Ornament Exchange Holiday Party

 We received a lot of great feedback from this post last year so wanted to share again for 2010 Ornament Exchange parties!

Ornament Exchange Holiday PartyOrnament Exchange Holiday Party

An Ornament Exchange is a wonderful way to entertain during the holiday season. Planning is simple and guests leave with a special ornament received from friends. Here are a few tips for the perfect party:

Start with a fun invitation! There are many invitations available for this fun event. On the invitation ask each guest to bring a wrapped ornament to exchange. I recommend including a maximum dollar value for the ornament such as $15.  If everyone brings an ornament in the same price range everyone will leave happy with their ornament.

If you are planning an evening party, serve a fun cocktail. The following recipe for Amaretto-Cranberry Kiss cocktail was a huge hit last year at our party.

Amaretto-Cranberry Kiss Cocktail
2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup amaretto
3 T Orange Juice

Mix cranberry juice, vodka, amaretto and orange juice in pitcher. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Can be prepared 1 day ahead so perfect for entertaining!

Fill cocktail shaker with ice and fill with one cup of mixture. Cover and shake. Serve in martini glass. Enjoy!

As guests arrive place all wrapped ornaments under the tree. Serve cocktails and appetizers.

To do the exchange:

~On a small piece of paper write numbers for the number of guest. Example, for 15 guests have 15 slips numbered 1 -15.
~Have each guest pull from a number from a Santa hat. The number they pull is the order they will unwrap an ornament.
~Guest who pulled #1 goes first. They unwrap an ornament and show the group. No one should tell which ornament they brought yet.
~Guest who pulled #2 has the option to unwrap an ornament or steal the ornament from Guest #1. We play that any ornament can be stolen only once per round and a new round starts every time a new Guest pull choose.  
~Continue until everyone has an ornament. Encourage stealing others ornaments. It adds a lot of fun to the exchange! Plan on an hour or so for about 15 guests.
~Have everyone go around the room and tell which ornament they brought and where it was purchased. Guests may want to purchase a similar ornament or they may have a fun story of how and where the ornament was purchased.

An Ornament Exchange is a guaranteed fun holiday party! If you host an ornament exchange party let us know your ideas!