Ho, ho, ho! Have you ever thrown a holiday crafting party?
What a great way to have some fun, catch up with your friends, and get some gifts made.
First, you’ll want to decide when to plan the party. Would you rather host a party during the holiday season, with simple little crafts that can be taken home as favors and hung on a tree or placed on a mantle? Or a party now, in the next few weeks, where you and your guests make crafts to be given as holiday gifts? Or some combination of the two?
Next, you’ll want to decide on the crafts! According to the hosts of some successful holiday crafting parties we’ve attended, the rule of thumb is to keep the crafts simple. Your guests will be laughing, talking, and catching up; it might best to save the complex or detailed crafts for another day.
You can, of course, throw a party whenever you want, but our hosts suggested that a daytime party—a Saturday afternoon, or a Sunday lunch—might be the best times to do it. With daytime parties, it’s easier to set a beginning and an end time.
They also noted that while it can be fun to serve your guests adult beverages (assuming they’re of age), it’s smart to choose one or two options and pre-batch them before the party so you can ration the drinks and keep anyone from becoming intoxicated.
Safety first around scissors, hot glue, and power tools!
You’ll want to make sure to have enough supplies on hand! Nobody wants to sit around and wait for a diecut that’s being shared by eight people.
One approach is to keep the crafts simple enough that they only require a few simple tools. If the necessary materials are cheap and portable enough, then it’s easy to provide each guest with their own set.
Alternately, you can source the machines and tools from the party guest pool: for instance, if your chosen project requires a cutting machine, perhaps you can convince enough guests to bring their own with them that the group will easily be able to share.
You’ll want to have some finger food on hand, of course, but it’s a good idea to set it out in an area separate from where you’ll be crafting. One host told us she keeps baby wipes on the crafting table at her parties in case people come back from the snack table with cheese puff dust on their hands!
Importantly, you’re going to want to make sure there’s enough space for everyone to set up and spread out. We attended one party last year where everyone’s station was ready for them when they arrived; at another party, the long dining room table was covered in butcher paper, and the five of us each found a spot to set up our things. However you arrange your guests, the worst mistake you can make is to make them feel cramped!
And last, but absolutely not least: you’re going to want to browse our cardstock and see what might work for your projects! May we suggest Deluxe Holiday Red?