If you are a lover of all things retro and looking for ideas for your next Christmas party you are in the right place. Welcome to our guide on how to throw a retro Christmas party.
How to Throw a Retro Christmas Party – The Ultimate Guide
In this guide on how to how to throw a retro Christmas party we will look at every aspect of what is needed. This includes ideas and inspiration for party decorations, tableware, food, games, music, party favors and much more.
What is a Retro Christmas Party
A blast from Christmas pasts, a retro Christmas party transports guests back in time to decades like the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s for some throwback festive fun. So ring in the season with nostalgic style, kitschy decor, and good old-fashioned holiday cheer.
No matter the decade, a retro Christmas party calls everyone to rejoice in nostalgia and yuletide memories of the good ol’ days. It’s the most wonderful time of the year – with a vintage twist!
Retro Christmas Party Decorations
The first thing to consider when working out how to throw a retro Christmas party is to decide which decade you will be focusing on.
Here are some classic retro decorating ideas to make your Christmas party a blast from the past. We have sorted these ideas in to decades:
1950s Decor
- Aluminum Christmas trees with color wheel spotlights
- Poinsettia and silver tinsel garlands – Buy Here
- Flocked artificial trees in pastel colors like pink, turquoise
- Ornaments with mid-century modern design
- Inflatable reindeer and Santas – Buy Here
1960s Decor
- Bubble lights strung across walls and ceilings – Buy Here
- Fiber optic trees in psychedelic colors – Buy Here
- Shiny bright ornaments and glittery garlands – Buy Here
- Paper chains and homemade pop art style decorations
1970s Decor
- Faux wood paneling backdrop with wreaths – Buy Here
- Macrame plant hangers and beaded curtains
- Gold glitter trees and multicolor lights – Buy Here
- Kitschy felt Santas and snowmen
1980s Decor
- Neon and holographic plastic trees – Buy Here
- Rainbow mini light strands around window frames
- Ornate glass bulb ornaments and velvet bows – Buy Here
- Inflatable snow globes and Santas – Buy Here
Retro Christmas Party Food
When figuring our how to throw a retro Christmas party you should select food for your menu based on the decade you have chosen to focus on. Of course if you have chosen to focus on a range of decades you can choose a selection of food from each decade.
Here are some fun retro recipes and foods to serve at a blast-from-the-past Christmas party:
1950s
- Deviled eggs
- Chicken a la king in pastry shells
- Baked ham with pineapple rings
- Jellied cranberry salad
- Pink champagne punch
1960s
- Fondue pots with bread and veggies for dipping
- Cheese balls with crackers
- Crockpot meatballs in grape jelly/ketchup sauce
- Rumaki (chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon)
1970s
- Swedish meatballs over egg noodles
- Fondue pots filled with melted chocolate
- Seven layer salad (with mayo, lettuce, peas, hard boiled eggs etc.)
- Homemade eggnog
1980s
- Bacon and cheddar potato skins
- Microwave mug cakes
- Holiday Jell-O molds with whipped cream
- Little smokies sausages baked in grape jelly & chili sauce
Don’t forget some festive pops of color, sprinkles, and crushed candy canes for a perfect retro party.
Check out this range off Christmas party tableware by clicking here.
Retro Christmas Party Games
Here are some fun, nostalgic game ideas perfect for a retro Christmas party:
1950s Party Games
- Telephone Pictionary – guests whisper a Christmas word to draw down the line
- Who Am I? – place a Christmas character name sticker on guests’ backs for guessing
1960s Party Games
- The Name Game – sing rhyming song using guests’ names
- Limbo – see how low guests can go under a holiday limbo stick
1970s Party Games
- Ding Dong Dash – take turns ringing the doorbell and running away
- Balloon Stomp – pop numbered balloons tied around guests’ ankles
1980s Party Games
- Pin the Bow on the Gifts Game
- Guess how much tinsel is in the Jar
Nostalgic Group Games
- Dance Off contests doing retro moves like The Twist or Robot
- Christmas carol karaoke
- Holiday movie & TV trivia
Retro Christmas Party Music
Here’s a festive playlist filled with Christmas hits through the decades to get guests dancing at a retro holiday party:
1950s
- “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” – Brenda Lee
- “Jingle Bell Rock” – Bobby Helms
- “Winter Wonderland” – The Andrews Sisters
1960s
- “Little Saint Nick” – The Beach Boys
- “Do You Hear What I Hear?” – Andy Williams
- “Christmas Time is Here” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
1970s
- “Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul McCartney & Wings
- “Merry Christmas Darling” – The Carpenters
- “Little Drummer Boy” – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
1980s
- “Last Christmas” – Wham!
- “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Vince Vance and the Valiants
- “The Christmas Song” – Hall & Oates
Party Perennials
- “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” – Dean Martin
- “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – The Jackson 5
Have guests make song requests and keep the nostalgic music marathoning as they rock retro holiday style!
Your best option for music if you are to throw a Retro Christmas Party is Amazon Music. You will never ever be without the perfect song at your fingertips for any party you throw. You can check out the best deals for Amazon Music by clicking here.
Retro Christmas Party Favors
Before we look at ideas for items you can use as Christmas party favors make sure you have a good supply of Christmas themed party favor bags. You can check them out and buy them here.
Here are some fun retro holiday favor ideas perfect for guests at a blast-from-the-past Christmas party:
1950s Party Favors
- Candy cigarettes
- Wax soda pop lip balm
- Mini 45 records with holiday tunes
- Poodle skirts and scarves
- Socks hop knit dice keychains
1960s Party Favors
- Go-go boots keychains
- Peace sign pins
- Hippie bead necklaces
- Mini transistor radios
- Plush Beatles dolls
1970s Party Favors
- Disco ball ornaments
- Fake sideburns and mustaches
- Smiley face bounce balls
- Mini 8-track tapes
- Leis and plastic flower hair clips
1980s Party Favors
- Jelly bracelets
- Neon wayfarer sunglasses
- Popped collar headbands
- Mixed cassette tape pins
- Leg warmers and fingerless glove sets
The nostalgic treats let guests take home fun favors with vintage holiday charm! Everyone will totally dig these gnarly Christmas party keepsakes.
What to Wear to a Retro Christmas Party
A retro Christmas party is the perfect opportunity to channel festive fashions from decades past. Here are some ideas for what to wear to embody retro holiday style:
Women can don swing dresses with petticoats, gloves and pearl clip earrings for a 1950s look. Opt for a velvet minidress and go-go boots to take on the 1960s. Bring back 1970s flair with a pantsuit, crop top, and platform shoes. And rock 80s glam with leggings, off-the-shoulder tops, and statement accessories.
Men can sport a white dress shirt and suspenders or bold plaids and wide ties for 50’s Rat Pack vibes. Groove into the 60s psychedelic era with bell bottoms, a fringe vest, and neon hues. Make it shagadelic 70s style with leisure suits, button downs, gold chains, and sideburns. Top off your 1980s aesthetic with pastels, Members Only jackets, and popped collars.
Groups or couples can coordinate tacky Christmas sweaters from specific decades. Accessorize with Santa hats, garland boas, and other silly seasonal finery fitting for an ugly Christmas sweater party too.
Raid vintage stores or your family’s old closet treasures to source authentic retro apparel. The more festive sparkle, loud colors, wild patterns and far out style, the merrier your fashion will shine at this Christmas party throwback extravaganza!
Check out more Christmas party ideas and guides here.
