Mastering the Art of the Frugal Yet Elegant Christmas Party

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December 19th, 2009 | Posted by Miley

It’s easy to be a great host or hostess this upcoming holiday party season and also be frugal. You just need to master the following techniques that can help you turn a small budget into impressive results:

Tip #1: Don’t pay for the party invites

There are a huge number of free holiday party invitations you can download off the Internet. Simply find the look, size and message you like, paste it into a Word document or some other type of word processor and run it through your printer. If you choose the artwork well, the results will be spectacular.

Tip #2: Save big on decorations by making your own

Many types of holiday decorations can be made at home just using clipart available on the Internet. These can be printed on card stock; cut out with scissors, a craft knife or a paper cutter and put in various locations, including being used as napkin holders or menu cards. If you want a little fancier appearance, try some glitter glue to make things more sparkly.

Tip #3: Serve impressive food that doesn’t cost a lot

When doing your party planning, look for free Christmas recipes that are cost effective and also look impressive on display. An example of this is to serve a low-cost dip in a hollowed-out purple cabbage bowl, or filling baked puff pastry cups with imitation crab dip you can get at a deli or make yourself or any filling you like.

Tip #4: Make sure there’s music

Holiday music relaxes people and also sets the party’s mood. Christmas CDs will work, of course, but live music is much more, well, lively. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a lot to have live music. If you don’t know of musicians who will work free just to get the exposure, try inquiring at the local college’s music department. There may be some student musicians who will work for free or just a small fee.

There are probably lots of other ways to keep your holiday entertaining budget under control. Just remember to keep your guests’ experience in mind and don’t let inexpensive become downright cheap. If you think classy, no one will know that it was also a bargain.