As soon as the first of December hits, it is a race to get everything decorated, bought, and prepped for the big day. Getting it all done in only 25 days is a mammoth task – but it’s one the pros have worked down to a fine art.
We asked them for their top tips for getting ahead this holiday season and they revealed their ultimate Christmas hosting prep countdown.
This is how they break down their most essential tasks, week-by-week, leading up to the main event, with their tips for preparing and decorating for Christmas without feeling overwhelmed.
Expert-approved Christmas hosting prep countdown
Getting organized for Christmas will look different for everyone. It will change depending on if you are hosting or being hosted, how many people you spend Christmas with, and how much you invest in decorating. No matter how big of an event it ends up, there are still key markers you should aim for when putting together your festivities – from pre-Christmas decluttering to pre-Christmas cleaning tasks.
4 Weeks To Go: Invite guests, start decorating, and shop for gifts
The end of November and the start of December is the right time to start setting plans in motion.
- Decorate: Guillaume Drew, founder of Or & Zon suggests this is the best time to start decorating for Christmas, ‘Get a head start by systematically decorating the house from inside out by focusing on the tree, lights, mantels and so on.
- Get gifting: Start making a gift list so you know what needs to be made or ordered over the coming week so everything arrives in time, giving yourself time to find replacements if anything arrives damaged.
- Send invites: If you are hosting this season, Alyssa Pettinato, owner of Alinato Events says this is a good time to start sending invites to guests if you haven’t already. Rather than sending a message, consider going 'old school' with classic Christmas invites, available at Amazon, posted through their doors for a traditional touch.
Keep on top of everything holiday related in one place with a dedicated Christmas planner so you don't forget a thing. This planner is complete with a gift tracker, budgeting sheets, calendars, and to-do lists for the big day.
3 Weeks To Go: Plan your menu and prepare guest rooms
- Plan the menu and table: With your guests starting to get back to you, you can move on to planning your menu, Alyssa Pettinato continues. ‘I would start to identify themes and styles for your tablescaping, and start gathering items for the table. A good holiday hosting tip is to start planning a menu inclusive of everyone's dietary restrictions.’
- Prep guest spaces: With responses from friends and family, you can also start preparing guest rooms for Christmas, continues Guillaume Drew, luxury lifestyle expert. When getting your home guest-ready for the season, he recommends stocking up on guest bedroom essentials (maybe even curating a guest-welcome box (or stocking, to be festive) such as extra towels, bedding and blankets, and toiletries people might forget
A welcome box with guest essentials and snacks is a great touch to make you guest feel loved in the holiday season.
Having a small pack of essentials to hand will cover all the last minute guest emergencies, especially when the stores are closed for the holidays.
A soothing linen spray can help guests get to sleep more easily after a hectic day.
2 Weeks To Go: Confirm numbers, wrap gifts, and start cleaning
- Make a shopping list: Two weeks out, you should have a firm idea of who will be visiting, so you can confirm the menu and write up a food shopping list, says event planner Alyssa Pettinato.
- Wrap gifts: Guillaume Drew adds, ‘To best prepare for the chaos that comes with last minute rushes, start wrapping and labeling gifts’. Doing this early also stops things from being spoiled (especially if you live with nosy children).
- Start cleaning: With gifts out of the way, Drew suggests ‘Cleaning critical areas of the house, getting a kitchen ready for hosting, organizing dining rooms and double checking the contents of your tablecaping storage ideas, and deep cleaning the bathrooms.’
- Declutter toys: If you do have children at home, two weeks out is also a good time to consider decluttering toys before Christmas. This gives you plenty of time to donate or sell them before the influx of new toys on Christmas day, reducing your stress and stopping you from feeling overwhelmed.
With dish soap, hand soap, and multipurpose cleaner, this Christmas cleaning set will infuse even tedious tasks with a bit of festive magic.
1 Week To Go: Order food and drink
- Put in a food order: A week out is a good time to start thinking about ordering food and drink essentials. The last thing you want to be doing on Christmas Eve is hunting for a turkey, Alyssa Pettinato says.
- Consider parking: Pettinato continues, ‘You might also want to consider the parking situation (have a snow shovel, from Walmart, ready if you live in a snowy area!).’
- Sort last-minute gifts: Now is the latest you should be thinking about last-minute gifts and cards to ensure things arrive in time.
2 Days Before: start meal prepping
The final days should be fairly relaxed, with the bulk of the work done in the weeks before.
- Start meal prep: Alyssa says, ‘start meal prepping – anything that can be premade and frozen should be made then (pies, small starters like spanakopita etc.)’ If you made a robust meal plan earlier in the month, you should already have a good idea of what you can get done now. Pop on some Christmas music or a festive film to breeze through these tasks and keep stress levels low.
- Set up the dining table: Alyssa continues, ‘if setting up a dining table not regularly used feel free to place linen, glasses, silverware, fancy water pitchers, hot stones for serving hot dishes, etc.’
Air tight meal prep containers will keep your food fresh to give the illusion everything was done on the same day.
1 Day Before: Finish meal prepping, tidy up your entryway
- Prep vegetables: The day before hosting should be reserved for the finishing touches. For Alyssa, this means prepping the vegetables which can be covered overnight so all you have to do is heat them up tomorrow, thawing meat, and baking desserts – this will also help to make your home smell good for Christmas.
- Clear the entryway: The day before is also a good time to prep your entryway– both inside and out. To prepare an entryway for Christmas guests, declutter your hallway, make space for extra shoes and cots, and ensure you have a doormat to help catch any dirt or snow that is tracked in, keeping the rest of your home clean. Outside of your house, shovel any snow and melt ice to prevent slips and trips and ensure stairs are well lit if guests will be arriving later in the day.
Swapping out your doormat is a quick practical yet seasonal change that instantly spruces up your entryway without having to change out the rest of the decor
If you are a shoes off household, consider offering guests a pair of washable slippers to feel more comfortable leaving shoes at the door.
Keep mess contained to a wipe-clean boot tray to avoid having to deep clean floors after hosting in winter
3 Hours Before: Start cooking
Alyssa says, ‘In the final hours, start cooking! Set out all drinks that can be out at room temp and put all other beverages into the fridge, preset a desert area or have items to the side ready to go with plates etc.
‘If you have time, make last-minute adjustments to table decor and ensure there is enough seating.’
1 Hour Before: Get dressed, set the atmosphere
Alyssa concludes that the final steps should be largely decorative.
- Get dressed: ‘Get dressed,’ she stresses. ‘A dressed-up host sets the tone.
- Light candles and start the music: ‘Light your best candles to make a house feel cozy and start some gentle Christmas music to help create a festive atmosphere.
- Finalize your cooking: ‘Finally, put any last items in the oven, timing things so everything comes out together ready for serving when your guests are gathered together.’
If you have pets or young children visiting or don't want to leave a candle unattended, an oil diffuser is a safer bet. This rechargeable portable diffuser can be moved around the home to mask cooking odors with ease.
Combining these important pre-hosing steps with some fun challenges such as the 12 days of organizing is a sure fire way to ensure your home is looking its best for Christmas day.
If you are not host and are instead playing the role of a guest this year, consider reaching out to your host to help them with their countdown prep to make everyone's Christmas more relaxing and a little more sociable.
