Decorating for a Christmas murder mystery party or dinner party can be super easy as most people will already have their homes bedecked for the festive season. Simply use your current decorations and add one or two of the printouts supplied with the mystery.
However, our Murder at the Christmas Party game is set in the fun, over-the-top Rizzi Reindeer Hotel on Yuletide Mountain. The hotel prides itself on being "whacky, tacky and fun, fun, fun" and has rooms named after different Christmassy themes. This is an amusing source of conflict in the game. The victim (Scrooge von Miser) hated fun; his obnoxious von Miser relatives also hate the "tacky" hotel. There is therefore huge scope to tailor your decor to the game.
Many ideas could also be used to add a festive touch to other murder mystery games played during the Christmas season. See Christmassy murder mystery games.
1 Put up a few festive balloons, streamers and/or tinsel curtains for an instant party feel.
2 Buy an inflatable Christmas booth frame from an online party store. Use this as a wall decoration and also for taking photos of your guests.
3 Make your own photo booth frame out of cardboard. The size of the cardboard size should be roughly 63 - 91cm (24 - 36 inches). Cut the center out of the cardboard and then cover the frame in festive wrapping paper, baubles and tinsel. Or simply use a Sharpie or Highlighter to write the words "Rizzi Reindeer Hotel", "Rocking Rizzi Reindeer" or "Bah Humbug" on the frame. When not in use, hang on the wall as a decoration.
4 Buy a pack of Christmas photo booth props from an online store. Put these next to a cardboard sign with the "Rizzi Reindeer Rules" on it. Make these rules funny - for example, "No Bah Humbug Allowed", "Rudolph's Cooking Rocks, OK", and "Party Poopers Do Washing Up"..
5 Set your table with a pack of disposable paper Christmas party plates, cups and napkins. Then add a pair of Christmas novelty glasses or reindeer antlers to each place setting for a touch of instant fun.
6 Use the printouts in the mystery game's extensive decoration kit (zip 6) and menu and place cards kit (zip 7) to transform your normal decorations into those suitable for the Rizzi Reindeer Hotel. Printouts include posters, place mat covers, place setting cards, menu cards, wine labels and door signs.
Bar area decorated with printouts from the murder mystery game.
Poster and wine bottle labels are both in the decoration kit.
B: Rizzi Reindeer Hotel
The game is set in the Rizzi Reindeer Hotel on the aptly named Yuletide Mountain. The hotel features an over-the-top Christmas theme and festive lights that the owners claim can be seen all over the mountain. The new hotel slogan is "whacky, tacky and fun, fun, fun".
Have fun with the most over-the-top decorations you have.
7 Bedeck the outside of your home with outdoor lights, snowmen, reindeer, and Santas. Whatever decorations you have will help to get guests into the party spirit as they arrive.
Adrian's wonderful party entrance features large inflatable Santas, a Christmas tree and reindeer; light projections onto the house, a candy cane inflatable archway and fairy lights.
8 Use one of the "Rizzi Reindeer Hotel" signs provided with the game's decoration kit to hang on your front or porch door.
9 As the game features a Secret Santa present, cover a stack of boxes in brightly-colored festive wrapping paper and arrange either side of the door to your internal party space. Add one of the "Rizzi Reindeer Hotel" signs supplied with the game's decoration kit and any festive bling you wish. (The more bling the more in keeping you are with the "whacky, tacky and fun" hotel.)
Note: in the photo below, I thought afterwards that disco lights or fairy lights could have added a fun party touch.
Entrance to party space for our ‘Murder at the Christmas Party’ game.
Boxes are covered in festive wrapping paper.
Tinsel and different festive bling is added.
'Rizzi Reindeer Hotel' sign is used from the decoration kit.
10 Make a table centerpiece out of a Gingerbread House or a house-shaped Christmas tin. Add the words "Rizzi Reindeer Hotel" and decorate with festive baubles or tinsel.
11 Make a "Rizzi Reindeer Hotel" rules sign using cardboard and marker pens. Example rules might be "No Bah Humbug Allowed", "Rudolph's Cooking Rocks, OK", and "Party Poopers Do Washing Up".
12 If you're feeling really creative, make a large Christmas Hotel out of cardboard and wrapping paper. Use this as the backdrop for your party and for your party photos. See How to Make a Christmas Reindeer Hotel for detailed instructions and photos.
Christmas murder mystery party and photo backdrop.
Top photo: festive reindeer hotel without party guests.
Bottom photo: our murder mystery party guests assemble for a group photo.
C: Focus on the Victim: Scrooge von Miser
Body outline on floor with 'crime scene do not enter' tape
'Bah Humbug' sign links to Scrooge.
