Christmas party decorations and cocktails to get you in the festive spirit

Christmas is coming, and whether you’re hosting at yours or just getting things festive for the family, now’s the time to get planning.

To help, we’ve pulled together a guide of some of this season’s most eye-catching Christmas party decorations, tablescapes… and of course some festive drinks, made with our delicious Eager juices.

Step into Christmas

The best place to start with Christmas party planning is to pick a theme that you can use across your tree decorations, home décor, and even menu. Whether it’s Scandi minimalist with snowy whites and shiny silvers; winter woodland with greens, pines and toadstools; or more traditional red and gold.

Remember when planning, less is more – a mantra we follow closely here at Eager. The simpler the design, the better your theme will look around the home. Planning ahead will also help curtail the stress of last minute shopping and help to spread the costs.

Pick foods that can be kept in the freezer and defrosted when needed. And don’t forget the cupboard is your friend… especially when it comes to storing our juice 😉

Door wreaths and lights

First impressions count, so make that front door picture-perfect with a seasonal wreath that fits your décor theme.

We love this guide from housebeautiful.com, with inspiration for 15 different wreath and light styles – from glamourous gold fern to abundant designs full of red berries, pine cones and cinnamon sticks.

Or if you’re looking for a ready-made wreath, we’re loving this winter orange version from Fenwick - it’s colourful, fruity and not too showy. Just like our juices👌

Tree branch table décor

On the theme of ‘less is more’, we’re also loving this naturally simplistic tree branch table décor idea from boxwoodavenue.com. It’s a great way of repurposing offcuts from your Christmas tree if you’re buying a fresh one, or excess foliage if you’re making your own wreath.

And it works perfectly on any shape or size table, no matter whether you’re serving a full sit-down feast, sharing boards, or more of a buffet-style meal.

Self-serve bar décor

What’s Christmas without cocktails? Whether they’re boozy or alcohol-free, we’re loving stonehousecollective.com’s idea of styling a bar cart for guests to let their own creative juices flow.

If you don’t have a bar cart or trolley, a table or cabinet top will do just fine; the trick is in displaying bottles, cartons, glassware and tools at different heights, and adding a splash of colour with various fresh garnishes and foliage for decoration.

Our bright and stylish Eager juice cartons look particularly eye-catching in this set-up, and even better, can be stored underneath the cart or in the cabinet until needed – no refrigeration necessary until they’re open.

Festive cocktails and mocktails

Now you have your bar set up, here are three cocktail and mocktail ideas that will work brilliantly for guests to make themselves. If you have the space, you could even have a couple of stations dotted around to keep things interactive and guests moving between rooms.

• This cranberry champagne cocktail is perfect with our Eager cranberry juice. Make sure to have fresh or frozen cranberries and springs of rosemary on your bar for guests to use as garnishes.
• This Christmas punch is a real crowd-pleaser as it can be made ahead and served in a punch bowl for guests to help themselves to. You can make it alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The secret? A combination of our Eager orange juice, Eager pomegranate juice and Eager cranberry juice, for full fruity flavour.

• There’s something so comforting about the warming aroma of mulled wine, and this non-alcoholic mulled wine recipe, made with our Eager cranberry juice and Eager pomegranate juice, will fill your party with the most beautifully festive scent. Serve straight from the slow-cooker with extra cinnamon sticks, star anise and sliced oranges for guests to garnish with.

Christmas wrapped up

Your guests will be full of festive spirit after a few sips, and ready to take on the rest of the Christmas season.

Don’t forget to stock up early on your juices to tick one thing off your list – our Eager cartons can store neatly away with your alcohol until you need them.

We’d love to see your Christmas party decorations, tablescapes and Christmas drinks. Share your creations with us on Instagram @eagerdrinks to help spread some festive cheer 📸