MAGICAL Winter Wonderland Party | Ideas and Inspo!

Welcome to this post celebrating parties, snow and the stunning, majestic winter wonderland theme! In this post, I give you tips, ideas and inspiration for how to create a gorgeous winter wonderland themed party.

I’m Zoe and I used to work in the party industry, giving me first-hand insight into what works well and what doesn’t! Since leaving to start this site, I love nothing more than coming up with creative, exciting and budget-friendly ideas for epic theme parties.

This is a great party theme to get people in the holiday spirit and have a great time celebrating, winter, snow and the holiday season.

Winter wonderland themed Decor

White and Silver Color Palette: Choose white, silver, and shades of blue to mimic the icy, snowy atmosphere of a winter wonderland for your colour theme. After all, a white Christmas, is totally magical.

Twinkling Lights: String white string lights or fairy lights throughout the venue to create a magical, starry ambience. Try to find a cold white option for this to feel snowy and add some real holiday cheer.

Winter flower arrangements: Like frosted twigs with snow spray and glitter, or wintery flowers such as any of the following: Amaryllis, Anemone, Camellias, Casablanca Lilies, Forget-me-nots, French Tulips, Gardenias, Holly, Jasmine, Orchids, Mini Gerberas, Paperwhites (Narcissus), Poinsettias, and Roses. As suggested by Teleflora flower experts.

Hanging snowflake decorations: You can buy gorgeous inexpensive garlands with strings hanging down full of snowflake decorations, making the individual fakes look suspended, and adding a 3D, magical decorative element. 

Outdoor fire pit: if you have one this would be lovely warning decorative feature, with space to sit around, warm up and toast marshmallows! Make it cozy with throw blankets and pillows.

Artificial spray snow decorations: If you’re not in a snowy place, use spray snow to cover the base of windows and string up fresh branches from your garden, eucalyptus and/or dried flowers frosted with spray snow to add some greenery to the decor. This is a relly easy way to create a snowy magical look indoors

Winter Wonderland Entrance: Create a grand entrance to your party with an archway covered in twinkling lights and white balloons. Add a “Welcome to Winter Wonderland” sign painted in silver or glitter for extra charm. Perhaps even put a snowflake hanging ornament curtain across the front door. Something that becomes an interactive decoration will really make this theme shine.

A mirror ball: this is old school, but the reflecting lights really create a snowy magical ambience! This is also a great way to inject some movement and dynamic energy into the room, but is also a really easy decoration to prepare.

Hot Chocolate Bar: Set up a hot cocoa bar station with a variety of toppings like marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and candy canes. You can also offer different flavors of hot chocolate, including white chocolate and peppermint. This is perfect for all holiday parties as it suits all ages and adds all senses into the decor — sweet, warm drinks help you to taste the wintery theme!

Snowy Photo Booth: Set up a photo booth area with a winter-themed backdrop, props like scarves and earmuffs, and an instant camera for guests to take home memories. Photo booths are  the best thing to be sure you have loads of gorgeous photos to keep and look over.

Glistening Table Settings: Use silver or white tablecloths and add silver chargers, white dinnerware, and crystal or glassware for an elegant table setting. Sprinkle with snowflake confetti.

A North Pole grotto: If you have space for a little extra fun, creating a little themed nook is a perfect way to add some cuteness and a little clam space. A North Pole grotto is a great idea for a theme, you can line the wall with fake gifts, and cover the ceiling with tacky colourful Christmas lights, a total change from the aesthetic of the rest of the party, but super fun! 

White Drapery: Use white fabric or tulle to drape over furniture, walls, and if possible, string low across ceilings. This adds an elegant, snowy effect, and covers non- theme relating areas of your house. Try to use light, fabrics or even semi- transparent tuel or nettings for a translucent wintery wonderland feeling.

Extra extravagant touch!

Ice Sculptures: If your budget allows, consider renting or purchasing ice sculptures of snowflakes, reindeer, or other winter-themed designs.

Inflatable glowing snowman: This is fun! There are a lot of great options for huge, inflatable snowmen, this could be a very cute kitschy addition to your party. If this is also a Christmas party, you could also consider a santa claus or reindeer figure.

Winter wonderland-themed party food:

Cranberry Brie Bites: Make bite-sized appetizers with a slice of Brie cheese and a dollop of cranberry sauce on a cracker or baguette slice. This is an easy idea for a delicious snack that feels very Christmassy and that everyone loves.

