Hosting Thanksgiving and Small Space Solutions

Having mentioned that I'm going to be an orphan at Thanksgiving this year, I've suddenly received a boatload of invitations. It's one of the reasons I love this holiday so much; there's always room in your heart for one more stray. Of course then you realize that your Thanksgiving for six has morphed into a dinner for twelve and your table only fits eight and your turkey only feeds ten. Dinner can be stretched with a few extra sides but how are you going to stretch your table and your home?

Create a table...: Friends of ours who didn't have a long dining table created one from a standing mirror and a couple of night tables; we had a dinner party for 15 with diners split between our dining room table and our coffee table; push two consoles together to create a table.
Or forego a table all together: Not all Thanksgiving dinners need to take place with everyone sitting elbow to elbow at a table. Some of the best dinners we've had have taken place without a table. Set up the food buffet style and let everyone help themselves. While this will make your Thanksgiving a little more casual, we think it's in keeping with the relaxed nature of the holiday.
Figure out where to put the outerwear: While this is less of a problem in California, in most of the country, your guests are going to need someplace to put their coats. If your coat closet (if you even have one) is full, here are some other ideas. Decide beforehand if your party will be a shoes on or off affair. If it's off, post a sign to let your guests know.
Think about servingware: Not all of us are like my friend Rachel who owns enough glasses to serve a couple of dozen people. Extra people probably means you'll need extra glasses, silverware and plates. Instead of buyng stuff, maybe you can borrow stuff from friends who aren't hosting or will be out of town?
Alternate seating: If you do decide to go the more formal route, you may not have enough dining room chairs to seat everyone at your table. Don't be afraid to mix and match seating from all over your home, from stray chairs to stools, benches and even couches
Green tip: We know it's a pain to wash 'em afterwards, but one thing that really elevates Thanksgiving is cloth napkins. It will also mean that the majority of leftovers will be food and the majority of garbage will be compostable. And since this is a holiday that's about giving thanks for the bounty of the earth, wouldn't it be nice to keep her in mind too?

Comments (5)

Every thanksgiving I seem to drop a dish to cook... why do we need EIGHTEEN sides? the meal goes back to being a meal instead of a pig out and I can concentrate on a great turkey, real gravy, nice stuffing, a mash and a veg (and a salad, please, god, a salad), you know... delicious, what a concept.

the more people you have in the house, the less frazzle you need in the kitchen

don't have people bring things they've cooked ( except for BAKED and sweets, yum!)... just point them to the sink and hand them a dish towel

I love an old fashioned coat pile in the bedroom

that's all the law I feel like laying down today

I love an old fashioned coat pile in the bedroom, too, along with the friendly chaos of handing out coats at the end of the evening.

Feel free to think outside the box. I hosted my family last year in my small 1 bedroom apartment. Since I wanted to leave the living room open for people to sit/mingle while I finished the meal, I needed a space for the dining table (actually two folding tables pushed together). So I moved my bed into a small back storage room (indoors, just off my kitchen) and made my bedroom the dining room for a day. Worked perfectly and no one felt crowded.

You can always rent glasses and tables pretty cheaply, if you truly don't have enough of either. I think buffet style is a nightmare if you're serving anything that requires use of a knife and fork. But it's LA--the weather will probably be nice, so why not just pack it all up and go to a park or the beach, if you've got hundreds or dozens of people and you live in a studio?

I'm going through this right now - and Target has a 6' foldable buffet table on sale for $32 this week! Folds up nice and small for storing... And with a nice tablecloth, your guests won't even know it's a plastic folding thing!

Cost Plus World Market also has fantastic wooden folding chairs for $10 a pop right now...