The Christmas fever is here! Everybody is rambling about their plans and things they have to do; stores are crowded with people choosing presents and preparing for the holiday season.  There’s just something in the air making us all feel excited.

Christmas parties are one more thing to get excited about – choosing the right food, decorating your home, making a guest list, choosing the date, thinking about the right music. Every host would like his/her party to be the one that will be remembered in the years to come by providing great food, a thrilling and cozy atmosphere, great fun and excellent guests. Of course, the location itself dictates some of the things you’ll need to take care of. If you live in a small apartment and you would like to have a Christmas party to remember, there’s a few tricks to throw a great Christmas party in a small apartment.

Here’s how:

Use rooms in unexpected ways

Surprise your guests by giving a different purpose for each of the rooms. Usually hosts tend to serve food in the kitchen while using the living room for dancing and playing games. Be original.

For example, you could put the board games in the dining room and make it a hangout area. Another idea is to use the guest room in a new way by making it a dessert room. Fill it with cakes, candies and other sweets. The patio is another great place for serving food. This is how you will prevent people from piling up in the kitchen only.

The key is to use every available area that you have. If there’s a balcony area, decorate it and put some food and drinks outside. This can be a space for those who would like to smoke or just have a bit of fresh air.

Create new serving surfaces

Serving food can be tricky in a small apartment. Go beyond using only the kitchen table and counters . Any flat surface will do the work. The trick is to cover the surface with a Christmas tablecloth or fabric and it instantly becomes special. If you don’t want to push with Christmas motives on the tablecloth, find a fancy fabric and cut out squares to cover your stereo or any other flat surface. The more level of serving surfaces you have, the better and more interesting it will be visually.

Rearrange the furniture

 

To maximize the space in your apartment you’ll need to rearrange some of the furniture. Your bedroom won’t be occupied that night, so you should move the extra furniture from the living room to the bedroom. The TV, along with the TV stand, the carpet, and all the extra pieces of furniture won’t be needed for the party. People mostly need a comfortable place to sit or stand. Everything else is unnecessary. The rest of it, like sofa and chairs, should be placed against the walls, making room in the center for dancing or having a buffet table.

While you’re at it, consider moving some of your stuff from the apartment permanently,or at least for some longer period. If you realise there’s a large piece of furniture that takes too much space, and it can’t be used for the party, find a storage unit where you can keep it for some time. This way, you’ll declutter your apartment and not just for the sake of the party.

The secret is in the details

Your Christmas party should be unique, so make an effort about the small things. If you’re planning a more intimate party, then forget about paper plates and use the best dishes you have. If you feel creative, make handwritten invitations to let your guests know how much you want them to come.

Gift bags are another way of showing your guests just how special they are to you. You can place a couple of gift bags in each of the rooms and let the guests find them during the evening, while they’re mingling and walking around.

Create mood lighting

If you have that option, don’t use overhead light. They tend to ruin the special atmosphere. Instead, rely on lamps and candles. Put a candle or two on every serving surface.

Tea lights don’t need too much space so you can place them literally anywhere. Lamps should have a warm white light, while string lights give that final touch of a festive atmosphere. Hang them across the room or across the walls and shelves. The more, the merrier.

Find a spot for your guests’ things

This may seem like an obvious thing but is very important if the party is in a small apartment. First thing, forget about the shoes off rule to reduce the clutter. The purses and coats can be placed on your bedroom bed or you can create some extra space for the coats by putting hangers on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom.

In the end, the people are what makes a party good. Still, as a host, you need to do your best in order to set a nice, comfortable atmosphere. Even a small apartment can be a place of joy and great fun for a big number of people. That’s what Christmas is all about.

 

Disclaimer:  This is a guest post by Victoria Lim.