Whether or not there will be children present, you can set up a table for guests to make their own ornaments to take home as a party favor. Simply choose the craft based on the age and craftiness of your participants.
For another planned activity, you can set up bowls of popcorn and cranberries in cozy corners of your home for guests to string as decorations for your tree. It's a great way for guests who don't know one another well to interact.
If you will be having young children at the party, you can have Christmas coloring pages and crayons already set up on a low, easily accessible table. If you're concerned about crayons on the table, wrap the table in Christmas wrapping paper. You'll then have a festive surface that serves to protect your furniture.
If you're lucky, when the party is over, your tree will be fully dressed and ready to welcome Christmas. If not, you still will have helped your friends to forget, at least momentarily, their seasonal chores, and to remember the fun of the holiday season.