Snowy Spinach Dip: Make a ricotta spinach dip and serve it in a hollowed-out bread bowl. Sprinkle fine, grated parmesan on top to mimic snow.

Snowman Cheeseball: Shape a cheeseball or ring of cheese into a snowman figure and use pretzels for arms, a carrot for the nose, and olives for eyes and buttons. Serve it with crackers or vegetables.

Mini Quiches: Bake mini quiches with flavour such as spinach and feta, bacon and cheddar, or smoked salmon and dill.

Mini Meatballs: Serve cocktail-sized meatballs in a savory mushroom cream sauce.

Fruit Salad: Prepare a fruit salad using seasonal fruits like pomegranate seeds, sliced kiwi, and citrus segments. Serve it in a clear bowl to resemble ice crystals.

Snowball turkish delights: These powdered sugar-covered treats look like little square snowballs. They’re delicious sweet that fits the theme perfectly

Icy Blue Jello Cups: Make blue raspberry Jello cups and top them with whipped cream. You can add snowflake sprinkles or silver balls for extra decoration.

Winter-Themed Cupcakes: Decorate cupcakes with snowflake-shaped fondant toppers or fluffy blue and white frosting.

Icicle Popcorn: Drizzle white chocolate over popcorn and sprinkle it with edible silver or blue glitter to create an icy effect.

Peppermint Bark: Provide a sweet and minty treat with homemade or store-bought peppermint bark.

Snow Cone Bar: Set up a snow cone station with flavored syrups for a fun and colorful dessert option.

Eggnog: Offer a warm and comforting drink like eggnog for adults. You can also have a non-alcoholic version for kids.

Winterwonderland theme cocktails

Super winter wonderland-themed party cocktails will go down a treat! You can either hire a bar or make big pitchers of your favourite cocktails. 

The key to giving these cocktails a perfect winter wonderland vibe is to garnish the cocktails with elements like edible glitter, cranberries, citrus slices, crushed candy canes or even miniature snowflake-shaped ice cubes to enhance the wintry vibe. 

All of these suggestions below are rough quantities and suggestions to give you an idea of what might work well –  we suggest looking up a proper recipe. We are not mixologists, and have only taken these as inspiration rather than tested them!

Snowflake Martini:

Suggested ingredients:

• 2 oz vanilla vodka
• 1 oz white crème de cacao
• 1 oz cream
• Crushed ice

Instructions:

Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with edible silver or blue glitter for a frosty touch.

Winter Wonderland Mule:

Suggested ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz ginger beer
• Crushed ice

Instructions:

Fill a copper mug with crushed ice. Add vodka and lime juice, then top with ginger beer. Stir gently and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a cranberry skewer.

Frosty Peppermint Martini:

Suggested ingredients:

• 2 oz peppermint liqueur
• 1 oz vanilla vodka
• 1 oz white crème de cacao
• Crushed candy canes (for rimming)

Instructions:

Rim a martini glass with crushed candy canes. Shake the schnapps, vodka, and crème de cacao with ice and strain into the glass. Garnish with a mini candy cane.

Frozen Cranberry Margarita:

Suggested ingredients:

• 2 oz silver tequila
• 1 oz triple sec
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• Ice

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients with ice until smooth. Serve in a sugar-rimmed glass, garnish with cranberries, and a sprig of mint.

Icy Blueberry Lemonade:

Suggested ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz blueberry vodka
• 3 oz lemonade
• Splash of club soda
• Lemon slices (for garnish)

Instructions:

Fill a glass with ice. Add blueberry vodka and lemonade, then top with club soda. Garnish with fresh blueberries and lemon slices.

White Chocolate Snowflake Cocoa:

Suggested ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz white chocolate liqueur
• 1 oz vanilla vodka
• 4 oz hot cocoa
• Whipped cream
• White chocolate shavings (for garnish)

Instructions:

In a warm mug, mix white chocolate liqueur and vanilla vodka with hot cocoa. Top with whipped cream and garnish with white chocolate shavings.

Cranberry Winter Sangria:

Suggested ingredients:

• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup

Sliced oranges, apples, and cranberries

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and refrigerate for several hours. Serve over ice and garnish with additional fruit.

