I know you don't want to hear this but the holiday season is coming up quickly.
This time of year is synonymous with parties and get-togethers.
The best parties are the ones that combine fun with frugality and spark a renewed interest in sharing joy with friends and family.
As this holiday party season swiftly approaches, everyone becomes overwhelmed with demands on both their time and their bank accounts.
Creating a party where family and friends can come together, work on some gifts, and enjoy themselves is becoming increasingly trendy.
It showcases your creativity and initiative.
These kinds of parties are perfect venues for sharing and spreading holiday cheer.
Guests can bring in culinary masterpieces for a holiday food basket to give to the local food pantry.
Guests can also bring in ornaments and decorations to create whatever craft they want to send abroad to soldiers bringing them some much deserved holiday cheer.

• Before you begin planning everything you'll need or buy, find a date that works for everyone.
  Choose one early in the holiday season before everybody gets booked up with other parties.
  Plan it as an all-day event so people can drop in and out as they attend other holiday functions.
  
• Write out your invitations and send them out about a month in advance.
  Get your guests involved in the party by asking them to bring items which can be used for wreath making like acorns or evergreen branches.
  You can also ask them to bring a special holiday dish to be served to other party guests.
  
• Make a small list of all the different projects you want to make.
  Buy some home and craft magazines for a few different ideas.
  You can also visit some similar themed websites such as The Fruit Company or Martha Stewart's site.
  I'm sure you'll find a few different ideas that can catch your eye.
  
• Have a budget for how much you want to spend on materials, ingredients and decorations.
  The budget should be based on the projected head count.
  If you're worried about money or lack thereof possibly being a problem, on the invitation ask for monetary donations to the party cause along the lines of $20 or so.
  
• Start buying all of your supplies and materials you'll need a few months in advance.
  This way you can take advantage of any sales or other good deals.
  Check off all the items on your supply list as you find them.
  
• When you are setting up everything for the party, create a few different stations for each one of the projects.
  Set up these stations in various areas of the hall or room in order to give all your guests enough room to work.
  Make sure each of the work areas has enough materials and supplies like scissors and glue guns.
  
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• Design your gifts to be one of a kind.
  Use handmade and personally designed gift tags.
  One more way to make your gifts unique is to use digital photos of friends and family or even of the finished project and add a personal message inside as a final touch.