‘TIS THE SEASON for Christmas parties. We all know that with party season comes party planning and what feels like an endless list of tasks to attend to. If you’re hoping to impress this festive season, take your Christmas party to the next level, but also want to enjoy the time and not spend hours wasted on prep – we’ve compiled a list of simple tasks to complete that are guaranteed to knock your guests Christmas socks off.

A word of warning, your party will be so impressive your guests may not leave till the New Year.

Make-ahead appetisers

Anything that saves us time as our guests are having a chat is an absolute win for us. Designing your party food around things that can be made ahead of time but still deliver on flavour, is a no-brainer in our books so we’ve listed off a few of our favourite options below: 

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• Chicken and brie bites - Easy to make in just thirty minutes, this delectable and festive pairing of chicken and brie can be made ahead of time and warmed up with a quick zap in the microwave. A mixture of sweet fig, roasted apple, melted brie and tangy garlic mayonnaise will leave your guests wanting more. 
• Sweet chilli-glazed pigs in blanket – This chilli-glazed twist on a Christmas classic is a festive favourite that takes just ten minutes to prepare and thirty minutes to cook. Easily reheated for when your guests arrive
• Christmas truffles – Blow your guests away by hand-making your own Christmas truffles ahead of the festivities. To make thirty five truffle, you’ll only need to prep for thirty minutes and put away five minutes of cooking time before you can enjoy these delicious party favourites. 

Plan an activity

We’re in fear of sounding like we’re planning a children’s party here – but the reality is guests need to be entertained, whatever their age. There’s so much fun to be had during the festive season and a little friendly competition never hurt anybody, so why not throw in a few Christmas games to the mix to take your party to the next level?

• Guess the scent – You’re sure to have a few festive candles lying about so, seize the opportunity to put your guests Christmas scent knowledge to the test by having them guess the scent of your Christmas candles. The quirkier the scent the more fun this game will be and a gentle reminder to blow out each candle to avoid any fire hazards. 

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• Christmas cookie decorating -  A crowd-pleaser that always ends with something delicious, dividing up your guests into teams and have them design and decorate their own bespoke Christmas cookies. You can be judge and jury of this activity and ironically enough, it’s usually the less artistic groups that end up winning these challenges.

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• Christmas carol challenge – A fun activity that is guaranteed to get everyone laughing and singing is the Christmas carol challenge. Sit your guests down in a circle, choose a carol, and away you go with the first line. The name of the game is to see how far you get with the song lyrics by each person singing a line, but the true joy comes from the singing (or lack thereof) itself. 

These activities are quick, simple, take minimal effort on your end and are sure to tucker your guests out… a sign of a great shindig. 

Send your guests home with a party bag 

We don’t care what age you are – find us someone who doesn’t enjoy a party bag when leaving a party and we’ll be shocked! It’s a time-honoured tradition that sees your guests leaving with a smile and in this case, with their their self-decorated cookies. There are a few elements to consider when building a party bag for your guests and if executed correctly, it’s the perfect note to end your party on.

Shutterstock / marevgenna Shutterstock / marevgenna / marevgenna

Amazon, Etsy and Pinterest are awash with simple DIY gifting bags to choose from and how you fill each festive bag is entirely up to you. We recommend some cookie cutters so people can try their hand at baking during the festive period, a bit of hot cocoa and hand warmers encourage a sprinkle of indulgence, and a Christmas candle is always welcome at this time of year. 

Top it off with a Christmas card and send them on their merry way.