Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I love the holidays, it’s my favorite time of year and hosting a dinner can be so much fun. I want to go over some helpful tips that you can use for your small or large gathering that are budget friendly. I prefer to limit my spending during the holidays because it can really add up and I like to keep my coins when I can. 

The theme here will be to use what you have! Let your guests enjoy your home by using the items you already have and display them. Thanksgiving dinner is a time to be thankful and enjoy the company of your family and friends. And if we’re being honest, it’s mostly about the food. Decor can be very very simple. Since this is essentially a dinner party, keep your focus on where your guest will sit for dinner or what you choose to be the focal point of the room.

Invitation

Let’s start with inviting your guest! I love sending out invitations. Of course sending out a quick text is sufficient but, adding an invitation is so fun to do and helps the event feel a little special. I really love using Canva. They have so many templates that you can just drop in your personal invitation or you can completely customize your own. It’s super easy to use! I have the app on my phone so I can usually pick out a template I like, edit it very quickly, save it to my phone and text the invitation. Having the app is not necessary but makes it convenient. I love to be extra and send an invitation for everything. It’s a fun way to give a vibe of what you want the night to be, in terms of theme or esthetic. I recommend sending out the invitation to your dinner at least 2 weeks before just so you can be sure they can either have the night off from work or are available and have ample time to plan their day.

Ambiance

This can be overlooked but have some sort of entertainment planned. Of course the night can be filled with conversation but think about what your guest will be doing before or after dinner. Music is always a way to set the vibe for the evening. Whether that be classical or hot 100 hits it’s really up to you and what you want for your guest. As a Hispanic woman, bachata and merengue music is always playing on Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect way to get people dancing and having fun. Even if the music is playing I like to have something playing on TV just for a visual in case people want to just have something to look at or are not in the dancing mood. It’s also an easy way to get people to converse about whatever is on TV. You can play  the New York Thanksgiving parade, the Thanksgiving football game, or play family friendly movies. I like to have fun card games in reach like Uno. Just another way to entertain your guest after dinner. If you plan to have kids at your dinner, you can go the extra mile and provide some coloring books or pages and crayons to keep the kids busy.

Consider your space and guest count

A few good questions to ask yourself are, where will my guest eat? How should I use my space? Where will the food be displayed? Do I have space for a buffet area? Should dinner be served family style? Where can my guest sit? Do I have enough chairs? Is there anything I don’t have enough of? Once you have all your answers then plan out the space.

Setting the table

As I mentioned before, use what you have in your home. If you have enough dinnerware for the number of guests you will be expecting, use the ones you have. If you don’t want the hassle of washing your dishes, there are tons of paper or plastic options you can find practically anywhere. Even if you do not have enough dinnerware for all of your guests, I highly suggest ordering a plastic or paper plate set from Amazon. They have so many different varieties at a decent price point.  Not to mention the ease of simply tossing them after use and completely avoiding dishes while keeping a uniform look! When setting the table, have a plan in place. If you plan to have the food at the center of the table for family style dining be sure to keep space when setting the table and limit your centerpieces. I prefer to have the food in a separate area for guests to serve themselves and then sit at the table. I think it gives more space for chatting and no awkward passing of the platters or leaning over someone to grab your food. 

Set the table with your plates and spruce up your table with a nice table runner or table cloth. Hobby Lobby has a beautiful array of festive table runners or table cloths, you can usually get these for 40%-50% discount. If you don’t intend to host often or want a one and done situation Dollar Tree or Walmart have plastic table covers that come in so many colors. I have even used a plastic tablecloth as a runner by keeping the tablecloth folded narrow and opening it up the long way. It still looks clean and adds a nice pop of color when needed. Also, adding a small bouquet of some dried or fresh flowers toward the center of the table will make the table feel warm and inviting. Be creative with your table. There is no wrong way to decorate your way.

No table to set, No Problem!

