A while ago I wrote about how I threw an outdoor winter party. It was an ambitious undertaking, but since then I have also thrown an outdoor Halloween party as well.
It’s becoming a little bit of a theme in my life to figure out how to successfully throw outdoor parties at a time of year when outdoor parties are not supposed to be happening.
How to keep guests from freezing
One of the biggest struggles for throwing an outdoor party in the middle of winter is keeping guests warm. Depending on where you live it can be quite chilly, and so having an outdoor party might not be possible. Still, if you’re feeling ambitious and don’t think your guests will actually freeze to death, there are some ways to help keep everyone warm.
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Warm food and drinks | keeping seating warm | Stay-warm goody bags | and more.
The first time I threw an outdoor party in December I was not completely prepared for keeping everyone warm. I tried, but failed in some ways, and learned what I would do differently the next time.
This is a quick list of things you can do to keep guests warm during an outdoor winter party.
Also,
I’m a little obsessed with using twine in any and all projects (check out this guide to minimalist gift wrapping – you’ll see what I mean) so just fair warning. You might wanna get some twine.
Let guests know ahead of time
Make sure any guests know that you’ll be hanging out outside so that they can accept or decline your invite fully informed. The reality is some people may just not be up for it, and that’s understandable.
For those who do come though, you definitely want to make sure they aren’t stuck at your party shivering all night.
Tip: To give people an idea of what it will be like at your party, you could set stuff up a few days (or weeks) ahead of time and post a few photos or videos of you hanging out in your outdoor area. If they see how it’s gonna work they may be more likely to show.
Ask them to come prepared with:
- Winter shoes
- Winter coats
- Some extra layers that they can take off or put on as needed
Will there be ice?
Not in the drinks, on the ground. If there might be ice make sure to get some salt to coat the ground and prevent icy patches where people might slip.
Cover everything in warmth
This is something I learned the first time around.
I got yards of faux-fur fabric to drape over the seats, cutting smaller pieces for stools and fastening it with some twine. The bonus about the faux-fur fabric vs something like a faux-fur blanket is that the non-fur side is generally just a backing material, so it’s a little more sturdy.
I also found a couple of pieces of wooden furniture that I still have and love. They look nice and rustic, were easy to put together, and best of all, the fact that they’re wood means they won’t get as cold as metal seating. You can see the loveseat here.
Warm drinks
If it’s actually chilly, guests likely won’t be interested in iced drinks, so your efforts are better spent making warm drinks.
Warm drinks could be anything from cider to hot chocolate to tea or any combination of those. You can also make warm cocktails – here is a big list of hot holiday drinks – or have a couple of bottles of liquor available for guests to add a splash to their own drinks.
Get the proper containers for warm drinks
If you just put warm drinks out in a regular container they’re going to get cold quickly. To keep drinks warm (and by extension, keep your guests warm) get an insulated drink container.
I’ve used drink carafes like this and this and they work well to keep drinks warm for long periods of time.
Set up a little drink table with labels (see some here) so people know what they’re drinking.
Warm food
Pick some warm food items to serve at the party. There’s obviously a ton of options for warm foods, but consider some things that can be made in a crockpot.
Food ideas:
- Chilli
- Soup
- Pot roast
- Pasta
- Cornbread
Crockpot food is a good idea for a couple reasons:
- The recipes are usually pretty simple – set it and leave it
- You can set out the crockpot itself as the serving bowl and it will help keep the food warm longer
If you don’t want to set out the whole crockpot you could remove the inner part of the crockpot and set it out on its own, however, it will probably stay warmer longer in the crockpot. You can even plug the crockpot in at the serving area and keep it on warm.
If you want to get extra fancy, try a buffet-style food warmer.
Stay-Warm Goody Bags / Stay-Warm Station
To help keep your party guests warm outside you could put together some goody bags or a “stay-warm” station everyone can check out on arrival.
