9 Holiday Hosting Tips For the Perfect Christmas Dining Experience

I’ll show you nine holiday hosting tips to elevate your dining experience this holiday season. You can make your space great for brunches, lunches, dinners, and cocktails for the holidays that your guests will appreciate. Let’s get started.

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2. Mini charcuterie as place cards

How cute are these mini charcuterie boards from Hobby Lobby? Use them for place cards. I printed out place cards and tied them to the boards with twine. You certainly can get creative by adding a small jar of jam or tiny package of crackers or prosciutto as an extra gift. I love that idea because it triples as an appetizer, place card holder, and you can even make it a take-home gift for guests.

3. Decant your beverages

About 15 to 20 minutes before guests arrive, decant your wine. Decanting opens up the flavors of the wine to create a better drinking experience. They also add an elegant style to your bar cart or table. You’ll find wine decanters at any homegoods store.

4. Use festive platters

Use seasonal colors as well as arrangements to create a joyful, delightful atmosphere.

5. Invest in glassware

There’s nothing that says festive more than having a drink in a beautiful stemmed glass or colored glass. Check HomeGoods, Crate & Barrel, and West Elm for great looks. Here’s a glass I used recently to create a gingerbread mocktail. I love using coupe glasses, which are stemmed cocktail glasses with round bowls and straight sides rather than the V-shaped martini glass-style bowls.

6. Use printed or acrylic welcome cards

Use printed welcome cards as a unique feature to your holiday table. These cards add a lasting impression on your guests. I have also had acrylic cards made by one of my vendors that add a special touch to the event. Sometimes I put them on little mini picture stands. These make wonderful take-home gifts, as well.

7. Use coupe glasses

You can use coup glasses for more than drinks and champagne. Fill them with fruits to add to your table.

8. Leftover station

This idea is such a hit. Create a “to-go” leftover station. I put mine on a marble lazy Susan. I bought bags from Hobby Lobby. I wrote “leftovers” on the chalk-like label. I also provided plastic cutlery, coffee mugs, and other holiday decorative to-go boxes.