Small Bites for Holiday Parties

Host a Holiday Party

If you are hosting a holiday party at your place, great food and a fantastic atmosphere are a must.

Event planner Debi Lilly planned a Christmas Eve dinner for a Chicago-area family and designed these formal table settings for more than a dozen. She says you can do the same. "So many people worry that they can't have a large group over for the holidays because they can't seat everyone," Lilly says. 

Her solution is to move your furniture out of the way and rent long tables and extra chairs to accommodate your guests. Or, she says you can use an event planning industry tip. "Take two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood and place them over your table," she says. You then cover the plywood with a table cloth and weigh it down with your centerpieces. Lilly says you can easily seat four to six more people at your dining room table by using plywood. "And the plywood is so inexpensive, just $10 or so a sheet."

Once you have your seating arranged, the next most important thing for a successful holiday party is...the food! Whether you're hosting a formal sit-down meal or something more casual, appetizers, drinks and desserts should be on the menu. Lilly suggests some ideas your guests will love.