What’s not to love about going to a party where you can cozy up, get toasy, and celebrate the season in a very low-key way. The allure of an ugly Christmas sweater party is that everything is in bad taste, from the dress code to the evenings activities. It’s freeing after a season of formal wear, high-heels, and good behavior.
The inventation
Set the tone for the party with the perfect invitation and let your guest know what to expect. Let guest know that wearing an ugly sweater is required and that a prize will be giving for the best. As a little spirited competition can give people the nudge to buy or DIY their ugly sweater.
Create a cozy ambiance
Keep things relaxing and cozy but with a little added tacky Christmas decor. The more Santa figurines, the better.
Play your favorite Christmas music in the background.
Add a photo backdrop to capture ugly memories. What better way to embarrass your friends then re-living that ugly sweater back in the day. Add some props like reindeer antlers, Santa hats and beards, or ugly glasses. Use a Polaroid camera so your guests can take some home.
Games and activities
The ugly sweater game – Hand each guest an (unbreakable) ornament to hang from their sweater when they arrive. If someone says “holiday” or “Christmas,” the person that catches them gets their ornament. The person with the most ornaments at the end of the evening wins.
Ugly sweater contest – You have to hold the contest. Have a few categories on the ballot and let guests place their votes in corresponding bowls. Some items to have on the ballot might be: Most original ugly sweater, best couple, most likely to get arrested, the tackiest ugly sweater. Get creative and have fun. Make sure you have some cheesy trophies to hand out to the winners.
Make your own ornaments
Play Christmas Trivia
Christmas karaoke
Play your favorite holiday movie
Food ideas
This isn’t your formal Christmas dinner with the fine China. Instead, create a menu with classic Christmas party finger food.
Serve three to four appetizers that guests can snack on throughout the evening. Here’s a few of my favorite: Christmas deviled eggs, cranberry cream cheese dip, eggnog muffins, pea pesto crostini, smoked salmon wraps with dill cream cheese, sliders, winter fruit salad, toasted Gruyere and cranberry cups, and pigs in a blanket.
Christmas deviled eggs –
6 large eggs
1 small avocado, peeled and pitted
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon sweet relish
1 medium red bell pepper, small
diced
Cilantro for leaves
Add the eggs to a medium saucepan and cover them with enough water so that it’s 1 inch above the eggs. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once the water boils, cover the pan, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to cook for 12 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and carefully peel them.
Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Set aside the whites and add the yolks to a medium bowl.
To the bowl with the yolks, add the avocado, mayonnaise, mustard and sweet relish. Mash together the mixture with a fork then taste and season it with salt and pepper.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (optional) or sealable plastic bag. Pipe the mixture into the egg whites then garnish each deviled egg with three pieces of diced red pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Ham sliders –
2 -12 packages of sweet Hawaiian rolls (the small dinner roll looking ones)
1 1/2 lbs of virginia ham (NOT honey ham)
12 slices swiss cheese
1 stick of real butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Directions:
You will need two 9 x 13 pans. Place the bottoms of 12 rolls in each pan. Place ham (about 2 shaved slices or so) on the rolls. Cut the cheese slices into 4 parts and place 2 small pieces on each sandwich. Put the dinner roll tops on. In a sauce pan, mix butter, worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and poppy seeds. Wait until all butter is melted and then brush the melted mixture over the ham sandwiches. Cover with foil and let sit in fridge for 1 hour or overnight. (If you want to bake them right away, you can also.) Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve. They are great hot and even at room temperature Enjoy
Drinks
No party isn’t complete without drinks. Whether you serve beer or wine, or make fun festive cocktails. Be sure to have something on hand. Even a punch with Santa mugs make for a fun time. Don’t forget ugly mix-matched napkins and paper plates.
Check my fun cocktails here
Or get a Bartesian – check out review here