10 Affordable Holiday Party Themes

We've got 10 theme ideas to get you started, but no doubt you can come up with even more.

1. Holiday Open House: The best party I've ever thrown was a Christmas Open House. Limited space made a standard party difficult, but an open house spanning several hours allowed friends to drift in and out, as their schedules allowed. The abbreviated visits also meant I spent less money on appetizers and drinks.

2. Wine Tasting: Each guest brings a bottle (no boxes) of wine to share and you just provide the food, preferably heavy on the less-expensive breads and crackers to soak up the wine and cleanse the palate between tastings.

3. Goodwill Gathering: Research volunteer opportunities in your area and invite family and friends to join you in a volunteer event at your local food bank, animal shelter or other non-profit that needs extra help during the holidays. Not only will this help reinforce the spirit of giving but participants will leave with a sense of accomplishment.

4. Potluck Party: How many times do you throw a party where invitees ask what they can bring? Take advantage of these goodwill offerings and host a holiday potluck. Assign drinks or chips and dip to those who prefer not to cook and more-involved dishes to amateur chefs. Since turkeys are sold at deep discounts this time of year, you might cook up the primary food item, either in advance or on the day of the party.

5. Game Nights: Board games have greatly increased in popularity of late. Check out the board-game sections of many stores and you'll find a wall of colorful boxes. Many are easy to learn and lots of fun to play. Alternately, card games make for an even less expensive form of entertainment, though you might want to keep "Hoyle's Rules of Games" on hand, in the event of disagreements.

6. Movie Night: Another inexpensive party that's great for kids of all ages is a movie night. Rent or borrow several holiday classics from the library, fill bowls with popcorn, stock up on pop and you're all set. Add extra atmosphere with a fire (if you have a fireplace), and provide plenty of snugly blankets.

7. Tree-Trimming Party: Decorating the Christmas Tree should never be a solo affair. Invite friends and family over to help you toss on the tinsel and all you'll need too provide are the refreshments. You might want to string the Christmas lights first as this is a one-person, time-consuming project.

8. Dessert Party: Ask guests to bring their favorite dessert, brew a pot of coffee and you've got the most frugal of all possible parties. 

9. Caroling Party: Singing with a group of people can be as fun and uninhibiting as singing in the shower. Tromp through the snow to delight your neighbors for an hour or so then head home for hot chocolate and cider with Christmas treats.

10. Cookie Swap: Guests bring a batch of their favorite cookies to swap and everyone goes home with a sampling of different cookies. (Even those with an allergy to cooking tend to have a no-bake cookie recipe they throw together for emergencies.) You might suggest guests bring their recipes and you simply provide index cards and pens for copying. Don't forget the coffee or hot chocolate.

Photo by jamesjyu