How to Host a Candy Cane Christmas Party

Add a festive theme to a Christmas celebration this year, and host a candy cane Christmas party. Turn a traditional Christmas staple—the candy cane—into the perfect accent for any holiday party. Plan the invitations, decorations, table settings, food, drink, and activities around the candy cane theme.

Incorporate these creative candy cane party ideas into your planning:

• Invitations: Incorporate candy canes into the holiday party invitations. Visit Punchbowl for beautiful online invitations and accents that will help you kick-off the party theme. Include information on your invitation such as the name of the event, name of the host or hostess, date, time, and location.

• Decorations: Decorate the residence or venue with lots of candy canes for the candy cane theme party. Place candy canes on the tables for decorations and on the Christmas tree. Put candy canes in vases, on mantles, and even hang them with fish wire from the ceiling. Add a creative touch and mimic the look of candy canes with red and white Christmas lights. Twist the red and white lights around lamp posts outside and twist red and white garlands around columns and door frames in the house.

• Table Settings: Complement the candy cane decorations with themed party supplies such as plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery. Display white tablecloths with the plates, cups, napkins, and cutlery as red accents.

• Food and Drinks: Have a signature cocktail for the candy cane Christmas party. Consider a Peppermint Twist, made with peppermint schnapps, Kahlua coffee liqueur and dark crème de cacao. Garnish the cocktail with a miniature candy cane to make it look festive! Aside from the cocktails, fill guests’ tummies with a delicious brownie treat. Cook traditional brownies and while still hot, crush some candy canes and sprinkle them on top. Watch the candy cane sprinkles melt as the brownies cool off. For another idea, use candy cane sprinkles to decorate the tops of red velvet cupcakes, cookies, or truffles.

• Activity: Plan candy cane crafts during the party or make them in advance for decorations. Make candy cane reindeer with a few simple items such as candy canes, pipe cleaners, small googly eyes, and small red pom pom balls. Use a glue gun to make the pipe cleaners into antlers, glue on the eyes, and use the red pom pom ball for the nose.

Use the candy cane Christmas theme throughout the party and incorporate it in all of the details. Get in the spirit and greet guests at the door dressed as a candy cane! Have some fun and request that guests dress in red and white.