Perfect parties

AFTER YEARS OF attending other people's Christmas parties, it's payback time and you've decided to host your own seasonal soiree. Easy you think, a few crates of ice-packed booze in the bath (beer for the boys, white wine for the laydees) and some bumper bowls of Doritos should do the trick. In certain circles, perhaps, but that ain't gonna swing it in the style stakes.

Effort is required in creating a party that is memorable, and not just for the fact Giles vomited into the potted palm or Cecilia and Max were caught in flagrante under the coat pile (Max being a woman).

Decor is the crucial backdrop to staging an aesthetically memorable event. A buxom fresh wreath at the door puts people in the mood before they even enter (from $280 at Anglo Chinese Florist. Tel: 2845 4212 or visit www.anglochinese.com) and if there are stairs outside, tealights on each step will have the psychological effect of leading guests to where the action is ($59 per 100 from Ikea. Tel: 3125 0888 or www.ikea.com.hk).

The sight of a lush tree dripping with shiny baubles and sparkly lights makes all but the most obstinate of bah-humbugs swell with seasonal good feeling. And with a striking tree you need little else in the way of decorations to create a Christmassy atmosphere. Modern trees wouldn't be seen dead in tinsel. Instead stick to ornaments in one or two colours and if there's a dominant colour theme in the room, echo it in your choice of baubles. Though simple spheres are timeless, you don't have to stick to traditional tree ornaments - decorate with simple wide ribbons tied in bows or silk flower heads like blowzy hydrangeas or peonies (from $26.50 and $15 per stem at Yevette Collection, Unit 2614, 26/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau. Tel: 2817 2732). Make sure the gifts stacked underneath don't clash with the tree. (You may have to hide presents you are given wrapped in non-co-ordinating colours.)

Lighting is crucial in setting the mood. Simple church candles (from $19 at Ikea as above) along a window-sill can look dramatic, either on their own, or surrounded by branches of foliage and swags of ivy. Spray apples and pears with metallic-coloured paint or hollowed-out artichokes which make great candle-holders.

For budget decorators, sporadic tealights create a magical atmosphere, but be careful of placing them near flammable items or where they are likely to be knocked over by tipsy revellers. Tealights scattered on a surface strewn with fresh flower heads is particularly effective or for a funky look, paint the foil container in glue and roll in glitter. Alternatively, sit them in nests of foliage, mini ivy wreaths or fashionable this season, rings of feathers. Flickering tealights placed in simple glass votives or tumblers cast atmospheric reflections - scour junk shops for an eclectic range to group together. An oversized bowl of pine cones with a candle in the centre makes a great table centrepiece.

Strings of fairy lights are mood-enhancing but stick to white and steer clear of flashing lights, or worse, lights that play those irritating Christmas jingles.

For a contemporary look, string baubles in the same colour as the ones you've used on the tree, on individual lengths of fishing wire and suspend to create a floating horizontal row in front of a window. Or string silk flower heads to make a floral equivalent of a paper chain and hang across the room. Vibrantly coloured inexpensive Chinese paper lanterns, available from local stationers, look fantastic when strung en mass or in a row. Again, be careful with naked flames - you may want to string fairy lights through them instead.

Balloons inevitably evoke a party mood and no one can resist bashing a floating balloon around a room. Stick to one colour, like silver or gold ($2 unfilled or $12 helium-filled from Celebrations, G/F, 51 Bonham Strand East, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2559 8205) to prevent it looking like a children's party. Scatter them at random or suspend balloons in some brightly coloured voile to the ceiling to be released when partygoers start to flag. Mistletoe in strategic places should also spice up proceedings.

Dorothy Parker had a one-word formula for the perfect party: alcohol. Miniature bottles of champagne sipped through straws were all the rage at hip parties in London and New York last year. If you're planning a small gathering, or simply feeling flush, greet guests with mini bottles of Pommery Pop ($111 from Watson's Wine Cellar, Tel: 2147 3641 or visit www.watsonswine.com). And for the thoroughly decadent, premier London jeweller Asprey & Garrard offers a sterling-silver straw for GBP60 or HK$660 (call 4420 7493 6767 or visit www.asprey-garrard.com).

Alternatively, kick off proceedings with champagne cocktails like Kir Royale (champagne and Creme de Cassis) or this season's hip tipple - the Vodka Martini (one part vodka to seven parts martini).

If you're thinking of serving something stronger, www.boysstuff.com sells moulds for making ice shot glasses (GBP12.95 or HK$142) that work in the same way as ice cube trays. And when freezing regular ice cubes drop in sprigs of mint, redcurrants, saffron tendrils or rose petals for added interest. What you serve food on is as important as the food itself. Paper plates may be convenient but feel flimsy and fold into themselves when filled. Use proper crockery - borrow if necessary - and if you predict breakages, you're inviting the wrong crowd. Rather than heap food into bowls, serve in neat rows on a square or rectangular platter.

If possible, only serve food that guests can eat with their fingers, forgoing the need for forks and individual plates altogether. Opt for simple finger friendly food like antipasto (prosciutto, pastrami, salami, sun-dried tomatoes and olives), bruschetta, miniature pizzas or boiled quail eggs dipped in spices. Then for dessert, serve simple ripe figs, liqueur-injected strawberries and cherries, real rose-scented Turkish delight and decent dark chocolate. If you yearn for the 'wah' factor, present a panettone dusted with icing sugar and decorated with sparklers, to be lit at an opportune moment.