Looking for some new Christmas party theme ideas for your big holiday bash this year?
Whether you are having a small get-together with close family or throwing a large party with just about everyone you know, these holiday party theme ideas will help you plan the perfect party.
Having a specific theme to a party is a great way to make the whole party flow together and let people know what to expect.
Here are 10 super fun Christmas party theme ideas for 2018 .
Christmas Party Theme Ideas For Adults and Kids
Christmas Movie Party
Celebrate the holidays with a party honoring all your favorite Christmas movies.
You can choose from a few different holiday movies (you can even have guests vote before the party on their favorite movie) and set up a screening area where all the movies will play.
But you won’t just have movies playing, the party should be based off those classic Christmas movies. For example you could have Judy’s famous hot cocoa from The Santa Clause movie or you could have one of Buddy the Elf’s favorite treats – maple syrup in the form of cookies or candy.
Another cute idea is to ask your guest’s to dress up as their favorite Christmas movie character. It could be a classic cartoon character like Rudolph or it could even be something funny like Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
For decorations, pull ideas from the different movies that you are going to be playing at the get-together. You can have a small leg lamp if you are watching A Christmas Story or replicate Santa’s workshop from the store that Buddy the Elf decorated in the movie Elf.
Hawaiian Christmas Party
Do something a little different this year and have a Hawaiian luau Christmas party. You can do all sorts of fun things for this party that are completely different than your normal winter Christmas party.
For example you can have your guests dress up in grass skirts over their clothes or even a fun Hawaiian Santa shirt . And of course you can’t forget to pass out the leis when your guests arrive.
For decorations simply turn your party into a luau with coconut trees, Hawaiian flowers, and fun, vibrant colors. You can even play it up a bit and add in some tropical Santa decorations.
For the party menu, make traditional fair for a Hawaiian feast instead of your normal Christmas dinner menu. You can have bowls of tropical fruit along with fruity drinks.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas Party
If you are a fan of the Grinch, then why not throw a super fun party based off your one of your favorite holiday characters?
There are all kinds of cool things you can do with a Grinch Christmas party. Of course you’ll need plenty of How The Grinch Stole Christmas party decorations including some fun signs and banners. You can even print out a few signs with your favorite Grinch quotes.
To go all out you can even make a part of the party room Whoville and then the other half Mount Crumpit where Mr. Grinch resides.
For food ideas you can always serve Roast Beast and some green cupcakes and cookies with hearts on them.
Both adults and kids will love this type of party as it works great for a kid’s classroom party but also for a friend’s holiday gathering.
Black and White Christmas Party
If you are looking for more of a sophisticated Christmas party theme for adults, consider a black and white affair. This doesn’t have to be super formal, but you can ask your guest to dress semi-formal or at least business casual in all white and black.
Along with the white and black apparel of your guest you’ll need some decorations, supplies, and even black and white Christmas party invitations .
For food you definitely don’t have to stick with the color theme, but instead go with something classic like small appetizers along with some cocktails.
This theme is great for a more modern, grown-up approach to a holiday party.
You can even add in a little glitter with some gold accents along with the white and black.
Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
To go with something completely opposite of the more formal black and white party, throw an ugly sweater holiday bash for your friends and family.
If you have never been to an ugly sweater party then you may be wondering what I am even talking about. Well, the basis behind this type of party is to simply wear any type of ugly Christmas sweater you can find to the party. Most of the time the whole “sweater” thing doesn’t need to be taken seriously but instead it can be any type of shirt or even dress.
When you send out the invitations for the party just make sure you mention the whole theme so guest can show up in their ugliest holiday apparel.
A cute idea for the party is to set up a photo booth area with props so the party guests can take some pictures to remember the fun party.
As for decorations you can really go with anything but a fun idea is to go with something retro like some red and green plaid.
Winter Wonderland Party
Celebrate the beauty of winter (even if you where it doesn’t snow or get cold) with a winter wonderland themed Christmas party.
