I partnered with Lionsgate to create this Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection Watch Party. The opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
Where are my fellow Lifetime holiday movie lovers at!? It officially feels like the holiday season when Lifetime starts airing their romantic holiday movies. This year you don’t have to wait to catch when your favorites are on… you can experience all your favorites right at home whenever you want since Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection arrives on DVD TODAY (November 1, 2022)! Featuring 50 holiday-themed stories of love, family, friendship, and Christmas magic, Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection is available exclusively at Walmart. It’s the perfect reason to gather your besties for a Christmas movie night party! I’m sharing lots of fabulous Christmas movie night ideas in today’s article, including Christmas movie night decorations, snacks, drinks, activities, party favors and more – all inspired by your favorite Lifetime holiday movies and all-things holiday nostalgia! I’ve got cocktails, mocktails, holiday-inspired recipes, Christmas cookie decorating and more. This is such a fun get together that it will become an annual holiday girlfriends’ tradition! But don’t worry – this is a Fab Everyday party after all, so everything is as easy to organize and prepare as it is fabulous. Grab Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection from Walmart, send invites to your gals, and let this article be your guide for a memorable Christmas movie themed party!
About Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection
There’s never been so much merriment in one movie collection! Featuring fifty LIFETIME® holiday movies and countless hours of comfort and joy, this specially curated set will be the gift that keeps on giving — season after season.
Film highlights include:
- A Fiancé for Christmas
- Holiday in Santa Fe
- Miracle in Motor City
- Mistletoe in Montana
- Under the Christmas Tree
- Merry Liddle Christmas
- Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding
- Merry Liddle Christmas Baby
- Feliz NaviDAD
- You Light Up My Christmas
- Christmas Hotel
- Radio Christmas
- …and MANY more!
This really is the ultimate collection. You need it not just for yourself, but also as the perfect gift idea for any Lifetime holiday movie lovers in your life. Get it exclusively at Walmart starting today (November 1st)!
Christmas movie night decorations
When planning the Christmas movie night decorations, I was inspired by Lifetime’s holiday movies and went with an overall décor theme of “Holiday Nostalgia.” To bring this theme to life, I used a color scheme of traditional holiday colors (red, green, and white) with a red and white gingham and red and black Buffalo check motif. The check pattern is highlighted with pops of green from traditional holiday greenery (in the form of holly, wreaths, and garlands).
Here is what I used for the Christmas movie night decorations:
- Red and white gingham tablecloth
- Classic, farmhouse chic decorations like trees and mini reindeer figurines. But don’t be afraid to look in the attic or borrow from family members when decorating for your holiday movie party. Picture what your mom or Grandma used to have out for the holidays and lean into that aesthetic!
- Lots of holly berries, wreaths, and garlands
- You Light Up My Christmas inspired strings of Christmas lights
Casa de Milagro DIY Tissue Paper Garlands (inspired by Holiday in Santa Fe)
Garlands are a great way to add lots of color to your décor without much effort, but the price can really add up. A super cost-effective solution is to make DIY garlands out of green tissue paper. It’s a quick and easy DIY that will help you maximize the impact of your party décor without spending a lot of money. Both Belinda and Tony would approve!
What you need:
- Green glitter tissue paper
- Scissors
- Stapler and staples
Instructions:
- Take 3 pieces of tissue paper and fold them in half on the long edge. Cut them in half at the fold.
- Fold the pieces in half together on the long end again. Staple the sheets together in the center all the way across, placing a staple every few inches. Cut the folded side at the fold.
- Fold in half again along the staple line. Cut slices every inch starting at the unfolded edge and cutting towards the folded/stapled edge (being careful to leave about half an inch uncut at the staple line).
- Unfold the strip and fluff the paper strips.
Get more DIY tissue paper party decoration ideas here.
Christmas movie night snacks
It’s not a party without snacks! For our Christmas movie night food ideas, I went with festive light appetizer bites, including a Dried Cranberry and Nut Cheeseball, a Spinach Dip-Stuffed Pull Apart Tree, Cranberry, Camembert, and Rosemary Puff Pastry Bites, Holiday Popcorn, and a Candy Cane Bar. These are all really delicious Christmas movie night snacks inspired by Lifetime Christmas movies, and I’m sharing the recipe for each below.
Merry Liddle Christmas Dried Cranberry and Nut Cheeseball
This cheeseball is so pretty that you’d find it on Jacquie’s spread for her perfect Christmas video shoot… just keep it away from the fried turkey! It’s also easy to make and can be prepared in advance to save you time on the day of your watch party.
Dried Cranberry and Nut Cheeseball
This delicious cranberry cheeseball has a hint of citrus and is perfect for holiday entertaining.
