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Charcuterie boards and grazing tables have become all the rage and they’re such a fun addition to any party, no matter the holiday! They may look complicated but these amazing holiday charcuterie board ideas will show you that it’s really just about getting creative and clustering all those favorites in one big space {wink}! And if you’d rather use something with a little height, be sure to check out these seasonal tiered tray ideas!
What to Use as the Base for a Charcuterie Board
The first step in creating a snack board is figuring out what to use as the base.
Large trays, round or rectangular, work perfectly, especially if they have an edge, but you can also look around your house for items like large cutting boards, big platters, a baking sheet, or large pieces of wood. You can even place food right on a large island and create a grazing table rather than a board.
Looking for a cheap way to set up a charcuterie board or two? Hit up the thrift store or dollar store for cheap platters and cutting boards. Discount stores, like Home Goods, often have a large variety of really affordable cutting boards, as well.
Whatever you decide to use, make sure it’s food safe or place parchment paper underneath the food items.
Holiday Charcuterie Board Ideas
The easiest way to create a holiday-themed snack board is to think about the colors and items that represent that holiday. Red, pink, and white for Valentine’s Day, Santa shaped items for Christmas, and chocolate bunnies for Easter all instantly set the mood and theme for a holiday charcuterie board.
Once you have the basics, the goal is to cluster the items, space them close together for the greatest impact, and add creative elements. Small shaped dishes or fun party decorations can add a holiday element, even if the food doesn’t.
Ready to get inspired?
A New Year’s Eve charcuterie board, with the year formed with meat and cheese, is a super cute way to ring in the new year!
A Valentine’s Day dessert charcuterie board is super easy to put together. Grab pink, red, and white food items, add lots of heart shapes, whether that’s candy or small dishes {the dollar store and Target dollar spot are both great places to find inexpensive holiday-themed dishes}, and mix and match cookies, candy, and even savory food items. Use colorful wrapped candies, like chocolates, to add more color to the platter.
For a big impact, you could also use a monochromatic color theme like they did with this Valentine’s Day sweets charcuterie board.
Charcuterie boards are often full of sugary treats but they can be healthy too. A rainbow cheese board for kids would be adorable for St. Patrick’s Day or for a rainbow themed party. This is an easy one to add lots of fruit to but you can likely incorporate fruit into most holiday boards.
Skip the rainbows and go green with this green themed St. Patrick’s Day dessert board idea. Grocery store bakeries often have holiday-themed goodies so don’t forget to look there for cookies, cupcakes, and even donuts. And think outside the box: did you notice that this board actually has a bowl of cereal on it?
An Easter charcuterie board is so easy because there are so many candies to choose from. I love the candy nest used to hold chocolate eggs on this board. It adds such a fun pop of color and interest. Specialty stores, like World Market, often have a great variety of seasonal candies if you need some additional ideas.
Dad may not be overly impressed with the standard snack board but this Father’s Day breakfast charcuterie board is a complete win! Add all your breakfast favorites, like waffles, bacon, donuts, bagels, or even eggs. It’s like a continental breakfast on a board … and I love the letter bowls filled with fruit.
The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays {ironic since I grew up in Canada!} and this Fourth of July fruit and cheese board is so cute. Use small star-shaped cookie cutters to add a holiday element.
Football season may not be a holiday but it’s definitely something to celebrate. This football themed charcuterie board is perfect for an afternoon of game-watching or tailgating and the savory options make it a little more filling.
Halloween is all about the candy so why not go all out with a candy corn Halloween charcuterie snack board? This board gets its theme from both the colors and the shape and it’s super easy to make.
If you don’t want a playful tone, you can take a Halloween charcuterie board in a completely different direction with this moody Halloween snack board idea. The dark colors and tones are so fun.
Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be hard. This Christmas tree cheese platter couldn’t be easier. Use any type of cheese, add in some fruit or vegetables, and you’re ready for guests. Even just using two different food items looks super cute.
A Santa themed candy board is such a fun idea for the kids and would be an adorable addition to a Christmas Eve tradition. Can you imagine how excited the kids would be to see this on the table?
Are you inspired to add a charcuterie board to your next holiday gathering?
What fun themed charcuterie boards have you made?
On the Fourth of July board how it you make the star crackers?