If you do not have a table large enough for all your guests, or you don’t have the space for enough formal seating, no problem! Use a folding table or your counter to display your dinnerware and use a vase or basket to place your utensils in. I suggest checking your local thrift store for a nice basket or vase if you don’t already have one. Get a few decorative napkins to line the basket or vase and scatter the same napkins by your plates and where your guest can sit. There are also many Amazon plate sets that include matching napkins that are the prettiest. If you plan to use your own plates, you can still find the cutest festive napkins in stores like TJMaxx, Hobby Lobby, and even the Dollar Tree. In the case that you don’t have a formal dining area that will be the focal point of your decor and dinner setting, think about where your guests will be gathered most of the time. Let’s assume that place is the living room. Set a few pretty wine glasses on your coffee table or island with a small bouquet of fresh or dried flowers with a wine bottle. It will help feel inviting and serve the purpose as the area where your guest will gather. If you’re not a wine drinking group, use a pretty glass bottle of flavored sparkling soda with wine glasses. You can even use the plastic festive cups that come with the Amazon dinnerware sets and set it with a cool bottle of tequila or mini soda cans. Think about your guests, what they like. Even if you start the night with a nice wine bottle and bring out the tequila bottle later. A nice additional touch would be having a small snack bowl or charcuterie board next to the glasses for your guest to enjoy as they mingle before dinner.

Using your space

Whether you have a large or small guest list, plan out your space. With limited space for your guest count, I love using my 4 foot folding table. It is so versatile, not too large, and can fit a good amount of items on it. I like to use my 4 foot table as a buffet table. Place your food trays on the table with a different serving utensil for each tray (it makes it easier for your guests to serve themselves.) If you do not have the formal dining table set I would recommend using this buffet table to also hold the plates and utensils. It would just make for a simpler buffet line. If you go this route I prefer to add the dinner plates on one end of the table and the napkins and utensils on the opposite end. It sounds silly but it is so much easier to grab your plate, serve your food, and at the very end grab the utensil you need and the napkin that way you don’t need to hold all three as you serve yourself! After dinner is done, clean off that table and use it for the desserts. If you have nice trays or cake tiers, use them! It is not necessary but it definitely adds to the look of the table. I like to have festive small dessert plates just to keep things fun.  

More to display 

Maximize your space. As I said before, Thanksgiving is about the food so you don’t need to decorate much but showcasing the dinner, desserts, and beverages is the perfect way to go. If you have an island, use it to display your beverages by using the pretty glasses you may already have or the nice plastic cups you ordered and display them next to a wine bottle, tequila bottle, or soda. I prefer the mini soda cans because it just looks prettier to me or a glass seltzer bottle. Glass bottles, in my opinion, give your dinner a more elevated look than a plastic soda bottle. I also love to use a drink dispenser for some spa water, sliced fruit in water just looks so pretty and is always refreshing. I definitely recommend purchasing extra napkins, the basic white napkins at your local grocery store are just fine! You could even fill your sink with ice and cold water to hold all your cold beverages. Be creative and use what you can in the spaces your guest will be. My favorite thing to display is dessert! A dessert favorite during Thanksgiving is usually pie, so display a “Pie Bar”. You can either provide the pies or ask your guests to bring their favorite pie. Plan to provide your guest with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, maybe caramel sauce or sprinkles. Place each topping in a separate bowl, you can find small glass bowls at the dollar tree that can be reused for your next occasion. It will look pretty and will be a fun way to get your guest involved.

What to suggest your guest to bring

Hosting can be stressful and can get expensive, whether you are hosting a large group or small group always consider your budget and time. Do not hesitate to ask your guest to bring something, especially if they ask you if they should bring something. Your guest may enjoy being involved and bringing something to share. You can ask your guests to bring desserts only, that way you can focus on the food. A potluck style dinner can be fun as well. As the host however, I recommend you prepare the entre. Traditionally a turkey, or you can make a ham, pernil (I’m Dominican so this is a staple for us as well) or a combination of the three. It is up to you and your budget! You can ask your guest to bring a side dish they love to make or a side dish they love to eat. You can even ask them to bring their favorite beverage. Anything your guest can bring that will help you and not stress you out is what you need to consider. I personally feel the easier options are for them to bring a beverage or desserts however, in terms of time side dishes may be the better option. It really depends on what will help you out. If you do not want your guest to bring anything for dinner, you can ask a friend to bring a playlist or board game for the evening and that could be one less thing for you to worry about. 

Conclusion

Finally, use your food as the decor. It sounds silly but Thanksgiving is about enjoying food and time with your friends, family, or neighbors. Don’t stress over the decoration, keep it simple and focus on the menu because that is what people are really coming for. Remember to not stress over the little stuff and have fun hosting!