Throw a Stylish Holiday Party for Less
Domino's Tori Mellott confesses the highs and lows of pulling off a festive gathering for 30 with more dash than cash, from twisted-traditional decorations to fun-loving gifts!
The best thing about the plastic tree? It came prewired with lights!
beyond holly and mistletoe
I set the date, made a guest list and got down to business. The look I wanted was festive with an edge. I started with a palette of black, white and red—no stomach-turning green. Next I tackled the whopper: the tree. I was going to spray-paint a fir in gold… nah, too tacky. Then it hit me like a ton of yuletide logs—a white plastic tree! I ordered it right away, and though it kinda broke the bank, unlike a real tree, I’ll have it for years! Ornaments? Nothing twee, thank you. I found a source that carries iridescent black balls—more glam than Ozzfest. Then: punches of red. Little-known powerhouse foryourparty.com customizes matches, coasters, napkins and more. It’s all as cheap as penny candy and looks like Mrs. John L. Strong herself rose from the dead to do the monogramming! Instead of my initials, I had “Festivus ’06” printed in white on red matches and red paper napkins. Now that was worth it. I placed my order a week before the big day.
Decorations
white christmas tree
81⁄2’ mixed fir
christmaslightsetc.com
ornaments
4” blown glass
bronners.com
printed invitations
arthursinvitations.com for info
custom matches
foryourparty.com
custom napkins
foryourparty.com
carnations
About 10 bunches (5 each of red and white)
Invites set the tone for the party. My friends know I have a dark sense of humor. And I’m a snob. (Kidding! But I like things no one else has.) I spent four hours one afternoon running around to printers, getting quotes on how much 30 custom invites would cost. I learned that unless you want to spend, have the things laser-printed. People are excited just to get a piece of mail that can’t be deleted. I stuck to red and black on white paper and presented my clip art—the skulls from a favorite ad. The printer was able to scan and shrink it to fit on dramatic oversize flat cards. The invites were ready in just two days!
For flowers, nothin’ says cheap and stylish like carnations. The morning of, I picked up 10 bunches of red and white ones and arranged monochrome bouquets in mint-julep cups and any clear drinking glasses I could muster.
Customized with verbiage from a favorite Seinfeld episode.
rack of lamb? yeah, right
I hate cooking. I’m the girl the gas company called to ask if I still lived in the apartment: The stove hadn’t been turned on in two years. So the challenge was coming up with a menu that’s easy, inexpensive and yummy. Popeyes, here I come. With an hour till showtime, I sent a friend (it’s key to have a wingman) to pick up 40 New Orleans Spicy chicken fingers, along with mini cheeseburgers from Pop Burger (both ordered earlier in the day). These suckers don’t come cheap, but they look so cute and, honestly, the vegetarian thing is over! I put the stuff in the oven on low until the first guest arrived, then plopped them on white platters, and had ketchup, mustard and pickles nearby. Dessert was low-maintenance: cupcakes, set on stacked cake stands. Worried that guests would require highfalutin cocktails, I had a slew of liquor delivered and set up my bar the night before. A proper three-tiered serving cart is one of the best investments I’ve ever made: beautiful, functional storage! No one bothered to mix anything fancy, so next time I’ll stick to the basics: gin, vodka, wine and champagne.
Make sure to have enough mixers—you’d be surprised how quickly tonic runs out.
Food and Drinks
chicken and burgers
Chicken about 40 pieces,
Burgers 40, Pop Burger
cupcakes
About 40
refreshments
Champagne (2 bottles),
gin and vodka (1 bottle
each), mixers (6 bottles)
and wine (8 bottles)
Test your cupcakes before (some red frostings stain mouths)
no wallflowers!
Unless the pope is your host, a party should be about unleashing your inner child. I bought an old-school Polaroid camera and stacked 20 packs of film like freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies on a pretty white platter. I initiated the picture-taking, snapping everyone’s mug as they walked through the door. Soon people were jowling for the camera, laughing, posing—yours truly even did a back bend, caught on film. I put up corkboard and tacked ribbon to it so everyone could put the pictures up. Now I have a permanent memento. Next: music. I started mellow. I made an iTunes playlist of Christmas carols sung by crooners like Mel Torme and mixed in a little bossa nova. Then, when only the die-hard guests were left, it was Dance Party USA, circa 1986. I had put together a three-hour-long mix of practically every ’80s song ever made.
Under the tree, I stashed the grand finale: presents for all!
Entertainment and Gifts
bulletin board
Recycled rubber
containerstore.com
ribbon
1” grosgrain (on
board and packages)
katespaperie.com
polaroid camera
“One600 Ultra” and
600 film polaroid.com
wrapping paper
“Charm” (on package,
rear) eieiostudio.com
for stores
party favors
Holiday Spice hand cream
Pink Himalayan Salt
Hawaii Pencil Set
domino.com/shop-stocking-stuffers
extra credit! party favors
You’re never going to please everyone, so go for fun and whimsical! I wrapped individual packages and included a card.
photographs by MARCUS NILSSON
