Host a Dazzling Holiday Gathering

One Month Before Your Party


Create a Planner: As you begin to think about the details of your gathering, consider transforming a simple notebook or binder into an Organized Entertaining Journal. You can dedicate pages or sections to different categories like the guest list, décor and menu. Use this resource to jot down ideas, keep track of plans and add photos, magazine clippings and color swatches that will inspire your gathering.



Invite Guests: When it comes to holiday entertaining, the early bird gets the guests, so set the date for your party as soon as possible and send out invitations early. Not only will you get better attendance, you'll receive responses sooner and able to plan accordingly.



Tip: Stay on budget by handcrafting your invitations right at home, or enlist an artistic friend to help out with the design. For lots of easy, inspired invite ideas, check out our Handmade Invitations for Any Occasion.


Plan a Simple Menu: Who needs a caterer? Instead of serving a full five-course meal, keep things simple and prepare a few flavorful finger foods that everyone is sure to love, like:

• 3 Easy Crostinis
• Red Grape Cups with Goat Cheese and Pistachio
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Gourmet Cheese Plate

For sweets, make a few elegant treats, such as:

• French Macaroons
• Crispy Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers
• Candy Cane Truffles

Tip: Instead of baking, ask a few of your closest friends to bring along a dessert—they’ll be happy to oblige and you’ll collect quite the assortment!



One Week Before Your Party


Clean Up: Determine the areas of your home where guests will be spending the most time—like the entryway, kitchen, bathroom and living room—and clean these spaces with a heavier hand. Areas that your guests will never or rarely enter—think the basement, laundry room and bedrooms—can wait until later for a thorough clean.

Tip: When you clean a little each day, it’s easier to feel prepared for your big event. Learn more about how you can make cleaning part of your holiday planning.



Get Decorative: Now is the time to return to your entertaining journal and pull from the inspiration pieces you’ve collected over time. Establish a color scheme—we love shades of red or various metallics for a holiday bash—and gather accents like plates, glasses, cloth napkins and knick-knacks in these colors. Visit the fabric store to create quick no-sew holiday pillows or even repurpose forgotten kitchen textiles.

Tip: Take a quick walk around your space and consider moving any expensive or fragile pieces into another room for safekeeping.



One Day Before Your Party

Create a Quick Centerpiece: Whether you’re serving a full meal or just offering up appetizers, placing a centerpiece in the middle of your main table creates major decorative impact. You can simply arrange twigs in a tall vase for an understated look, or try piling various citrus fruits into a glass bowl for lots of color.



Apply Final Touches: You’ve already cleaned your space to a shine, so rest assured your home is guest-ready. With your gathering a day away, quickly survey each room and put away clutter, dust décor accents and fluff pillows as needed.


The Day of Your Party


Pick Up Fresh Fixings: If you’re serving fruits and vegetables or displaying floral arrangements at your party, take the time to pick these up from the market the morning of your event so that they appear extra fresh.


Prep Your Food: With quick and easy dishes on the menu, you can begin preparing your food the day of your party in the late morning or early afternoon. Begin preheating your oven about 90 minutes before guests are scheduled to arrive and plan to have dishes warm and ready a few minutes before the doorbell rings.

Enjoy Yourself: Remember, your guests came to see you and enjoy themselves, so do the same and relax. With every detail in place, you can rest assured that your holiday gathering is one to remember.