Christmas Charity Bash

Invites

Find a small box template online. Cut it out and copy it onto holiday card stock. Put it together and slide a small piece of paper with party details inside, along with a small chocolate or two. Use small ribbon to tie it together. Pop a miniature bow on top with a mini tag with the guest's name on it.



Decorations/Setup

Weeks before the party, search for a local charity that is looking for holiday gifts for children. There are often locations where you can "take a tag" and buy a gift for that child. Get one for each guest. If the gifts can be wrapped, this is a great excuse to have a party. In your invites, instruct guests to find a gift for the gender and age specified. If you can't find a charity that accepts wrapped gifts, invite guests to come and make gifts for family instead.

Set out a long table and chairs. Cover the table in a tacky Christmas-ey tablecloth or wrapping paper.

Wrap several large boxes in Christmas-ey paper, leaving them open. These can serve as garbage cans for extra wrapping paper.

Play your favorite Christmas movie in the background.



Activities

The primary goal of this event is to make gifts and to wrap gifts for those who need them.

Here are a couple of homemade gift ideas you can work on during this party. Be sure to set out enough materials for each craft project so that everyone can make one:

Decorate sugar cookies. Throw some batches into the oven and have each guest decorate a few.

Make cards for the charity recipients and for family. A few ideas:
-Use washi tape to create designs.
-Stamp designs into cards and color them in.
-Use 3-D sticky squares to cut out images and make them pop out from the scene.
-Cut cards into snowflake patterns.

These are all ideas; don't aim to try them all in one party!


Food

It will be easier to stay simple for this one.

Make sugar cookies as the party goes along and have guests decorate some.

Set out bowls of Christmas puppy chow.

Have a separate side table for Christmas waters and fruit punch.