Holiday Party Sign Up Sheet (free, online)

How to set it up

A holiday party sheet is a potluck with a few extra rows. Food by category with counts, drinks, and then the things that make it a party: someone on music, someone running the white elephant or the cookie exchange, the person who brings extra chairs and a folding table, and cleanup. For a family party, add 'who's hosting the kids' table' and 'who brings the games'.

The mistake is doing this in a group text, where the plan lives in forty messages and the same three people bring everything. One page with counts means Aunt Karen can see that dessert is full and sides are empty. One tip: add a text question for 'what are you bringing' so the menu is visible, and a checkbox question for 'staying overnight' if it's family.

Questions people ask

Does everyone need an account?

No. You share one link. People pick what they're bringing with a name and email, and get one confirmation with the date, the address and a link to change their mind.

Can I hide who signed up for what?

Yes, there's a setting to hide names on the page if you'd rather people not see the whole list.

What about the reminder?

Everyone gets one the day before with what they signed up for. That's the difference between a plan and a party.

Why not a paper sheet or a Google Form?

A paper sheet lives in one place and fills up with the first people who walk past it. A Google Form takes forty signups for a row that needed two, and you find out in the spreadsheet. An online sign-up sheet closes each row when it's covered, sends a reminder the day before, and gives every person a link to cancel so the spot reopens. See the side-by-side with Google Forms.