Blogmas Day 16 – Hosting your own Christmas Cosyfest

Hellooooo merry readers!

It’s getting to that time of Blogmas where I am starting to humm and haahhhh over topics to write about. I have a schedule and list of posts to write, but am I the only one who sometimes looks back on plans that I’ve got for my blog and suddenly does not like them anymore? I really hope that’s not just me … 

Anywho, I suddenly realised that I haven’t talked about any sort of Christmas party/celebration ideas or tips. While I could always talk about Christmas organisation, I think that kind of takes the jingle out of a Christmas carol when you’re talking about lists and planning… sooo a fun way to get around that I thought would be to talk about how you could host your own fun Christmas event. So I can chat about something organisational, and you readers can also get some inspiration if you’re still at a loss for a fun way to host people for Christmas this year. One of the events my Disney society hosted was Christmas cosyfest, and it was such a fun event that I thought it would be fun to share the details in case you decide to host one yourself. Not only is it really easy to do, but it’s also a super relaxed and fun Christmas event, so for those looking for event inspiration … here is How to Host a Christmas Cosyfest.

Dresscode: comfy only!

Right, I think this is probably hinted at in the name of this event, but in case it isn’t clear, the dress code for a cosyfest should be comfy and cosy only!! I’m talking pyjamas, ugly Christmas sweaters, onesies – essentially, if you’re wearing anything more formal than leggings, that’s a big fat no! I always think the key to any event is getting the dress code right, and if we’re being honest, sometimes you really do have more fun in comfy clothes. I literally walked across my university campus in a Stitch onesie for our event – I promise pyjamas are worth it! 

Drinks: hot chocolate bar 

Nothing screams a wholesome Christmas Cosyfest like a deluxe hot chocolate bar. Picture a self-serving drinks station but basically, all surrounding one beverage – the magnificently delicious hot chocolate. All you’ll need for this is a giant urn filled with hot chocolate (if you’re looking for recipe inspiration, you can check out my Blogmas Hot Chocolate Appreciation Day post here), mugs or cups for people to use and a whole bunch of toppings. I’d recommend at least a can or two of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, candy canes both whole and crushed, some cinnamon sticks, and anything else you like, such as flakes, caramel, chocolate chips etc. Of course, if you’re having an adult party, you can always add a bottle of Baileys, Amarula or maybe some caramel vodka to give your hot chocolate a little extra hit. Set everything out, so all people need to do is pour a mug, and deck their hot chocolate with their chosen toppings. 

Food: keep it comforting 

For an event like this, I don’t think there’s a specific menu that’s appropriate – all you need to do is make sure it’s comfort food. You could get takeaway pizza or Chinese if you’re looking for something filling. Or if you want to just have snacks ready, you can serve popcorn, cookie cups (you could even have these to pour the hot chocolate into), mince pies, pigs in blankets, cinnamon rolls, mini pizzas or sliders, that sort of thing. Essentially, if it’s a comforting, tasty food that you like to eat at this time of year and will be easy enough for you to make/serve, then that will be absolutely perfect. 

Gingerbread station

I think one of the most iconic things to do during Christmas is bake, decorate and eat gingerbread in some way. Gingerbread houses, ginger biscuits and all their varieties are literally everywhere you look! Soooo, why not add that element into your cosyfest? If you’re feeling like Martha Stewart, you can always bake the gingerbread yourself, but if not, you can get your guests to bring a batch with them. Then, you just need to make sure you have a few bowls of icing, some piping bags and sweets and sprinkles to decorate. If you and your friends are feeling ambitious, you can construct and decorate gingerbread houses, but if you’re looking for something that requires a little less engineering, you can just decorate ginger biscuits and crunch on them with a mug of hot chocolate. I don’t know why but there’s just something so fun and Christmass than decorating Christmas cookies with your friends, so I can’t recommend this bit enough for your cosyfest! 

Christmas crafts table

What I’ve learnt over the years is if you’re hosting an event that isn’t a sit-down meal or has a very specific purpose (like a movie night), it’s always helpful to have some sort of ‘activity’ for people to do to avoid lots of standing around awkwardly where people aren’t quite sure what to do. Sooooo one thing that I think really adds to the wholesome vibe is a little Christmas crafts station where people can sit, chat and do some therapeutic crafting whilst letting their creative Christmas side loose. All you’ll need is some origami paper, glitter, glue, and some scissors, and people can make their own Christmas decorations – but if you’re looking for some more ideas, you could make recycled sock snowmen (you can check my tutorial here), or just scroll through Pinterest there are so many fun ideas there. At the end of your event, people will not only have had a relaxing evening, but they have something cute to take home to remember it. 

Don’t forget about a very merry vibe 

Last but not least, an event is not truly an event without the merry vibe bringing it all together, so don’t forget to have lots of comfy chairs and pillows available for people to perch on, some Christmas decorations and twinkly lights all around to set the tone and some Christmas music to set the mood. It’s those little details that really bring the whole thing together and make everything that much more fun and Christmassy. 

Soooooo, what did you all think of this blog post? I had such fun hosting our Disney version of this Christmas event because it was just such a cheery vibe – honestly, exactly what I imagine elves doing in little gingerbread houses in the north pole. Is this the sort of event you’d like to host? Is there anything you’d add to it? Let’s chat in the comments section!!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx