Is it your turn this year to host Xmas? Struggling with ideas and time? We have the perfect solution for you! With some experience and extra research, we’ve put together a list of ideas and tips on how you can make Xmas stress free this year! We know how it is when the festive season creeps upon us; it is usually spent frantically running around trying to organize the perfect event for loved ones.
We hope our little tips and tricks help you throw a successful outdoor celebration, there’s just something oh so special about an Aussie Christmas. We are blessed with the beautiful warm weather and tasty BBQ’s, which makes outdoor entertaining at this time of the year even more enjoyable. Read on for our 2017 Xmas Outdoor Entertaining Tips:
Setting
There are just so many types of style, vibe and feel of xmas in terms of design and decorations that the first thing to decide upon is “what type of setting” you want deck out your area in. We always recommend starting with a theme, colour scheme and budget.
Yes, it can be costly to host Xmas, but you can buy bulk, plan ahead and budget for your party in advance. However, for all of you last minute planners, leaving things to the last minute can also be quite beneficial seeing that this is usually the time where shops place major markdowns. As long as you have a clear setting in mind, you will have a clearer picture on what you want to buy, which is essential during this crazy retail period.
When determining the “Setting” of your Xmas function, we recommend picking your theme. Below is a list of popular Christmas themes:
– Traditional (Green, Red & White)
– Candyland
– Santa’s Workshop
– Dress Up
Colours:
– All White Xmas
– Gold & White
– Blue & Silver
– White & Red
Decoration
Once you have decided upon your theme, the fun begins with your decorations! Outdoor Xmas décor is not only fun but super creative too. You can have blow up Santa’s, Reindeers, Ginger Bread house etc.
Here is a couple of cool Xmas décor both children and adults will enjoy:
Fake Snow
LED Light Show
Outdoor Chandeliers
Games
Since you have all of your loved ones together, games are always something to keep the kids occupied and super fun when the big kids have had a couple of drinks. We’ve compiled a couple of games that both adults and children can enjoy.
Christmas games are a fun and proactive way to your loved ones together and interacting with one another. It is also a great bonding activity for us all to disconnect with our phones and tablets, a perfect opportunity to get the kids off digital games and intact with human interaction.
Gingerbread House Decorating
This is a lovely tradition to have guests decorate their own gingerbread house; hold a competition to vote on the best looking one! It’s delicious to eat after too.
Xmas Sumo Wrestling
This one would be popular amongst adults, especially to get a couple of giggles amongst the spectators. You can even make bets on the opponents too!
Xmas Scavenger Hunt
A Christmas hunt is always a great idea, not only will the kids get excited the adults can have a little fun too. You can create riddles to burst people’s brains or go the shortcut way and print one off Pinterest.
Xmas Bingo
Intoxicated or not, this game is the perfect game for all ages. Easy to play and also easy to win.
Xmas Carol Pictionary
Get together your loved ones and participate in some traditional Xmas festivity. Your guests will love playing “guess this lyric”.
Food
Grazing Table
The grazing table trend is super in at the moment, so jazz up the traditional Xmas spread with a Xmas grazing table with all of your traditional favorites. We have some inspo for you below:
BBQ
An Aussie Xmas is usually revolved around some kind of a backyard BBQ. Our warm weather makes this an easy choice to cooking to a minimum and really is a popular meal. Especially with being in Perth, we are sure to experience a scorching xmas day this summer, which makes a BBQ by the backyard pool a perfect idea!
We recommend these BBQ essentials:
– Cold meats
– Salads
– Cheese Boards
– Chocolate Fondue
– Tropical fruits
– Vegetable Skewers
– Garlic Butter Shrimps
Xmas Themed Dishes
You can get a little more into Xmas spirit with xmas themed dishes, below is some inspo for your party.
From the team at Sustain, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
