Make Your Checklist for Entertaining Season

Fall and winter offer ample opportunities to entertain, not only on holidays (of which there are plenty!) but also with more casual gatherings. And whether you entertain a lot or a little, having a well-stocked home can take a lot of the stress out of party planning. From setting the scene to setting the table, cooking to cleanup, pick and choose from the items on our checklists to create your own master list of party-planning essentials.

Getting Ready

Accept your strengths and weaknesses as a host. No one can do it all! The key to a low-stress event is to play up your strengths and outsource your not-so-favorite parts of entertaining. For instance, finish a homemade meal with a lovely dessert from a local bakery or throw a potluck buffet or cocktail party instead of having a formal sit-down meal.

Keep things real. Your guests are there to enjoy your company, not judge your home or your cooking. If you’re not “done” getting things ready before your guests arrive, ask for help. Most guests are more than happy to pitch in lighting candles, setting the table, stirring a pot or pouring wine. And before reading the checklists that follow, remember that you can always rent party gear rather than buy rarely used items.


Set the scene with:
Vases and floral arranging suppliesA go-to flower arrangement that you’ve had a chance to practice
Low-watt lightbulbs or dimmer switches
Tea light or pillar candles (real or battery operated) for ambienceA few different music playlists — mellow for during dinner and something livelier for before and afterFresh soap, hand towels and a stain-removal stick in the powder roomThe bar:
Wineglasses and cocktail glasses for a crowd, if using
Set of cocktail tools Ice bucket and tongs
A console or side table for the bar, with bottles, openers and glassware gathered thereBrowse barware in the Houzz Products section


For the table:
Enough flatware and dishes for the number of guestsEnough chairs (and table space) for the number of guests
Chargers, if using
Glassware, including water glasses for the table and extra wineglasses
Tablecloth and backup tablecloth in case of spillsCloth napkins — one set each of cocktail napkins, dinner napkins and dessert napkins
Napkin rings, if using
Candleholders with unscented candles for the tableLow floral arrangement for the table — try bud vases clustered on a tray, or a soup tureen filled with one type of flower cut short


The well-stocked pantry and freezer:
No-cook nibbles, such as crackers, olives, nuts and jarred artichoke hearts
Birthday essentials, including birthday candles and matches, balloons and a few emergency cards and gifts
Basic baking ingredientsSpices that are still fresh — be sure to give them a sniff, as spices lose potency over timeFrozen puff pastry, pie dough and gelato or quality ice creamBrowse thousands of pantry photos


Cooking:
A cooking schedule, especially important on big cooking days like Thanksgiving — that way you know you will have room in the oven when you need it, and everything should come out at the right time
Any specialty cookware needed to cook the meal you have planned, from a roasting pan to a turkey basterA few spare cutting boards, so you don’t need to worry about washing one before prepping the next dish (also so several cooks can work at once)Knives that have been recently sharpenedTwo or more timers, depending on how many dishes you plan to cook at onceCookbook holder or tablet standAprons to protect your party clothesSee our comprehensive kitchen checklist


Serving:
Boards, platters and trays — these workhorses can be used for everything from cheese plates to dessertServing bowls in various sizesLarge serving spoons
Lidded soup tureen and ladleLarge salad bowl and tongsSeveral trivets, to protect your tableA nesting set of classic white oven-to-table casserole dishes
Cake stands — for cake and other desserts, fruit or appetizersThe Easiest Cake Stand You’ll Ever Make


Entertainment ideas:
An activity that gets guests participating, like a Dream Tree for Thanksgiving or a smile booth
For a casual party, an assortment of games and cards … and a rule book for common games, because no one can ever remember the rules when you want to playShow a classic movie (without the sound) or project it onto a blank wall — Hitchcock for a Halloween party, A Christmas Story for a holiday open house and so onA roll of butcher paper to cover the kids’ table — put a sheet of stickers and a cup of crayons at each place





Cleanup and storage:
Silver polish and soft cloths for cleaning silver, if needed
Empty wrapping paper rolls for storing laundered and ironed linens without creating fold linesStain-removing kit for treating stains after the party
Specialty storage boxes for stowing extra glassware and dishes after the holidaysStart an entertaining journal. A simple notebook where you jot down what went well (and what didn’t) can become an invaluable tool over time.

Did we miss anything? Share your own entertaining essentials in the Comments!

More: See kitchen and dining accessories in the Houzz Products section

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