Holiday Friend Party Ideas

by Tara Block 0

If you're feeling a little scroogey transitioning into the cold month of yuletide and mistletoe, get a little help from your friends. The best part of the season is spending quality time with the people you love — a sentiment that can get lost in the crowds at the mall. We've rounded up some of our favorite holiday party ideas fit for girlfriends that will have you ready to go door-to-door Christmas caroling (well, or something like that). Check them out below, and feel free to share your ideas in the comments!

Christmas movie marathon: Grab some cozy blankets, gather 'round the tree, and get your Christmas movie marathon on! We especially love the oldies but goodies like White Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story.

Holiday nail art party: Browse POPSUGAR Beauty, Pinterest, and other sites for inspiration and invite your friends over for a nail art party. Ask your guests to bring their best polishes, nail stickers, sparkles, and glitter, then shape your holiday nails side by side.

Gift-wrapping party: Dressing your holiday gifts becomes a group effort when you host a wrap party. Have everyone bring a roll of wrapping paper, scissors and tape, plus their favorite gift-wrap accessories, then turn on some holiday music and get wrapping! Here are some cute ideas for a gift-wrapping party.

Cocktail-mixing party: Test out your holiday drinks on your friends by hosting a cocktail-making party. Heighten the festive mood by asking everyone to bring a bottle of bubbly and make champagne cocktails.

Cookie recipe swap: Get started on your holiday baking with a cookie recipe swap party. Have your guests bring copies of their favorite cookie recipe for everyone, along with the cookies already made for a tasting. Then bake a batch (or two) together and decorate them as a group. Need inspiration? POPSUGAR Moms has some cookie recipes fit for Santa.

Keep reading for more seasonal soiree ideas!

Holiday crafting party: Have your favorite crafting buddies over to make some holiday decor. Everyone ends up with their own DIY project to dress their home, like this easy-to-make mason jar glitter candle or personalized snowglobe.

Ornament-making party: Round up the girlfriends and make some easy DIY ornaments for a tree with handmade flair. We love this porcelain ball decorated with paint markers and this glitter polka-dot one.

Card-making party: Stamps, glitter, blank cards, and some creativity are all you need to make your own holiday cards. Have everyone bring their fanciest scrapbook materials — and the sky's the limit on what you can come up with.

Holiday accessories party: This time of year means lots of festive soirees, and instead of buying new baubles, save some money by making your own. And the more the merrier! Invite your friends over to get the creative juices flowing. We love this DIY embellished holiday clutch.

Homemade gift-making party: Another thrifty idea is to DIY your gifts this year, which could be anything from edible goodies to friendship bracelets. Either pick a theme so that everyone can make the same gift, or have each guest bring her own materials and just keep each other company while you all work (with some holiday music and cocktails, of course). Check out one of these 100+ DIY gift ideas.

Gingerbread house contest: Have a little friendly competition this season with a gingerbread house contest. Use prebaked gingerbread house kits ($21) to keep it simple, and stock up on the icing and candy. Have a blind vote for the winning team or individual or call in a third party to choose the winner.

Party dress swap: We love the idea of a fashion swap party to trade clothes you don't wear anymore with your friends. But take it a step further by making it party dresses only — everyone leaves with a frock they can don at this year's holiday parties. It's a win-win!

Pink elephant party: Throw a girls-only "pink" elephant party. Have everyone bring a regifted present — hopefully nothing they received from fellow guests at the party! — and the wackier the better. Then play one of the many gift exchange games out there to see what people end up with. Keep with the pink theme by serving cosmos and other matching treats.

Helping-hands party: One of the best ways to get into the spirit of the season is to give to others. Invite the pals over to work together on a project for others. You could put together goodie bags for the homeless by having everyone bring a different item, bagging up the essentials, and then going as a group to pass them out. Or it could be as simple as having all your guests bring a toy for a local toy drive then dropping them off together before grabbing peppermint mochas together.