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Mix together cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, marmalade, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well combined.
- Form the cheese mixture into a round ball (it’s helpful to use plastic wrap while shaping it). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Place the cranberries and pecans on a plate and stir to mix. Remove the plastic wrap from the cheese ball and roll it into the cranberry and pecan mixture, lightly pressing the topping to the cheese ball so it sticks.
- Place the coated cheese ball on a serving dish and surround with crackers for dipping.
Under the Christmas Tree Spinach Dip-Stuffed Pull Apart Tree
Charlie would approve of this tree! A creamy spinach dip is layered between triangles of prepared pizza dough (a great recipe shortcut), then branches are sliced and twisted so the pretty green color shows through. It tastes like a combo of spinach dip and breadsticks, and it is really easy for your party guests to grab and eat these Christmas movie night snacks.
Spinach Dip-Stuffed Pull Apart Tree
A creamy spinach dip is layered between triangles of prepared pizza dough (a great recipe shortcut), then branches are sliced and twisted so the pretty green color shows through. It tastes like a combo of spinach dip and breadsticks, and it is really easy for your holiday party guests to grab and eat!
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (13.8-ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Mix the spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well mixed.
- Unroll the pizza crust on a piece of parchment. Using a pizza cutter, slice the crust into a triangle starting at the top center and cutting diagonally down to the bottom corner on each side (this will give you one large triangle along with two smaller triangles from the discard). Transfer the smaller triangles to the second piece of parchment paper, connecting the long side edges together, and pressing the seam together to form another large triangle. Pull and stretch it to make it about the same size as the first triangle.
- Spread the spinach dip evenly over the triangle you just made from the two halves, then layer the first triangle of dough on top. Stretch the top triangle as needed to completely cover the filling and base triangle.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut 1-inch tall slices down each side of the tree, leaving about an inch in the middle. Twist each slice.
- Transfer the tree with its parchment paper to a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes, or until the top is browned and the bottom is completely cooked through. Remove from the oven.
- In a small bowl, stir the butter, garlic salt, basil, oregano, and thyme together. Brush the tree with the butter and seasoning mixture.
A Fiancé for Christmas Cranberry, Camembert, and Rosemary Puff Pastry Bites
These delicious little appetizer bites would have been perfect for serving at Sawyer’s fake bridal shower. The nuttiness of the cheese balances perfectly with the tartness of the cranberry sauce, the sweetness of the orange zest, and the spiciness of the rosemary for a flavor combo that will have you saying “I do” (sans the faux fiancé).
Cranberry, Camembert, and Rosemary Puff Pastry Bites
These delicious little appetizer bites would have been perfect for holiday entertaining. The nuttiness of the cheese balances perfectly with the tartness of the cranberry sauce, the sweetness of the orange zest, and the spiciness of the rosemary for a flavor combo that will have you coming back for more.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- Camembert cheese
- Whole berry cranberry sauce
- Chopped fresh rosemary
- Orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray cups of a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Roll puff pastry sheet out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Use a pizza cutter to slice the rectangle into 24 (2 1/2-inch) squares.
- Cut the Camembert into approximately 1/2-inch cubes.*
- Press puff pastry squares into each cup of the prepared mini muffin pan and prick with the tines of a fork. Add a cube of cheese, then about a teaspoon of cranberry sauce in each pastry cup. Sprinkle rosemary and orange zest on top of each cup.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 to 16 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and the corners are golden brown.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 3 minutes before transferring the bites to a serving dish.
Notes
*Freeze the cheese for 15 minutes before you are ready to cut it to make cutting easier.
Feliz NaviDAD Holiday Popcorn
It wouldn’t be a holiday movie night watch party without popcorn! This festive and sweet snack is perfect to munch on while watching Lifetime movies! They’re easier to put together than David’s tamales, but full of variety, like his dating app adventures. The combo of sweet and salty is the perfect pair, just like David and Sophie.
Ingredients:
- Plain popcorn
- White candy melts (melted)
- Holiday nonpareils sprinkles
- Red and green M&Ms
- Mini pretzels
Instructions:
- Toss all ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed.
- Enjoy!
Candy Cane Candidate Candy Cane Bar
Set different kinds of candy canes in glass apothecary jars so guests can pick and choose their favorite Christmas movie snacks. With an assortment of candy canes to choose from, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re Team Julia or Team Parker! For my candy cane bar, I went with traditional candy canes, Bob’s Sweet Stripes soft candy sticks, and red and green lollipop twists. You can also add more jars to feature a wider variety for your candy cane bar. Other good options include fruity candy canes, sour-then-sweet candy canes, and mint-chocolate candy canes.
