Even if the fluffy white stuff isn't falling, gather your friends and family for a festive holiday celebration. Our tips help you give your party an extra helping of cheer:

Cool Holiday Gathering
Christmas is the season for Santa-inspired style:

• Dare to be different with bold hues such as lime green, hot pink and silver. Outfit place settings with utensils tucked into small holiday stockings.
• Wrap a plastic-foam wreath form in satin ribbon and secure colorful ball ornaments on the wreath with hot glue. Or create a nontraditional look by covering wreaths with costume jewelry. Hang the finished wreath or lay it flat for a centerpiece.
• Supply plain ball ornaments and metallic paint pens so guests can design their own take-home tree trimmers.

Festival of Lights
Light up your Chanukah with these illuminating ideas:

• Create place cards by cutting a small star or dreidel design from metallic silver paper and gluing it to a larger star or dreidel cut from dark blue paper. Glue the shapes onto a small piece of white cardstock folded lengthwise. Write each guest's name on the front of the cardstock.
• Transform your Chanukah cards into a dreidel game. On the inside of a plain card, write one of the instructions below along each edge, accompanied by the corresponding dreidel symbol.
  • Nun: Take none
  • Gimmel: Take all
  • Hay: Take half
  • Shin: Put one in

Make a spinner by cutting an arrow shape from watercolor paper. Attach the spinner to the middle of the inside of the card with a paper fastener. To play, evenly divide “gelt” among guests (try gold-wrapped chocolate coins or small candies). Spin the arrow the way you would spin a dreidel and, depending on where the arrow lands, contribute or collect items from the pot.

• Send guests home with party favors. Put the kids to work placing confetti stars and menorah candles into a clear cellophane bag and tying the bag with silver cording. Accompany the candle favors with decorative matchboxes. Embellish matchbox covers by covering the exposed parts (except the striking pad) with colorful scrapbook paper.