settle in at your dining table, and make your own homemade Christmas ornaments!
After you're done making fabulous ornaments with your own personal touch, you can swap the ornaments with other guests, keep your own ornaments to gift to friends, or immediately hang them on your own tree.
Since this is a weeknight/worknight party, keep the guest list kid-free; the party should end before 10pm.
Eat a simple meal (soup and salad, plus a crusty bread perhaps?) and nibble on storebought cookies as you work.
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT MAKING PARTY DECORATIONS:
This is a worknight party, so keep cleanup simple by serving on paper plates.
No need to put up any special decorations for this party - your regular home Christmas decorations will keep the party festive.
Be sure to have your outdoor Christmas lights turned on when guests arrive!
CHRISTMAS PARTY FRAGRANCE:
CHRISTMAS PARTY MUSIC:
A crafty crowd will probably appreciate hip, folksy, or alternative Christmas music, plus some fun pop-styled Christmas songs. Put lots of female vocalists on your playlist. Think Christmas songs covered by famous musicians; Annie Lennox's new Christmas CD; the Christmas album by Cyndi Lauper, Destiny's Child's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", Mariah Carey singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, or soft holiday songs by Chris Isaak.
Perhaps your guests would enjoy listening to Harry Connick Junior's "What a Night" Christmas album while they work on their ornaments.
Depending on the demographics of your party guests, they might enjoy the Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album CD.
The "Maybe This Christmas Tree" various artists compilation has fun songs: Lisa Loeb singing "Jingle Bells," the Death Cab for Cutie version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and the Raveonettes performing "The Christmas Song."
CHRISTMAS PARTY APPETIZERS:
Since this is a work night party, I wouldn't stretch out the appetizer and cocktail hour too long - you need to get busy creating your ornaments! I might stick with just two nice appetizers plus a bowl of olives or cocktail peanuts guests can help themselves to.
Mushroom Onion Tartlets (Simply June)
Parmesan Pita Crisps (Good Housekeeping)
Roasted Red Pepper Mini Pizzas (Busy Cooks)
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT MAKING PARTY BEVERAGES:
This is a party, so serve something fun and bubbly. But not too bubbly - people have to drive home tonight and get up for work in the morning! Instead of champagne, how about a sparkling white zinfandel, a sparkling syrah just for fun, a not-too-dry Riesling, or a deliciously sweet Asti?
For non-drinkers, serve hot tea, decaf coffee, apple cider, or something red and sparkly such as Izze sparkling pomegranate soda or your own homemade cranberry juice punch.
CHRISTMAS PARTY ENTREES:
Since you'll be busy at work all day and crafting an ornament at the party, keep your entree simple. Make a lasagna the night before, for example, and quickly throw together a delicious green salad. Pop a loaf of garlic bread in the oven just before guests arrive, set out a dish of sliced cantaloupe or a bowl of grapes, and you're good to go.
Mixed Green Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette (Food Network)
Rachael Ray's Mile High Lasagna
Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe (Food Network)
Barefoot Contessa's Portobello Lasagna Recipe (Food Network)
CHRISTMAS PARTY DESSERTS:
The month is still young, so your guests will still be eager for rich, chocolatey desserts. (Later in the month they might feel bloated and sugared out!)
I suggest a nice rich chocolatey cake you can slice and quickly serve after your guests have finished with their ornaments. Offering tea and coffee with the cake is a social cue for the ladies to pack up their things and be ready to leave after dessert.
Bake the cake the night before, and leave it carefully covered under a cake dome so it doesn't dry out. You can always pick up a cake at the grocery store on the way home, but I prefer to put a little more handmade effort than that into my parties (even if I cheat and use a box mix).
Or mix up a batch of brownies quickly the night of the party. Your house will smell fabulous, and the brownies will likely disappear so you don't have to be tempted by leftovers the next day like you might with cake!
Chocolate Cake With Buttercream Cookie Dough Frosting (District Chocoholic)
Peanut Swirl Brownies Recipe by Ina Garten (Food Network)
BOOKS FOR PARTY PLANNING:
RELATED LINKS:
Christmas Ornament Stitchalong Blog
Christmas Reindeer Ornaments (Megpie Design)
Clothespin Reindeer Christmas Ornament Tutorial (Sew Gracious)
DIY Glitter Snowflake Ornament (The Glitter Guide)
Easy DIY CHristmas Ornaments to Try Out This Year (My Web Room)
Fabric Ornament How-To (V and Co)
Haul Out the Holly: Christmas Ornament Tutorial (Gwenny Penny)
Hosting a Tree Decorating Party (Entertaining/About.com)
Marsha's Ornament Exchange Party (Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive 365)
Regency Silhouette Christmas Ornament Tutorial (The Magic Bean)
Chocolate Peppermint Roll (Bakers Royale)
Christmas Ornament Making Party, from HGTV
Three Vintage Paper Ornaments to Make for the Holidays (Deck the Holidays)
--Copyright 2015 31 Days of Christmas Parties
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