Budget-Friendly Party Ideas for the Holiday Season

As the holidays approach, festivities are everywhere, and you’ve likely got more than a few invitations to parties and gatherings. Perhaps you’re planning on throwing your own, though, and wondering how you can host budget-friendly festivities for all. These party ideas will get you started on the right track so you can host the party of the century without breaking the bank.

Start With Some Dashing Decor

The first key to throwing a great party is setting the mood. When guests walk in, you want them to immediately feel the fun. What better way to accomplish this than with festive décor? Décor for holiday parties can include garlands, brightly-colored tablecloths, strings of ornaments, and mini Christmas trees. You can even invite guests to contribute their own decorations as part of the party’s festivities. Let partygoers create garlands to hang on the walls!

Choose a Theme…and Stick to It!

Décor sets the mood, but theme is the mood itself. There are endless possibilities for themes when you are throwing a holiday party. Some of the most popular ideas to consider include the following:

• Ugly Christmas sweater contest
• A storybook Christmas adventure
• White elephant gift-giving event
• Celebrating Christmas in Vegas

You can take a poll amongst prospective guests to see which theme is the most popular…but you can’t go wrong with one of these! Encourage partygoers to stick to the theme when they attend.

Deliver Delicious Food and Drinks

People come to parties hungry. It’s not a proper function unless you’re serving hors d'oeuvres to nibble on and drinks to sip from. If you want your party to be a hit, here are some easy-on-the-budget ideas for food:

• Sausage balls
• Deviled eggs
• Veggie chips
• Fresh vegetables with dip
• Charcuterie board
• Christmas cookies

When it comes to drinks, these are some popular options:

• Holiday punch
• Eggnog
• Spiced rum
• Warm apple cider

If you’d like, you can also host a potluck-style party and encourage guests to bring their own food and drinks. This is a great way to eliminate the cost of food and drinks from your budget while still having a great selection for guests to enjoy.

Offer Games and Activities to Play

When partygoers aren’t chatting with each other and enjoying the décor you’ve set up, they might want to enjoy other activities, such as games. There’s nothing better than playing fun party games with friends and family, especially when it’s holiday-themed. Music-based games are always a hit — ask guests to Name That Christmas Song, with the fastest correct answerer being the winner! Alternately, play Christmas song bingo, and let guests fill out a bingo card with the titles of Christmas songs as you play short clips.

Announce the Party with Holiday Cards

When it comes time to send out invitations, custom holiday cards are a great way to announce your party and wish friends and family a merry Christmas. If you’re hosting a party at your business or for clients and customers, business holiday cards are the way to go. When you send out the invites, you want to make sure that:

• The card is professional looking
• You select a durable card stock material
• It is addressed with the correct title

Business Christmas cards are ideal for connecting with clientele and colleagues — make sure they create a good impression that makes guests want to attend!

Let Guests Go Home with Party Favors

One of the best parts of attending a party is going home with a keepsake to remind you of good times shared with friends. If you’re hosting a Christmas party, it’s especially appropriate to leave guests with a parting gift. Some affordable ideas include:

• Personalized ornaments
• Christmas-colored candies
• Mini Christmas trees

You can also create a party favor grab-bag that lets guests choose a wrapped mystery gift!

Make a Holiday Playlist That Rocks

Another important element of a party’s mood is selecting music that’s festive and fun. Luckily, when it comes to Christmas, there are plenty of playlists to set the mood just right. Look for a mix of holiday classics as well as newer jams to create a vibe that appeals to everybody — and, whatever you do, don’t forget Mariah Carey.

Document the Fun with a Photo Booth

At the end of a party, you want to remember what a good time you had! Setting up a DIY photo booth is a great way to offers guests this experience without the expense of renting a professional booth. Add some props, such as the following:

• Santa hats, of course
• Ugly Christmas sweaters
• Garlands and ornaments

Your partygoers will love creating memories at the DIY photo booth and sharing them on social media, too.

Why should small business owners throw a holiday party?

Best Holiday Greeting Cards

At Card for Causes, we have cards for every occasion. During the holiday season, you want to spread some cheer with the people you love. The following 10 custom holiday cards are perfect for showing friends, family and others that you care about them:

• Red Flourish Accent - Matte Finish Christmas Card: This holiday-themed card has a large, custom photo in the center. The border is mostly red with an attractive floral accent. The card is designed to be in landscape orientation.

• 

  Shop - Red Flourish Accent

• Blue Snowflakes - Matte Finish Christmas Photo Card: This light-blue card features a snowflake pattern on the border. The space in the center can fit a matte-finish, custom photo. It is intended for landscape images.

Shop - Blue Snowflakes

• A Borderless Horizontal - Matte Finish Photo Christmas Card: If you want a card that is all-custom, this is a great choice. It has no border, so your custom photo will be the only design on the front. It uses landscape photos.

Shop - A Borderless Horizontal

• A Borderless Vertical - Matte Finish Photo Christmas Card: Alternatively, you may want to have a portrait-orientation card. This is exactly like the horizontal, borderless card only vertical.

Shop - A Borderless Vertical

• Blue Border Photo - Matte Finish Christmas Card: For a simple but bold border around your photo, consider this custom card. It features a blue border with a white line accent. Plus, it says “Happy Holidays” at the bottom of the card.

Shop - Blue Border Photo

• Classic Photo Horizontal - Matte Christmas Card: For a simple, classic look, try this card. It has a red outer border with a white and gold inner border, simulating the appearance of a photo frame.

Shop - Classic Photo Horizontal

• Gift Wrap Photos - Matte Finish Christmas Card: The holiday season is a time for giving gifts. So, try this card with a gift-wrapping design. It features spaces for three custom photos separated by a ribbon design. Plus, there is a “gift tag” with space for your custom message.

Shop - Gift Wrap Photos

• Merry Christmas Photo - Matte Finish Christmas Card: This is another great but simple design. It can fit a horizontal custom photo surrounded by a black and red border. At the bottom of the card are the words “Merry Christmas” in white with red accents.

• 

  Shop - Merry Christmas Photo

• Happy Holidays Photo - Matte Finish Christmas Card: This is a fun and lively card for the holidays. It has space for two custom photos. The top and bottom feature a green gift wrap design.

Shop - Happy Holidays Photo

• Three Photos - Matte Finish Christmas Card: For a portrait-oriented, multi-photo design, this is a good option. There is space for a large photo at the top and two smaller photos below. Between the two levels is a greeting with a red and white snowflake pattern.

Shop - Three Photos