The best parties don’t take the best things. They just take the best planning (and maybe the best people too).
It doesn’t matter if it’s a small dinner get together for a few friends, or a big open house, having a few tricks up your sleeve makes throwing the perfect party easy as pie. Let me help you become the hostess with the mostess. Seriously, simple is better. Effortless details go such a long way in decor and they totally impress your guests.
Centerpieces
Don’t overthink it. Look to the Barefoot Contessa for the best tip you will ever get. Just get a bunch of different flowers in different shades of the same colour, and keep them to the same length. This way nothing clashes and it will have a perfectly clean look. Flowers look beautiful on the table and really add a nice touch. This season stick to reds, purples and dark greens. You can also add greenery, cedar garland and red berries. But, above all keep it simple. You don’t want to bombard your guests and you want to leave room for food on the table and for your guests to see each other.
Decor
Again, keep it simple. Adding a charger plate and a candle or two are easy ways to dress up your table. Alternatively you can opt for a shiny runner or an elegant table cloth. BUT don’t do it all. Pick one and stick with it. Another easy one is adding napkin holders or place cards. You can also choose to use cute wine stem charms used to mark glasses (but look so cute). There are also these cute santa hat one’s I just ordered from Amazon for my Christmas dinner.
Small Dinners
It’s funny, but in some ways dinner for a few close friends is just as hard as a big party. But listen up because no matter the crowd, let’s have them leaving thinking you are the best hostess around. First things first, you want to see your friends and they will want to see you. So make sure you plan a meal that allows you to spend time with them. Have a first course such as a soup or salad that is all ready to go and just needs to be plated. A roast will need time to rest, so it is a great second course, since it can sit while you enjoy your first course. Dessert is where to pull out all the stops, make sure you have plenty of wine too. Being the hostess with the mostess is seriously easy. Just make sure you’re organized.
A Large Party
You’ll want to have as much done in advance as possible. A lovely charcuterie board and cheese platter can be bought and kept at room temperature. This time of year, people may want to warm up when they come inside, so having mulled apple cider in a slow cooker is a great option. Again, minimal effort and such a nice touch. A big roast and glazed ham is a great way to host a huge crowd. I recommend you buy the biggest smoked ham you can find, remove the rind, and heat it up. Towards the end glaze it with a mix of mustard, something sweet like jam, brown sugar, or maple syrup, and maybe a bit or rum. Leave it on a big cutting board with carving knife and let your guests have at it. It is that simple. Make sure you buy or make tiny potato rolls or biscuits and serve a nice mustard alongside. Of course again, wine and dessert are a must.
Parting Gifts
Give your guests something to take home. They will remember the meal longer, look back at my post on homemade gifts for inspo on parting gifts for your guests. Well that’s it ladies follow these quick tips and you’ll have everyone thinking you’re the hostess with the mostess.
