What’s the tell-tale sign of an amazing party? We’ve all been to social gatherings that have us counting down the minutes until it’s time to go, but every once and a while we encounter a party that makes time fly. It’s magical. So, what’s the secret ingredient? 

Some books have fun filled parties, but they don’t have to be the stuff of fiction. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about legendary parties in his masterpiece titled “The Great Gatsby.” The visual grandeur of Gatsby’s parties left the guests talking about them for days on end. Even when the parties were over they still existed vividly within people’s minds. Main takeaway: give your guests something to talk about. The best parties make for the best stories. 

“Absolutely real — have pages and everything. I thought they’d be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they’re absolutely real. Pages and — Here! Lemme show you.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”

As we enter into this holiday season, here are a few ideas to keep in mind when planning your holiday decorations and hopefully a party.

Elevate your decor with beautiful, holiday themed books or festive arrangements and accessories.

The same intentionality that is brought to decorating with wreaths, lights, and candles, can be brought to bookshelves and book arrangements too. It could be as simple as prominently displaying red and green books, or you could ask Juniper Custom about creating an entire mural. Imagine your guests’ awe when they see that the books on your bookshelf match perfectly with the holiday season. At Juniper Custom we adore creating book collections that warm your home with joyful holiday spirit. 

Strategically place conversation starters to avoid the dreaded awkward silence.

Sometimes even playing holiday music on maximum volume can’t drown out an awkward silence. This often happens if some of your guests are meeting for the first time and searching for something to say. So, if you have any newcomers on your guest list this holiday season, it can be helpful to plan ahead. One way to do this is by laying out a variety of books on your coffee table for all to see.

Whether it's a nostalgic series like J.K Rowling’s “Harry Potter,” or a pop culture favorite like Sarah J. Maas’ “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” your guests can easily point them out and begin to chat about literature. Plus, if your books are from Juniper Custom, they will be a beautiful addition to your coffee table decor.

Create something no one has ever seen before for the party, or for after the party.

OK, maybe our installation for the bar “library” of the Omni Louisville Hotel]

created in collaboration with Local Language Art is more elaborate than needed for most home entertaining! But you can still create something one-of-a-kind to show off during the holidays and at parties.  Perhaps it’s a collection of children’s holiday books, or a book set with custom jackets featuring family photos. If you’re interested in creating a Juniper Custom set, you can personalize the inside of each custom printed book jacket with a name, date, sentiment, or anything you desire. We can even create special gifts that your guests can take away. 

No matter how you celebrate, we hope your holiday parties this year are memorable if not legendary! We’d love to celebrate with you, and would be honored to help create a custom book set, collection, or library that will make your holiday season one for the books.