Creative Christmas Party Themes and Ideas for Anyone

Last Updated: May 2, 2022

Christmas is finally here, and it’s time to kick off the Holiday season with a party. Whether you’re planning an adult-only Christmas dinner party or a cookie decorating party for the kids, staying organized from the start will help everything run smoothly till the end. If you’re ready to start your party planning, we created a party theme guide to help inspire you to create your ideal Christmas party.

Jump to:

• How to Throw a Themed Christmas Party
• Christmas Party Themes
• More Christmas Party Ideas
• Christmas Party Resources

How to Throw a Themed Christmas Party

Great Christmas parties are accomplished by careful organization and execution. If you’re beginning your Christmas party plans, look through this checklist to make sure you’re taking care of the essentials.

• Stay organized. A party planner or online tool can be a life saver when your life gets busier in the Holiday season. It will also give you a place to store your party inspiration, catering choices, party invitations, and more.
• Make a guest list. Start a guest list early in your planning, as this will help you plan for the size of the party and will provide extra time to send out invites in case you want to add any last minute guests.
• Pick a theme. Themes provide the creative inspiration to help you find invitations, decorations, food, and more. Make sure you pick one that you’re excited to execute and that’s appropriate for your guests.
• Pick a venue. Make sure that your chosen venue will have enough space for all your guests and that it matches the theme you’re creating.
• Send out invites. Once you have your theme picked, finding invitations is easy. Invites should include all the needed information for the party including the who, what, when, where, why, and additional information such as the dress code or what to bring. Invitations should be sent out three to five weeks in advance in order to give your guests plenty of time to plan.
• Make arrangements for food, drinks, and activities. If you’re planning on hiring caterers or bartenders, book these with plenty of time for any last minute changes. If you’re planning on preparing the food yourself, make sure you take the time to plan out the menu as well as a backup plan. Activities and games should also be decided well in advance so that you have time to collect all the materials.
• Gather the decorations and other party materials. Whether you’re ordering online, crafting them yourself, or purchasing them in-store, decorations take time to to set up.
• Enjoy yourself. The party host deserves to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Christmas Party Themes

Themes are what make a party memorable. Do you imagine a winter wonderland setting, or picture a sweet cookie decorating party? Whatever you choose, make sure you love it.

Creative Christmas Party Themes

Creativity comes out in many ways in the Holiday season. Whether it’s through tree decorating, baking sweet treats, or crafting the perfect Christmas sweater, everyone has a creative tradition. Feature your own creative flair with these Christmas party ideas:

• Ornament Decorating Party: Decorate your Christmas tree with the fruits of your Holiday Party labor. Ornament decorating parties are not only a great way to create something special with your friends and family, but they’re also simple to put together.

• Favorite Things Party: This is a fun party theme in which you and your friends gift each other your favorite things. The food, drinks, and decor should include things near and dear to your heart, and the main activity is a gift exchange. This theme is perfect for smaller guest lists made up of loved ones.

• Gingerbread House Decorating Contest: Everyone loves gingerbread houses, and this party theme is dedicated to making the best one you can. Gather up all the need supplied: gingerbread, frosting, candy varieties, shaved coconut, and more. At the end, have everyone place their vote in a hat for the best gingerbread house and give out a small prize.

Elegant Party Themes

If you’re looking for a more elegant holiday affair, look no further. We’ve gathered up our three favorite holiday party ideas that offer inspiration for a more mature and stylish event.

• White Christmas Party Theme: This is a classic for a reason. All white decor with occasional silver accents are perfect for an elegant, winter holiday party. From white plating options, to snowflake accents, to a black tie dress code, this is a perfect way to kick off the holiday season.
• Rustic Wonderland Party: Use pine, wood, and other nature-inspired materials for this stylish affair. Pair with reclaimed metal accents to tie the theme together. This theme is perfect for anything from dinner parties to galas.
• Fill Santa’s Sleigh Party: Make use of the Christmas spirit and turn your holiday party into an event for good. A fill Santa’s Sleigh party is perfect for a gala or larger scale, black tie party in which guests bring donatable goods or donate funds for a chosen charity. It’s a great way to reignite the true spirit of Christmas while spending time with friends and family.

Christmas Party Themes For Adults

You’re spending most of the Holidays almost exclusively with your family, so it’s important to take the time for some adults-only fun. These adult party themes are both sophisticated and plenty of fun for any Holiday affair.

• Christmas Cocktail Party: With the holiday season comes a whole new variety of seasonal cocktails. Make use of this expanded menu and throw a Christmas cocktail party with friends. Include everything from rum-based hot toddies to mulled wine, and let the holiday cheer begin.
• Alpine Lodge Party: This ski lodge inspired party encourages guests to dress in their favorite cabin-in-the-woods attire and includes lots of ski and alpine decor. Just make sure there’s enough warm drinks and beer varieties to go around.
• Wrap & Wrum Party: Many parents find themselves lacking time to wrap presents around the Holidays, so try turning the chore into a fun party. Invite your friends to join you for a Wrap and Wrum party. Provide plenty of wrapping supplies and even more alcoholic drinks. Then, enjoy the company of your loved ones.