A “Stay-warm” station can simply be an area where you stack items that guests can grab on arrival or as they need them, but that they don’t necessarily keep. Goody bags are individual bags that everyone gets which include items they will get to keep, and that help them stay warm and enjoy the party.
Either way it’s a fun little addition to an outdoor winter party.
Tip: Grab some pillowcases from secondhand stores to use as goodie bags. Everyone gets a unique pattern, they’re big enough for bulkier items, and you can tie them with twine.
Winter party goodies
Gloves
Give everyone a pair of gloves – as cheap or expensive as you want. Even the cheap ones should help keep fingers warm.
Insulated cups
To help keep guest drinks warm, you might want to add some insulated cups to their goody bags.
These cups work for a few reasons:
- They keep drinks warm longer
- You can get different colors to help people keep track of their cup
- You can get multi-packs, perfect for a party
Blanket
You can get cheap, warm blankets from lots of places, including second-hand stores (just run them through the wash), then roll ’em up and tie them with some twine for a cute addition to your winter party gift bag.
I got several blankets like this for people to use at my party and put them out in a basket for people to grab.
Wearable Blanket
If you have a smaller party or are cool spending more on the gift items, you could give each guest a wearable blanket. You might be familiar with the famous Snuggie, but there are other options that will also work and may even be warmer.
Check out this very cozy wearable blanket. Everyone can look silly (and stay warm) together!
Pocket/glove warmers
A great solution for keeping guests warm at a winter party is hand warmers.
What are hand warmers? Little warming packs that activate through a motion like shaking the bag. They stay warm for a long time and can be kept in pockets to help keep hands warm throughout the night.
Plus they come several to a pack, making it perfect for a party.
Scarf
Similar to blankets, you can find cheap scarves at your local stores or secondhand shops, or packs of multiple like this. Get all the same or several different designs. They’ll help keep guests warm and be a fun accessory they get to keep.
Ear-warmers
This is another idea for winter parties that’s both useful and pretty affordable. You can get packs of multiple ear warmers, so giving each guest a pair doesn’t break the bank. And of course, they’ll also help keep everyone’s heads and ears warm throughout the party.
Basket of blankets
If you decide not to do goody bags, you could still set out some blankets for people at a warming station. I simply rolled up some blankets like this and stacked them in a basket for people to take as they needed them.
Just be sure you have a good number of blankets proportionate to the number of guests you expect.
Outdoor heaters
There’s a whole range of possibilities for outdoor heating. One of the first things you should consider when picking an outdoor heater for your party is the BTU rating.
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, which is a fancy way of saying it represents the amount of heat a heater can produce. The higher the number, the hotter the heater.
For an outdoor party in an open space, you’ll want a higher number or several heaters, but if you have a semi-enclosed or roofed area, you won’t need as much.
Safety check
Also be aware of your laws and the safety of the areas where you put heaters. You need a sufficient amount of space around them, and it may be illegal to have them in a covered area as they can pose a fire hazard.
You might have the ability to plug in a space heater outside, or you might want to grab one or two propane-powered heaters. You’ve probably seen patio heaters like this. They’re used at lots of restaurants that have outdoor seating.
You might also want to look at heaters like these:
- A ceiling or wall mount heater
- Mr. Buddy 4,000-9,000 BTU indoor/outdoor heater
- Propane tank topper directional heater
Fire pit
If you’re allowed to have a fire, set up a pit or two or get an above-ground fire pit.
Fire pits are awesome at parties because they serve the duel purpose of keeping guests warm and creating a gathering place. They also create an opportunity for smores, which is always a good idea.
Stay warm!
I hope all that info gives you some ideas for throwing a party and keeping guests warm in the winter.
To sum up:
- Let people know what’s up
- Watch out for ice
- Make warm food, and think about how to keep it warm
- Make warm drinks and use insulated drink containers
- Put together warming goody bags or a warming station
- Lay blankets or fabrics out where people sit so seats don’t get cold
- Use heaters or fire pits to create warmth
