3 effortless tips for holiday parties

I love throwing holiday parties, but always seem to end up rushed this time of year. To allow for my dreams of revelry to come true, I’ve found a few simple tricks for making a holiday gathering come together in a pinch. A simple cocktail, a shared appetizer, and a decorative element that makes a big statement makes having friends over this time of year basically effortless!

To set this effortless holiday table, I started with a party element that is easy to pull together and gives everyone a big WOW. Hanging garland with extra large balloons is a great way to make that happen. Local party stores have these 36-inch balloons in stock (or you can order them here). I love using large balloons for the holidays because they fill a space with festive style quickly and they will stay inflated for a couple weeks – meaning you can buy them for Thanksgiving and still have them floating for Christmas cocktails. Last year, ours even made it until New Years Eve!

1. Perfect Garland Year After Year

I use a lot of garland in our holiday decorating and I found a simple tip to keep it shaped and looking fresh year after year. I wrap the strands in Glad Press n’ Seal before carefully storing them away. The wrap keeps everything from getting tangled and allows my holiday garland to look perfectly shaped year after year.

To add an extra festive touch to this year’s table decor, I am lining our greenery with a bright-linked garland. To make this garland I used a package of pipe cleaners cut into thirds. Start by making a circle and twisting the ends to secure, then combine another and another to form this festive garland. The bright touch adds so much fun and whimsy and can be used all season long.

2. Unexpectedly Whimsical Decor

For our easy-peasy holiday drink, I will be serving mimosas all season long! I grabbed these awesome large circle ice cube holders and froze orange juice and cranberry juice, our favorite mimosa mixings. Once I popped the ice cubes out of the molds, I wrapped each in more of the Glad Press n’ Seal which made them look like big pieces of candy — a really fun element to our holiday cocktail display. Pop an ice cube in a cup and add champagne for a bar that could basically serve itself.

3. Silver Lining

I found this deer printed holiday basket in the dollar section and thought it would make an awesome ice bucket. To transform it, I added a layer of Glad Press n’ seal to the inside. It kept the ice contained and the bucket dry – which basically means I can now turn anything imaginable into an ice bucket! Baskets, bowls, vases, boxes – anything can be transformed with this simple holiday party trick! Yeah for a cocktail table that is stylish and effortlessly fun.

This post is brought to you by Glad. Freshness, wrapped up.