Work Christmas Party Ideas

Corporate Christmas parties are a perfect time to reconnect with coworkers and celebrate a great year of hard work. The theme can make or break an office event, so we’ve found some fun and appropriate office party themes for inspiration.

• Christmas Photo Booth Party: This theme can stand alone or work within another holiday theme. Ask coworkers to come dressed in Christmas spirit and provide a photo booth area with plenty of holiday props.
• Christmas Around the World: This Christmas party theme is perfect for larger corporate parties with many guests. Include food options and drinks from all around the world and decor to match.
• Ugly Christmas Sweater Party: An ugly Christmas sweater party is a light hearted theme perfect for a relaxed holiday event with coworkers. Feature a contest and prize for the best or most creative sweater, and provide plenty of food and drinks. This theme makes for great photos in the company newsletter.

Kids Christmas Party Ideas

Children are what make the holiday season so memorable and special. Make sure that your child-friendly Christmas party lives up to all your Holiday expectations with these perfect party ideas.

• Holiday Movie Marathon: Part of what kids remember most about the Christmas season are all the holiday movies they get to watch. Feature a party for the movie lover in your life with a list of flix including all your favorites such as Elf, Rudolph the Reindeer, or A Christmas Story. Make sure to provide plenty of snacks such as hot chocolate and popcorn, Christmas Cookies, and other seasonal favorites.

• Santa’s Workshop Party: If your kids love to craft consider throwing a Santa’s workshop party. With this theme you can have stations set up with holiday inspired crafts, toys, or baking supplies. Don’t be afraid to let the little elves get their hands dirty.
• Candyland at Christmas: If you know the children have a sweet tooth, try planning a Candyland at Christmas party. In this theme your party will revolve entirely around candy. Think candy canes, chocolate covered treats, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, and much more. Include a life-size version of Candyland to truly pull the theme together.

Family Christmas Party Themes

The most important part of Christmas is spending time with your family. If you’re looking for a party theme to fit the loved ones in your life, try exploring the options below.

• Holiday Potluck: Family, friends, and food go together perfect in the holidays. Throw a party with all of your favorite things by asking all guests to provide something for a potluck. Include plenty of Christmas decorations and drinks, try not to fill up on Christmas cookies before the party.

• Cookie Exchange: Christmas cookies are a staple of the season. Highlight this with a cookie decoration and exchange party. Have friends and family be as creative as they like. Then hand out the sweets in goodie bags at the end for families to take home.

• Santa’s Coming to Town Party: This classic Christmas theme is perfect for families. Get out your favorite Santa-related decorations and play the classic movie in the background of the party for tired children. Also plan on including your favorite Christmas activities, especially Secret Santa.

More Christmas Party Ideas

Once you have the theme settled for your Holiday party, you can get started on planning the details. To make sure you don’t leave anything out, we’ve provided some fun Christmas party ideas. They cover everything from games, to dress codes, to decorations.

Christmas Party Food Themes

Holiday food is one of the staples of the Christmas season that we all know and love. When planning the menu for your holiday party it’s important to keep your guest list in mind. Make sure that whatever you provide, there’s enough for everyone. Additionally, try to include any allergens on a food card next to the plates. When it comes to choosing the types of food, try to stick to your theme as well as you can. For example, if your party is an elegant dinner party, include nicely plated hors d’oeuvres with seasonality in mind, such as Mini Smoked-Salmon Croque-Monsieur or Oyster Tartlets. If your party is a family affair, you might be more comfortable including Holiday favorites like Pigs In a Blanket.

Christmas Party Games For Adults

Party games can take a Christmas party and make it a celebration to remember. Party games for adult parties, however, need to be carefully chosen for the guest list. Popular games for these events include a white elephant gift exchange, Christmas trivia, and ornament total guessing game. While these games are best when played adults-only, it’s important to keep all holiday games appropriate for everyone.

Christmas Party Games For Kids

Children make Christmas party games magical and full of the Christmas spirit. For that reason, picking the right games is key. Some popular holiday favorites include a Christmas scavenger hunt, Secret Santa, human Christmas tree, and Christmas charades. If you’re able to match a party game to the theme of the event, you’re guaranteed a stand-out holiday party.

Christmas Party Decorations

Decorations are what carry out your theme and tell you guests what to expect. Some popular decorations include:

• Balloons
• Streamers
• Confetti
• Banners
• Christmas Trees
• Nutcrackers
• Presents
• Tinsel
• Mistletoe
• Pine Decor
• Cut Out Snowflakes
• Ornaments
• Twinkle Lights

While these are all common for most holiday parties, you can choose whatever decorations you like best to make your party pop.

Christmas Party Outfit Ideas

If you decide to incorporate a dress code, try to pick one early. Then, include it on your invitations. That way your guests have plenty of time to plan an outfit. Common dress codes for holiday parties include black tie, red or white only, Sunday dress, ugly sweaters, or any other creative theme you can come up with. Just make sure it’s appropriate.

Christmas Party Resources

If you’re looking for additional Christmas party resources, consider the following Christmas content we also offer:

• What to Write in a Christmas Card
• Christmas Card Messages & Wishes for 2018