Frozen Blueberry Sparkler:

Suggested ingredients:

• 1 oz blueberry vodka
• 1/2 oz blue curaçao
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• Champagne or sparkling wine

Instructions:

Shake blueberry vodka, blue curaçao, and lemon juice with ice. Strain into a flute glass and top with chilled champagne or sparkling wine.

Adjust the alcohol content to suit your guests’ preferences, and provide non-alcoholic versions for those who prefer them. 

Winter wonderland theme party games:

Snowman Building Contest:

Organize a snowman-building contest indoors using craft supplies like cotton balls, construction paper, and felt.

Set a time limit and have teams or individuals create their own unique snowmen. You can award a range of prizes for the most creative, tallest, and funniest snowmen.

Snowball Toss:

Set up a snowball toss game by creating targets with varying point values. Use toy soft snowballs for this if you’re in a warmer climate or is isn’t snowy around the time of your party where you live.

This is like a classic fairground game but in a snowman theme. And is a fun side, game to have going while the party is in swing. 

Human Christmas bingo: 

Before the party, ask each gest member to share an entertaining, or unusual detail about their previous Christmas parties. For example:

• ‘I once spent Christmas on a cruise chip in Egypt’
• ‘I once had to sleep in a tent in the garden because the house was so full of visitors’
• ‘I’ve spent every single Christmas since I was born at my grandmother’s house’
• ‘I once dropped the Christmas turkey while carrying it to the table from the kitchen

At the party, give every guest a sheet of paper with all the facts on them, but no associated name and guests have to speak to each other and find out which belongs to each person. The first to get all theirs filled is the winner.

This is a great game that really gets people mingling, especially at a party where not everyone knows each other! It’s not embarrassing, and it’s a good conversation starter, particularly if there are some funny Christmas stories in the pack!

Winter Wonderland Trivia Quiz:

Create a winter-themed trivia quiz with questions about holidays, winter sports, and famous winter movies. A quiz is a classic party game and lovely change for everyone in the room to come together and be involved in something all at once.

Pin the Nose on the Snowman:

Similar to “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” blindfolded guests try to pin a carrot nose on a snowman poster. This is a fun game to have running in the background during the party. Have a running total of how far off the guests were and prepare a prize for the winner!

Winter-themed Charades for Christmassy themes movies:

Create a list of winter-related words or phrases for a game of charades. Charades is his is one of those Christmas party games that everyone associates with 

Winter Wonderland Music suggestions:

The best way to create an atmosphere at a party is through music, and so this theme is no exception! 

We love rich tones and wintery music, but by the time Christmas parties roll around most people are sick of classic Christmas songs!

So here we have curated a list of albums that might suit your winter wonderland perfectly. They are not Christmas songs as such, but just warm tones, and luscious wintery sounds, see if any take your fancy for the party.

• Norah Jones – “Come Away with Me”: This album has a cozy and intimate feel that’s well aligned to wintertime. 
• Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – “Ella and Louis”: The timeless jazz vocals of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on this album evoke a warm and romantic ambience.
• Sarah McLachlan – “Wintersong”: Sarah McLachlan’s “Wintersong” album includes nice covers of some classic holiday tunes and a mix of original songs with a serene and gnarly, contemplative vibe. These are less upbeat, good for a slow moment in the party or towards the end of the night.
• Fleet Foxes – “Fleet Foxes” (Self-Titled): This folk-rock album has a wintry, woodland feel with rich harmonies and poetic lyrics. It has a lovely wintery feel, and will add a bit more life into the mix.
• George Winston – “December”: An entirely instrumental album, “December” by George Winston is inspired by the winter season and features beautiful solo piano compositions.
• Bon Iver – “For Emma, Forever Ago”: This album is known for its haunting and emotive folk sound, making it a great choice for a contemplative winter evening around the fire-place for some wintery listening.
• Frank Sinatra – “In the Wee Small Hours”: Sinatra’s iconic album is filled with songs that remind people of melancholy Christmassy times c, making it a perfect winter listen.

Goodluck!

We hope you’ve enjoyed these inspirations and ideas for a magical winter wonderland party and we hope you are left feeling creative and ready to get stuck into the planning.

Remember one of the main tips about the party ‘if the host is having fun, so will the guests’ so be sure to delegate and get your closest friends and family to help with the organising and planning! They will be happy to help.

Cheers to a festive and enchanting winter wonderland party!

Best of Luck, 

Zoe x