Are the holidays approaching and you're looking to organize a holiday party in your office as you always do? Maybe you're looking to have your office holiday party on a budget? If yes, you are on the right page. Who says you have to spend too much to have fun in your office? You can throw a fun office party without a huge budget. That being said, below are some office holiday party ideas you can take advantage of. 

 A Gift Exchange

One way to save some money when organizing an office holiday party on a low budget is to get people in the office to exchange gifts. There should be a maximum spending limit, and people should feel free to opt out. This way, no one is under so much pressure to go over the top while trying to please everyone in the office.

Also, you can pick names out of a hat for Secret Santa or do something like a White Elephant gift exchange. Something that would add style to your coworker's space would make the perfect gift like artificial succulents, a cute vase or even some yummy treats they can snack on!

Another gift exchange that's all about the giving Christmas spirit is to create a giving tree by working with a local charity. You can find out what they need, write it on a card and add as ornaments to a holiday tree that your coworkers can select. This one is one of our favorites because making someone's holiday wishes come true is truly the best gift, don't you think?

Potlucks are Great!

Potlucks are pretty straightforward. They involve various people in the same office showing up for the holiday party with their dish. When everyone shows up with a meal, there will be a wide variety of dishes and people will be able to choose any dish they are interested in. You can even create a grazing bar that has an overall theme. In addition to people having the freedom of choosing any meal they want to taste; potlucks can help members of your office save some money and still have fun while organizing a holiday party.

Potlucks might be more work to organize last minute or someone might end up bringing a meal that no one is interested in tasting. Nonetheless, it’s a lot of fun and creates the right environment for people that want to party.

Hold a Party in the Office

When offices organize parties during the holiday, the budget for the right venue is usually the highest. If you are looking to hold an office holiday party, you do not need to get a fancy place if you are interested in cutting costs. You can decide to host the party at your office as this is a tried and true method to save cost.  No need to drive somewhere on your day off. You can take a break from work and have a mini party. Having a mini party will also save on food costs. Taking a break from work to hold an office holiday party will also help people in the office clear their heads and become more productive when they get back to work.

A Cookie Swap

This can almost be likened to an exchange of gifts or a potluck. It, however, is a little different. Virtually everyone loves cookies. So, an office can take advantage of a cookie swap to make sure everyone gets a cookie they would not usually buy. While a cookie swap can be likened to an exchange of gifts, it differs from an exchange of gift as nobody will be worried about buying gifts.

When taking part in a cookie swap, everyone should make the recipes for whatever cookie they bring available and be sure that information on allergies is provided. Do you have a holiday cookie recipe that you love? Our favorite is this one by Pioneer Woman. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

Get Everyone to Take Part in a Decorating Contest

Offices are usually competitive places. It is not out of place for people to look forward to getting ahead. When hosting an office holiday party, you can take advantage of the competitive nature of the office in a fun way. You can do this by making your employees participate in a decorating contest. This activity will not only make your employees creative, but it will also make the office look party-ready without any money being spent.

Get a Professional Entertainer to Come to the Office

Getting an entertainer to come to your office might sound like a significant break from the norm. It, however, might be what your office needs to get the party started without needing a huge budget. If you are not certain of what sort of entertainment to get for your office, you can get a comedian or magician to make your office space very lively. If, however, you are not sure how this will turn out, you can get a storyteller to come cheer-up the people in your office. If your office space is only for serious occasions and the idea of bringing an entertainer to your office does not sound like something that will go down well with your management, everyone in the office can have some sort of fun activity instead.

Head to a Holiday Market

When looking to organize an office holiday party, there are no rules which state you have to have a traditional party. If you have had several parties in the last couple of years, you can go to a holiday market with everyone on your team. 
At a holiday market, you can have a decent and affordable party. In addition to having a party, your employees can clear their heads and be in better shape to work when they return to the office environment.

Take Part in a Cooking Class

There are those that love cooking, as well as those that do not precisely love cooking. Everyone loves to eat, so you can get everyone to participate in a holiday cooking class. While there are certain people that do not enjoy cooking, taking part in a holiday cooking class is definitely a fun activity for an office holiday party.

We hope these ideas will make your party planning just a little bit easier. Have any more budget holiday party tips? Share them with us in the comments!