Things You'll Need:
- Modest cooking skills
- Popcorn
- Dried cranberries
- Gingerbread cookies
- Needle and string
- Red velvet ribbon (wide)
- Scissors
- Tape or tacks
- Evergreen boughs and garlands
- Christmas tree
- Old-fashioned ornaments
- Card stock and envelopes
- Red and green candles
- Peppermint sticks
- Apples and oranges
- Potpourri and potpourri burner
- Mistletoe
- Wreath
- Christmas stockings
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Step 1
Research Victorian Christmas traditions, customs and recipes on the Internet and decide what kind of holiday party you want to have. It could be something as simple as finger foods and mulled wine or something as extravagant as a sit-down formal dinner. You may also want to consider a Victorian high tea held in the late afternoon and featuring dainty sandwiches, scones, cookies and candies. Catalogs such as the VIctorian Trading Company will provide you with plenty of inspiration.
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Step 2
Purchase old-fashioned invitations and send them out at least 2 to 3 weeks before the date of your party. If you have a talent for crafts, there are a number of Victorian-themed websites that allow you to download vintage designs, print them out and affix them to your own card stock. To create even more atmosphere for the party, suggest that your guests show up in period costumes.
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Step 3
Place evergreen boughs on top of fireplace mantles, bookshelves, credenzas and sideboards. Save a few of the smaller branches for a centerpiece on your dining room table and place a tall red or green candle in the middle. Tack sprigs of mistletoe above the doorways.
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Step 4
Nestle old-fashioned ornaments, peppermint sticks or apples and oranges amongst the branches.
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Step 5
Tape or tack evergreen garlands to staircase railings in large loops. Cover up the tacks and tape with some of the red bows that you make in Step 10.
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Step 6
Pop a big batch of popcorn. After it cools, use a large needle and string to thread together 2 to 3-foot lengths for hanging on the tree. While the popcorn is popping, you can also start threading shorter lengths of cranberries.
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Step 7
Bake gingerbread cookies. As they start to cool, poke a small hole through the head of each one. Once they harden, this will make it easy to thread a short loop of string through each one individually and hang them as ornaments.
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Step 8
Put up the tree where it will be a focal point of the room but will not be in the middle of traffic patterns that could put it at risk of tipping over. If necessary, anchor it with a few strings to the ceiling.
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Step 9
Decorate the tree with the festive popcorn and cranberry chains you've made. Tie gingerbread cookies onto the branches. Hang old-fashioned ornaments and peppermint candy canes.
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Step 10
Cut the red velvet ribbon into long pieces and fashion elegant bows. Tack or tape these to doors and cupboards.
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Step 11
Hang a wreath on the front door.
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Step 12
Start simmering the potpourri just before your guests arrive for the party. Place red and green candles around the room.
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Step 13
Put on a tape of Victorian Christmas carols.
