15 Budget-Friendly Ideas for a Holiday Party

Some elements help make a holiday party memorable, like great food and a festive atmosphere. Most of these party features won't cost you a lot of money, so even those of us on a budget can master the art of entertaining.

Making sure guests are well fed and entertained is the first step. The next step is to create an environment that will make your guests feel welcomed and joyful. 

These inexpensive holiday party ideas will help you enhance your next gathering without breaking the bank.

If you're on a budget, the first way to save some money is to send out your invitations using a free digital service instead of mailing out hard copies. 

You can opt to send an email or create a Facebook event, but there are so many free services out there now that can send nice looking digital invitations.

The great thing about using an invitation website instead of Facebook or email is that some sites can track who has RSVPed and also let you create lists of who is bringing what to the party. 

Silver and Gold Holiday Party Invitation from punchbowl

Hot chocolate stations are a really popular way to add a fun element to a winter-time holiday party. To make sure guests understand what's at the station (it's not coffee), consider printing out some stylized signs like the ones you see here.

Not only are the signs informative, they will work as part of the party decor and set the mood that this get together is meant to be cozy and relaxed. 

Hot Chocolate Bar Kit from Pretty Paper Studio 

Balloons are probably the most quintessential party decoration, and they are inexpensive. But basic balloons are more reminiscent of a kid's birthday party than a classic and elegant holiday party.

Letter balloons may cost a bit more, but they are still an inexpensive way to make a large statement as far as party decor goes. 

Letter Balloon Saying Ideas

• HO HO HO
• XOXO
• BE MERRY
• 2018 (or whichever new year is being celebrated)
• JINGLE
• LOVE
• JOLLY
• CHEERS

Gold Letter Balloons, $6 each, Urban Outfitters

If you're skipping a meal and only serving desserts to save money, make sure you put some time into planning out the perfect dessert table. Opting to make a few different bite-sized treats that only use a few ingredients will save you money and make your desserts go a long way. 

Homemade Nutella Cake Pops from The Spruce

String lights are an easy and relatively cheap way to add mood lighting to any holiday party. Keep your lights out after Christmas to have accent lights for other events like a New Year's Party. 

This quick DIY project transforms basic string lights into a focal point that you can display during the party, whether at your dessert table or on a drink station.  

DIY Twinkle Light Canvas from A Pumpkin and a Princess

If you choose to have alcohol at your party but are really limited on cash, suggest that people BYOB. Have a basic bar cart set up with one feature cocktail and encourage guests to add their drink of choice to the cart or inside a cooler located next to the cart. 

Stock a Bar Cart With Some of These Items

• Sparkling Wine for toasting and Bellini cocktails
• Seltzer or Tonic Water for mixing
• Gin, Vodka and/or Whiskey
• Cranberry juice and soda for mixing
• Ice Bucket and other bar essentials like a cocktail mixer
• Rocks Glasses and Champagne Flutes

How to Decorate for the Holidays from Haute off the Rack

This holiday party idea functions both as a party favor and as a way to ensure your guests will feel right at home. Choose a larger basket or wooden crate to fill with either slippers or fuzzy socks.

Fuzzy socks are a more versatile option than slippers because they are less expensive, and you won't need to stock a large range of sizes.

Place the bin by the entrance with a sign that will encourage guests to slip off their shoes and put on some fuzzy socks that they can take home with them. 

Basket of Slippers for Guests from Anderson + Grant

Take some of the stress out of entertaining by mellowing out to some chill holiday music. Days before the party, create a custom playlist filled with background music to set the mood.

Whether your list is filled with Christmas carols or dance music doesn't matter. All that matters is that the music you choose is smile-worthy. 

Popular Music Streaming Services

• Pandora
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• Apple Music

BRAVEN LUX Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, $39.99, Amazon

If you're a crafter at heart but tight on cash, choose DIY projects for your party decor that only require a couple materials (preferably ones that can be found at the dollar store).

These luminaries are transformed with glitter and glue, and the best part is that they can be reused in your everyday decor after the party is over. 

DIY Glittered Tea Light Holders from weddingstar

If you're throwing a New Year's party, there is no need to put away all your Christmas decorations beforehand. Ball ornaments and string lights can be repurposed for other holiday party decorations.

Consider spray painting some extra ornaments in silver and gold to change up the color palette a bit. 

How to Transition Christmas Decor to New Year's from Hello Splendid

Dinner parties can get really pricey depending on the menu you choose. If you're on a budget, consider throwing a potluck or a party that features drinks and light fare. There are a lot of appetizers you can prepare using a few ingredients that will make a good impression on your guests. 

Inexpensive Appetizer Ideas

• Bruschetta and other crostinis
• Mini meatballs
• Deviled eggs
• Olive dip with crackers

Fresh Tomato and Basil Bruschetta from The Spruce

Picking a theme can actually help you stay on a budget by streamlining the party planning. Instead of spending a lot of time and resources planning the perfect holiday party from scratch, these themes will give your party an immediate focus. You'll know exactly what you need in advance, which will help you stick to a budget. 

Holiday Party Theme Ideas

• Tree Trimming Party
• Cookie Exchange Party
• White Elephant Gift Exchange

Ugly Sweater Christmas Party Awards from eighteen25

For intimate dinner party gatherings, make the event extra special by putting some thought into your place settings. Adding chargers and napkin rings makes a great first impression when guests arrive, but don't stop there. Make the event feel even more charming with DIY placeholders like these ornament ones. 

DIY Glitter Ornament Place Card Holders from Bird's Party

Break up the monotony of an uneventful holiday party with a memorable party game. There are an infinite amount of games to choos from, but a popular and humorous favorite is the donut on a string game. 

Games to Play

• Use string to dangle enough donuts for each guest at mouth height.
• Optional: put a tarp or catch-all blanket below the game area to catch all the donut pieces. 
• Have each player eat the donut from the string without it falling to the ground. 
• The first person to finish the donut wins. 

Donut Tree from Oh Happy Day

Encourage your guests to take memorable photos at your holiday party by designating a fun photo booth area. Setting up a printable sign is a virtually free way to remind everyone to strike a pose. 

Grab a Prop Sign from Nella Designs