Thanksgiving and Christmas Season
The holidays are right around the corner, and this is the time of year when we come together with family and friends. It’s a joyous time of celebration but hosting a get-together in a tight space can be stressful. With the aim of putting your mind at ease and making holiday entertaining both a bit easier and a lot more fun, here are some suggestions that will give you more room and make your guests comfortable.
Challenges arise when the number of people in your home exceeds its capacity. When you’re hosting festive gatherings like Thanksgiving you have to think about what you will serve and how you will provide seating for everyone. If you have overnight guests, you have to think about sleeping accommodations.
Hosting a large family gathering can be especially difficult if you live in a small space, but there are a few simple things you can do to make the most of what you have. Here are some tips that will help you to chill out and just have a good time. After all, enjoying moments with the people in our lives is what the holidays are all about. These easy-to-follow ideas will help you to host a fun and festive event without unnecessary stress.
Get organized!
Having guests is great motivation to get organized. Sometimes this means finding novel ways to reposition furniture; sometimes this means putting things in storage or giving them away. This is the perfect opportunity to let go of unnecessary décor, particularly big items that take up too much room. In addition to helping you to be a better host, it will also afford other benefits that will last long after your guests are gone.
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Decluttering will not only make you feel better it will make space for your guests and improve the aesthetic of your home. Open things up by reconfiguring your living room. If you are hosting a big party, move all your furniture to the outer walls.
Use the whole space
Make use of your entire space by designating certain areas for holiday activities. To avoid a tangled mountain of guest outerwear in your entranceway, turn a bedroom or office into a coatroom. You can put up temporary wall-mounted hooks to store your guests’ coats and hats. However, you will need to make room for shoes and boots in the entranceway (you don’t want people trudging through your home in their outdoor footwear). Consider entryway storage to maximize your space.
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If there are children present, you may wish to encourage them to play in a bedroom, basement, or playroom which you can decorate for this purpose. If presents will be exchanged create a designated gift space that will not impede your holiday guests’ movement.
When it comes to decorations, minimalism is a must for maximizing small spaces. Create a festive holiday atmosphere with tasteful twinkle lights or other wall-mounted decorations that provide holiday magic without taking up a lot of room.
Snacks and drinks
You want to strategically locate your food and drink. Rather than put everything all in one place, you can avoid a yuletide traffic jam by spreading things out. Creating different snacking stations will encourage partygoers to mingle more as they move from station to station.
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Multi-tiered cake stands are a great way to serve hors d’oeuvres. This space-saving vertical hack allows you to provide your guests with more offerings while taking up less room. Set up a cocktail station equipped with decorative glasses, mixers, an ice bucket, and a cooler full of drinks. Maximize the holiday cheer, with a bar cart, or a minibar.
Eating and seating
COSCO 8 ft Fold-in-Half Banquet Folding Table with Handle
When hosting a Thanksgiving or a Christmas dinner party, you want to try to get everyone around your holiday table as the focal point of the event. However, if there is not enough room to sit all your guests around your table, you may want to consider buffet-style dining, or you can add a large collapsible table that easily folds away when not in use.
COSCO Horizontal Slat Back Solid Wood Folding Chair with Fabric Padded Seat, 2 Pack
It’s always a chore to find enough chairs to seat everyone at the dinner table. Consider collapsible options like folding chairs. These chairs can also serve as additional seating before and after dinner, and when not in use they fold away flat. You may also want to consider functional seating options like benches or ottomans.
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Accommodating overnight guests
When you receive overnight holiday guests you will need to decide where they are going to sleep and what they are going to sleep on. Start by clearing out the space you intend to use to put up your guests.
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The easiest thing to do is throw an air mattress on the floor but If you want to take it up a notch you can consider a folding cot guest bed or better still, a guest bed that also provides seating. Futons are sofas that easily convert into a sleeping surface for your overnight guests. Make sure to provide fresh linens, pillows, towels, and whatever else your guests may need.
DHP Folding Cot Guest Bed with 5 Inch Mattress
Next level entertaining
If you really want to wow your guests, let them warm up and mingle in front of a cozy fireplace. To create the definitive holiday mood this year consider, the Overland electric corner fireplace or the Liberty Mantle fireplace. These electric fireplaces will take your holidays to the next level without taking up a lot of space or spending a lot of money.
COSMOLIVING BY COSMOPOLITAN Liberty Mantel Fireplace
You don’t need a big home to provide your guests with a memorable experience filled with the holiday spirit. Follow these tips and your guests will notice your big heart, not your small space.
