LIFESTYLE
November 2024

Whether you're getting ready to host Thanksgiving, have friends over for a game night, or just hang out with family, making your home cozy and inviting will put everyone at ease. Simply rearranging a few pieces of furniture, adding touches of nature, or taking on some fun, easy DIY projects can transform your house into a relaxing refuge from holiday stress and will have everyone feeling at home.

Outdoors

Welcome guests from the get-go with some inviting autumn curb appeal. A swept porch or front step with a beautiful welcome mat, a smattering of fall gourds, some candle-lit lanterns, or a wreath made of fall leaves immediately create a warm holiday feel. Decorate your back patio with acorn, pumpkin, or other holiday-themed string lights, and place throw blankets over chairs to invite cozy camaraderie around a candle-lit patio table.

 

Indoors

Set the holiday mood with fall incense and scented candles beyond the traditional vanilla and pumpkin spice. Try natural scents like amber, sandalwood, balsam fir, white sage, juniper, eucalyptus, and pine for a woodsy atmosphere. If you have a fireplace mantle, drape it with garlands made of eucalyptus or magnolia leaves and add copper or gold accents like small copper lanterns or tapered gold candles.

 

Make your guest bathroom festive with a bouquet of fall flowers, warm rugs, amber-colored hand soaps, and sumptuous, fluffy hand towels. Wrap a garland of real or faux fall foliage around the bathroom mirror and set an essential oil diffuser or bowl of autumn potpourri on the counter.

 

Making your guests comfortable is the key to any gathering. Set out plenty of comfy pillows and blankets, and have warm spiced cider ready to place in chilled hands. Place small bowls of snacks like chex mix or roasted nuts on small tables, with short stacks of cards from conversation-starter games alongside them. Create a few cozy, intimate sitting areas with two or three chairs that invite deep conversation in lieu of a big circle - the Introverts on your guest list will appreciate it!

 

Kids can sometimes feel awkward at big holiday gatherings with people they only see once or twice a year. Make a craft/activity table for them with printed, Thanksgiving-themed activity pages, including games like "I spy", word searches, mazes, and trivia. Set out boxes of crayons or washable markers for them to color with and solve puzzles together.

 

Whether for a holiday or game night, a bar cart where people can serve themselves is always a hit. Stock it with spirits, a variety of mixers, or even feature your own signature holiday drink. Be sure to include festive nonalcoholic drinks, juices, and sparkling waters in pretty bottles for guests who don't imbibe.

 

A holiday tablescape sets the tone of the event, and simplicity is key. Natural, bespoke centerpieces can be super easy and inexpensive. Surround low candles with clusters of grapes, pinecones, or acorns, and scatter fall flowers like marigolds or sturdy herbs like rosemary down the table for their texture and incredible scent. Low candles in wooden or terra cotta containers are both beautiful and practical, ensuring that people can see each other and converse over them!

 

Place settings can be equally simple yet elegant. Mismatched plates and silverware tied together with twine or a sprig of eucalyptus add whimsy. Place cards make for stress-free seating for hosts and guests alike. Cut out fall leaf or pumpkin-shaped cards from heavy paper, then write each guest's name on the front and a fun icebreaker question on the back.

 

Instead of going around the table to say what you're grateful for this Thanksgiving, make a beautiful gratitude board that your guests can interact with. Wrap a standard-sized cork board with a warm fall fabric, then pin on a few handwritten cards expressing gratitude for simple things in life. Set out additional pins, colorful cards and markers, and an invitation for guests to add what they are thankful for this year.

 

Take some of the cooking pressure off yourself by inviting guests to bring their favorite, homemade holiday sweets like gingerbread cookies or warmly scented spice cakes. Create a festive self-serve dessert table complete with coffee urns, teapots, and cozy mugs. The laid-back approach will be much appreciated as people relax after dinner.

 

Holiday time with family and friends can be wonderful and can create lasting memories, yet we tend to place a lot of pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect. Not only does it not need to be, it's the opposite of what people actually enjoy! So relax, make your home cozy and comfortable, and your guests will appreciate each other's company and your warm hospitality.


Related Blog Posts