Ways to Prepare Your House for a Holiday Party
To host a successful holiday party that flows well throughout the evening and keeps your guests happy and entertained, you must adequately prepare your home. Take a look at these ways to prepare your house for a holiday party before you start your preparations.
Clean
Before hosting a holiday party, you should make it a point to deep-clean your house. If you don’t have time for a full-on home cleanse, you should at least pay attention to your kitchen, bathroom, and living room. Clean your kitchen appliances to prepare them for cooking without worry of setting off a smoke alarm. It’s also important to tidy up and prep your home’s bathroom. Guests will more than likely use your bathroom at some point during the party, and nothing is worse than finding out too late that it’s understocked in toilet paper. Stock up on extra rolls, and make sure to put out a plunger to avoid any potentially embarrassing situations.
As far as your entertaining space goes, tidy up clutter and move any valuable or breakable items to a bedroom or storage closet. Your guests may not know your home as well as you do, and they could accidentally bump into something and break it.
Decide where to store coat, shoes, and more
Predetermine a spot to hold all your guests’ coats. If you don’t have a coat closet, consider investing in a coat rack, or simply utilize a spare bedroom closet. You should also think about the volume of guest shoes. If your welcome mat doesn’t have room for shoe-mageddon, think about getting a shoe rack or another organizational system to keep walkways clear of rogue tennis shoes.
Think about other incidentals your guests may bring, such as umbrellas, purses, food carriers, and other bags. Dedicate a space for these items, and make sure to remind your guests to grab all their items prior to leaving the party. This way, everyone has an easy time keeping track of their belongings, and you don’t have to chase down so many people the day after.
Set up seating
Seating is key to a successful holiday party. Keep in mind how many guests you have, and arrange seating to accommodate that number—and be prepared for last-minute plus ones. Sometimes, adding extra furniture to a room can throw off its flow, so try to keep your space as open as possible. Line up seats against the walls to optimize the space and to allow for conversation.
Another seating issue to plan for is spills. There’s typically food and drink at holiday parties, and the combination often leads to spills. Consider putting slipcovers over your nicer pieces of furniture—slipcovers will protect your furniture from harmful stains, and they can even help you decorate for the holiday theme and crank up your home’s festive charm.