13 Create an outline of a body on the floor with masking tape or chalk. Optionally add "Crime Scene Do Not Enter" yellow and black tape. Alternatively, add some money and a sign such as "von Miser's end" or "bah humbug".
Note: in the murder mystery, Scrooge is killed in the Christmas Tree Lounge. However, as I didn't want to put masking tape on our carpet, I used an area of our kitchen and then used the 'Crime Scene Do Not Enter' tape to tape off an area of the house I didn't want guests to enter. (That area was our utility room).
14 Create a "stuffed body of Scrooge" by stuffing black trousers, a white shirt, and black gloves with material or newspaper filler. Tie or sew the ends to prevent the filler from escaping. Pin together to make a body shape and add shoes. For the face, fill a cushion cover or pillow case to make a circular or oval shape. Add a Scrooge or "Bah Humbug" mask.
15 Place "Crime Scene Do Not Enter" tape across your front door - or across internal doors.
D: Reindeer Dining Room
If running an At Home (In-Person) murder mystery dinner party or party, then adding some reindeer decor to your dining room helps to turn it into the "Reindeer Dining Room" mentioned in the game.
Generally, use a red, brown, and gold color scheme; possibly also include greens.
16 Cover mats and coasters with reindeer wrapping paper for an inexpensive reindeer tablescape.
17 Make your own reindeer napkin holders. Cut the inside of a kitchen roll into segments and cover in matching reindeer wrapping paper. Roll a napkin inside. Alternatively, cover the kitchen roll segments in a brown paper napkin or wrapping paper. Then use a reindeer picture (from an online image library or a roll of wrapping paper) and secure this onto the top of the napkin holder.
18 Use a reindeer table runner. Different online stores offer inexpensive runners.
19 Make your own disposable reindeer table runner with a length of narrow reindeer wrapping paper.
20 Buy wooden blank reindeer ornaments. Write each character's name on a different ornament and use them as place cards. We bought a pack of 15 pieces from OULII's Amazon shop. We used the front two feet of each reindeer to wedge them on the rim of the wine glasses.
21 Make your own reindeer place cards using a reindeer cookie cutter. Trace a reindeer outline on paper or card. Cut out and write the character's name on the reindeer. Then glue onto contrasting paper or card to make a place card.
22 Use a sleigh and reindeer as your table centerpiece. Wrap small cardboard boxes in festive wrapping paper and put them in the sleigh to represent presents. We used two rustic 3D wooden novelty Rudolph reindeer figurines from Garden Mile and an extra large MDF 3D Father Christmas Sleigh from LaserSmith.
23 Alternatively, fill the sleigh with flowers. Or fill the sleigh with bread rolls or sweet treats for the end of the meal - chocolates are always a favorite but festive goodies include mini mince pies, candy cane cookies, reindeer bark or gingerbread men.
24 Create a unique reindeer table centerpiece by using the record covers for "The Reindeer Rizzis" provided in the game's decoration kit. Use some sturdy cardboard to create a box approximately 7-8 inches (17.8 - 20.3cm) square. Print 4 record covers - one for each side of the square and then glue them onto the sides. Top with cardboard covered with red tissue paper, wrapping paper or a red napkin. For extra visual appeal, cut a hole in the top cover and insert a vase. Then place a bowl of festive baubles on top.
Important: depending on the size of your box, you may need to reduce the size of the record cover printouts using the Custom Scale option when printing.
25 Create a fun table centerpiece by mixing a Christmas pudding with reindeer.
Method: cover a bowl or mixing bowl with brown material. Upend so that the large rim is on the table. Cut a white or cream piece of material into a "spill-shape" to represent white sauce. Place over the top of the bowl. Optionally use green and red material to create holly leaves and berries on top. Then place reindeer or other Christmassy figures on top of the pudding. Optionally give the reindeer fun accessories such as bauble earrings, a tinsel scarf, or colorful glitter glasses.
26 Create a miniature reindeer out of logs, sticks and fur cones and add a colorful scarf.
27 Get a free reindeer template from the internet. Create a large reindeer out of cardboard. Colour as you wish and place it on the wall.
28 Buy a reindeer duvet and attach it to the wall for an easy and large focal point; after your party, you can reuse it as bedding.
29 Hang a reindeer costume as a decoration.
30 Stuff a reindeer costume with newspaper or material and arrange it in a humorous way. Add glitter glasses and other fun accessories.
31 Cover a piece of cardboard with reindeer wrapping paper and then use this to frame the printouts provided with the murder mystery's decoration kit. (This makes the decoration stand out far more than a simple printout.)
Tip: by suspending a tablecloth from the wall and covering a piece of cardboard in wrapping paper, we turned a small printout into a large, eye-catching display that echoed the theme of the dining table.
