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Last Minute Entertaining




Source of Recipe


Rebecca Kolls
Need to entertain in a hurry? No need to panic! When you don’t have the time or money to spend on spur of the moment parties, just start digging. You can easily pull together a fabulous feast with an alluring atmosphere just by using everyday items in non-traditional ways.

These ideas can be adapted to fit any time of year.

Refurbished Candles

First, let’s talk about ambiance. Candles will do the trick to light up the night. You probably already have a lot of old candles, but they might not look so great. Try decorating them! Start with something you already have, and with a little bit of glitter, you’ll soon have a perfect party decoration.

For this project, you need a collection of candles, glitter of your choice, some double-sided tape, a brush of some sort, and some tinfoil. Use a colorful candle that goes with the theme of your party. Wrap the double-sided tape around your candle, pour glitter into the tin foil and then roll your candle in the foil. Then brush off the excess glitter.

These candles will not only work for holiday parties but for Valentine’s Day as well.

Recycled Candle Jackets

Here’s another great idea: what should you do with all those wine bags you’ve received over the years? Why not wrap your candles in them? Take a candle, old or new and pop it inside the bag. Scrunch the bag down so that the bag flows around the base of the candle. Next, use a decorative cord to tie around the base of the candle. For a finishing touch, attach an ornament or piece of jewelry to the cord or tassel.

Stemware Candleholders

Invert some of your stemware, adding a nice trinket, maybe an ornament or piece of jewelry, under the glass. Add candles on the top or the bottom of the glass to create a gorgeous candleholder!

Adding More Ambiance to a Room

Personal photos add presence to any room. Even pillows can get all wrapped up for the party!

Decorative Seating and Table Settings

So you’ve decorated the setting, why not the seating? Backs of chairs can be embellished with ribbons and bows. Even fresh greens from your garden can be used as beautiful indoor decorations!

You can even dress your table with seasonal wrapping paper and coordinating ribbon. Instead of just folding those napkins, wrap them with trinkets or candy to make them more festive to fit the occasion.

With the rest of the house decorated and ready to party, what about the kitchen? You know that’s where everyone is going to end up after all, because that’s where the food is going to be.

To turn a plain bar into something very elegant, take a charger and a margarita glass and place them in the center of the bar. Place a plate on top, along with another margarita glass on top of that. Place a smaller salad plate on top and voila! You have a three-tiered server.

To soften the hard surface of my countertop, try draping it with a tablecloth. Then place the tallest server in the center of the island and flank it on either side with shorter servers and some inverted glassware candles.

A bowl full of baubles can also be a beautiful decoration for a table.

Decorating The Main Course

Who has time to cook? In a pinch, boxed cookies are better.

With instant entertaining, keep it simple. Varying the heights of your buffet will enhance the food without a lot of effort.

Light snacks that compliment each other will look lavish without the labor. Take brie cheese, put it on a plate and let it sit to room temperature to soften. Then take some chutney or some jam of your choice and simply spread it on top.

See? In a pinch, you can always create something extraordinary with ordinary items.