How to Plan a Successful Christmas Party: 5 Dos and 5 Don'ts

How do you make a Christmas party successful? It's easy. All it takes is a little planning and creativity. If you are well prepared, then will will be little or no last minute things to panic about. Plan out your menu, your decorations and any types of entertainment including music and games.

Here is a list of dos and don'ts to make you Christmas party a success.

Dos

1. Send out your invitations well in advance and ask your guests to R.S.V.P. By doing this you will know how much food you need to buy and you can actually cater your menu to suit the amount of guests that will be coming. If it is a large group, then you will want to have a buffet style dinner as opposed to a sit down dinner which is much more appropriate for a small gathering.

2. Choose your decorations to suit your own likes for Christmas decor. You may as well have your home decorated beautifully for the whole Christmas season, rather than for just one night for a Christmas party. Make or buy a beautiful centerpiece for your table. Get some beautiful Christmas scented candles for your mantle and around the house. Christmas candles from Yankee Candle smell great even when they are not lit. Your house will automatically smell like Christmas. Decorate a few weeks in advance, even as early as the day after Thanksgiving so you'll have a whole month to enjoy it.

3. Plan out your menu well in advance. Look in magazines and on line for new recipes. The Food Network is a great place to look for great recipes from your favorite cooks.

4. Buy any special non-perishable items and decorations that you will need for your party in advance. Some items run out when it gets close to Christmas. There are other items that you can buy when they are on sale instead of the night before your party.

5. Use all disposable goods, like paper or plastic plates, paper tablecloths, paper napkins, plastic cups and plastic silverware. You can actually purchase plastic silverware that actually looks like real silverware now. You can also get plastic plates that look like fine china. Definitely buy those specialty items in advance. They will be out of stock before you know it during the Christmas season.

Don'ts

1. Don't plan a last minute party. For a Christmas party, it's important to plan your party in advance so that you'll have everything you need and won't be stressed out. The key to a stress free party is being prepared.

2. Don't spend all of your time in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying themselves in the other room. Mingle. Sit and relax with your guests You should enjoy your party too.

3. Don't try out a neww recipe before doing a trial run. If you find a recipe that looks good, cook it for your family a week in advance for a little preview.

4. If you have a dog or cat, it's best to keep them in a room away from the party. It can be annoying to guests to have your dog or cat jumping up on them while they are trying to eat or drink. Plus, if people throw little tidbits of food on the floor for your pets, they could get sick.

5. Don't get upset if somebody spills something on your favorite sofa. Most stains come out when professionally cleaned. It's not worth ruining your whole night worrying about a stain on the couch.