32 Place Santa's sleigh and the reindeer on your sideboard and use as the focal point of your dessert buffet. Add a humorous sign from the game's decoration pack: "Oh Deer - Desserts are Near".
33 Buy a pack of reindeer antlers and have a sign stating that each guest must wear one to enter. No antlers no food. No exceptions - not even for von Misers!
D: Christmas Tree Lounge
This is so easy to create as most homes have a Christmas tree.
34 Use the "Christmas Tree Lounge" sign supplied with the game's decoration kit. Then bedeck your spruce with your favorite baubles and tinsel.
35 Optionally add additional artificial or paper honeycomb Christmas trees.
D1: Secret Santa
In the murder mystery, Scrooge was killed with a poisoned Secret Santa present.
36 Ask each guest to bring a small Secret Santa present that they think might be suitable for a given PARTY CHARACTER. For best results, ask guests to bring humorous presents for characters their game character is in conflict with. (For example, Lady Ivy hates that "orrful little tramp" Rosa; Noel is jealous of Jolly.) Place these presents under the tree. After Round 3, when all motives have been covered and character relationships and conflicts are clear, ask each character to open their present.
37 Have a pretend "poison present for Scrooge": have an empty box covered in red wrapping paper or red tissue paper stencilled with reindeer. Label this box "Only For Scrooge". Ask who will be brave enough to open this present.
38 If playing the game round a table, use a miniature artificial Christmas tree - or honeycomb paper tree - as a table centerpiece.
39 If playing round a table, extend the Secret Santa theme and have a line of brightly wrapped presents in place of a table runner.
41 Tio Log - for a fun take on a Secret Santa, try the Catalan tradition of a Tio Log. Presents are hidden underneath a blanket and the log is hit with sticks. The log then "poops" the presents.
For her Secret Santa, Eva used a tradition from her native Catalonia.
Tio Log = presents are hidden under the blanket; the log is hit with sticks and "poops" the presents.
The handsome dog is called Axel.
F: Winter Wonderland Atrium and North Pole Entrance Hall
Optionally decorate your hall and/or porch with a winter wonderland or North Pole theme.
42 Arrange any snowmen, polar bears, reindeer, sleds, snowflakes, and fake snow decorations you have with the "Winter Wonderland Atrium" sign from the game's decoration kit.
Note: as the hotel prides itself on its over-the-top decor, optionally use large outside inflatable decorations to create a statement if space permits.
43 Use white foil curtains, paper snowflake mobiles and fake snow. If you don't have fake snow, then fake cobweb material or even cotton wool works in similar ways.
44 For the North Pole Entrance Hall, use all your favorite Santa, elves, reindeer, presents, candy cane, and Naughty and Nice List decor. See our North Pole and Santa Decor Ideas page for lots of helpful hints and photos.
G: Whacky, Tacky and Fun, Fun, Fun
In the game, the hotel's new "whacky, tacky and fun, fun, fun" slogan is a source of conflict. Rudolph loves it; Rafe - and other mountain folk - hate it. Use your most over-the-top decorations and add some imagination to create a fun vibe for your party.
45 Make use of the game kit's "whacky, tacky and fun, fun, fun" printouts. Printouts include hotel sign, place mats, wine bottle labels, place cards, menu cards, invites, and room signs.
46 Add fun festive party booth props to your tablescape. For example, top wine bottles with miniature Santa hats, add festive glitter glasses, party poppers, colorful whistleblowers and/or a festive novelty toy next to each guest's place setting.
Reindeer Poop Drops = chocolate covered cereal crispies with cranberries, Brazil nuts, blueberries and cashew nuts.
Mix up traditional festive decor with different genres for a fun vibe.
47 Have disco lights swirling.
48 Have Santa riding a crocodile, a dinosaur or a dragon.
49 Have Christmas trees decorated with large Halloween eyes, dolls dressed in clown costumes, cartoon characters, or large elf and Santa legs.
50 Ask each guest to bring a funny tree decoration; give an award for the funniest.
51 Cover existing ornaments or furniture with festive decorations. For example, place reindeer antlers on top of an ornamental dog or Santa boots on chair legs.
52 As Rudolph and Rafe are former pop stars, mix musical instruments and festive ornaments in unusual ways. For example, have a guitar balanced on top of a sleigh; hang tinsel from the guitar.
These ideas are provided for your inspiration only. Any recipes or recipe ideas should be tested before your party. Ideas for party recipes, decorations or costumes should be adapted as you wish. It is YOUR responsibility to follow any necessary safety precautions.
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience and to analyse our traffic: see Cookie Policy