When it comes to this theme, concentrate on sparkle and snowflakes. Think about the things you enjoy during winter like the freshly fallen white snow, hot chocolate, ice skating, and sparkling Christmas lights.
You can hang paper snowflakes from the ceiling or string some white lights or even snowflake lights across the walls. You can even find a cool Christmas snowflake projector that you can use indoors to have swirling snowflakes on the walls.
Stick with the theme of white and some light blue and offer a fun punch cocktail along with some coconut balls for dessert. For the main meal you can mix it up with some winter time appetizers or go with a light meal of baked fish and pasta.
This type of party can be lots of fun for kids and adults especially if you live in the south where you don’t get to experience all the snow for Christmas. You can even surprise your guest with some fake snow for outdoors.
Polar Express Christmas Party
Invite your friends and family all aboard with a super fun Polar Express Christmas party. This party is great for kids but also works great for a mix of adults and children.
Get creative with your Polar Express party invitations and make them just like real the train tickets from the story. Then you can even collect the tickets at the door as you welcome your guest all aboard the Polar Express.
A cute touch to the party is to instruct all the guests to wear their pajamas just like on the real Polar Express.
If it is a party for younger kids you can read the Polar Express book to them and then let them watch the movie. You can even have the movie running in the background for a family party.
For some fun games you can play toss the snowball in the bucket or sleigh bell toss.
For some real added excitement you can have Santa come in a special guest before he heads off to board his sleigh back to The North Pole.
Christmas Craft Party
If you are planning an informal gathering for either kids or some of your friends, consider having a little craft bash along with some lunch and desserts.
For adults you can browse Pinterest and come up with a few different crafts that you want to make including wreaths, ornaments, and even gifts for others. You can do the supplies a few different ways as each guest can bring all the supplies for their recommended craft or you can buy all the supplies for everybody and take up a donation amount.
For kids, you can choose a few different crafts that are appropriate for the age range. For younger kids it may just be simple Christmas ornaments that you can paint while older kids may enjoy more intricate ornaments or even wreaths and decor items.
For simple gathering like this you may not even really need to decorate any different as long as your home is already decorated for the holidays. You can add a few touches here and there and maybe use some festive plates and cups.
White Elephant Gift Exchange Christmas Party
A white elephant gift exchange is a fun way to exchange gifts without having the pressure to buy something for everyone. Most people tend to have these types of exchanges fun with corny or silly gifts, but you can easily do them with nice presents as well.
Everyone brings a wrapped gift to the party and they are all set together so no one knows who brought what. Then numbers are picked and each number starting at one gets to choose a gift. But the fun part is that a person can also steal a gift from someone who has already unwrapped it instead of choosing a new one.
You’ll different rules when it comes to a white elephant exchange party but for most people it’s a fun game that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. The point is more to have fun and laugh with friends rather than to gain an awesome gift.
When it comes to decorating and food you can keep it simple or go all out as there really is not a set tone. You can even combine this type of party with an ugly sweater party for the ultimate funny Christmas party.
Santa’s Workshop Christmas Party
A Santa’s workshop party can work well for both kids and adults. The main part of this theme is to give to others like Santa does.
You can have every guest choose to donate something for a charity. For example you can ask each guest to bring a canned good or nonperishable food for the local food pantry or maybe a small toy to be donated to the local shelter or Toys For Tots .
You can go all out decorating for this type of party as well by turning the party room into Santa’s workshop. A North Pole sign when you enter is a must as well as lots of candy canes and Christmas lights. You can even decorate several Christmas trees and have some stuffed teddy bears and dolls around the workshop area.
When it comes to party food you can come up with some quirky names that has to deal with Santa and Mrs. Claus, elves, and the eight reindeer. And of course hot cocoa and cookies are a must.
With any of these Christmas party theme ideas you can have a lot of fun with family and friends coming up with creative ideas and just simply enjoying the holidays with your loved ones.