If you’re looking for more holiday party food ideas for your Christmas movie night snacks, click here for more Christmas recipes and inspiration, and click here for more party food.
Christmas movie night party drinks
Put the “cheers” in your holiday cheer with these beverage Christmas movie night ideas. I’m sharing two recipes, one for a traditional holiday Hot Buttered Rum, and a non-alcoholic Candy Cane Spritzer Mocktail.
Mistletoe in Montana Hot Buttered Rum
Fun fact: hot buttered rum was once voted as “Montana’s Favorite Holiday Drink,” and you can imagine this warm, holiday-spiced beverage would be a hit on those cold Montana winter nights at Paradise Ranch.
Hot Buttered Rum
This warm, winter-spiced beverage is a holiday classic and a hit for holiday parties or a night at home enjoying the lights of the Christmas tree.
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup dark aged rum
- 3 cups hot water
- 4 cinnamon sticks, for garnish
Instructions
- Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt to a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined and smooth. Distribute between 4 heat-proof glasses or mugs.
- In each glass, stir 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of rum into the spiced butter mixture.
- Top each glass with 6 ounces (3/4 cup) hot water and stir until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick.
Secretly Santa Candy Cane Spritzer Mocktail
This is a non-alcoholic candy cane mocktail. If you’re interested in a version with alcohol, get my Candy Cane Spritzer recipe here. I imagine that Miranda and Paul might have found a festive, minty drink like this on their Santa crawl!
Candy Cane Spritzer Mocktail
This is a non-alcoholic candy cane mocktail version of my Candy Cane Spritzer recipe, and can be enjoyed by the whole family!
Ingredients
- 6 cups club soda
- 4 (12-ounce) cans lemon-lime soda (such as 7UP or Sprite)
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- Lime juice
- Crushed peppermint candy
- Candy canes
Instructions
- Add club soda, lemon-lime soda, and peppermint extract to a pitcher, and stir.
- Place lime juice in a small saucer, and crushed peppermint on a separate small plate. Dip the rim of your serving glasses into the lime juice, then roll around in the crushed peppermint to create a candy-crusted rim.
- Pour the spritzer into the glass when ready to serve, and add a candy cane. Serve immediately.
Notes
This is a non-alcoholic candy cane mocktail. If you’re interested in a version with alcohol, get my Candy Cane Spritzer recipe here.
Activities for a Christmas movie themed party
Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection Marathon
Naturally, the core activity for a Christmas movie night party is to watch your favorite Lifetime holiday movies! With 3000 minutes of holiday fun, Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection is the perfect choice to keep things easy for you as the party host, and to keep your party guests entertained with their favorites. Get a few of these cozy blankets (that also look perfect with the party décor theme) to help your guests feel as warm and fuzzy on the outside as Lifetime Christmas movies make them feel on the inside.
Baking Spirits Bright Sugar Cookie Decorating
Another great Christmas movie night party idea is to set up a cookie decorating station with Christmas cookie decorating supplies. Start by baking your favorite simple cutout sugar cookie recipe (or buy some undecorated cookies from a local bakery as a shortcut) and let your party guests do the rest. They’ll be yummy and pretty enough to be sold at Mira’s fruitcake bakery, and your Christmas movie night guests will make great memories together in the process.
Supplies needed for hosting a Christmas cookie decorating party:
- Undecorated sugar cookies
- Individual mats for your guests to decorate on (I used reasonably-priced flexible cutting boards from a pack like this)
- Icing bags, icing tips and couplers, and icing bag ties
- Red, green, and white cookie icing
- An assortment of holiday sprinkles (I like these, these, and these)
- Boxes (see more on how I packaged the cookies as a take-home party favor below)
Christmas movie night party favors
You can send your guests home from your Christmas movie night party with more than just memories! Here are a few fun favors so You Make It Feel Like Christmas early!
Monogrammed Aprons
I got a few two-packs of these reasonably-priced Buffalo check aprons and added an initial for each guest with my Cricut. Guests can wear them while decorating cookies (to keep those holiday movie party ‘fits looking good), then take them home after the party. This is such an easy, yet delightful giveaway for your guests that you might think it was a Miracle in Motor City! And when they wear it to cook in the future it will feel like Every Day is Christmas! (I’ve got the Lifetime movie puns all day, folks.)
Cookies
Include a cute box for guests to take home (or exchange) their cookies from the cookie decorating activity. Wrap them with some festive red and white twine and attach a printable tag matching the décor scheme. Get the free “Made with Love” printable here.
I hope these Christmas movie night ideas inspired your own new holiday movie party tradition! Tag me at @fabeveryday in your celebration pics, and get Lifetime®’s Ultimate Holiday Movie Collection at Walmart today!
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