Not sure how to plan & execute the perfect Thanksgiving in a small apartment? These 14 life-changing ideas are guaranteed to help you make it work without going crazy in the process!
If hosting Thanksgiving falls on your shoulders this year, but you live in a small apartment, this guide was made for you!
You might’ve been feeling super overwhelmed with planning the perfect Thanksgiving party as a small home owners. I get it! When you have constraints on space, it almost feels like every choice you make will result in sacrifices.
But this shouldn’t be the case! It’s not that big of a challenge, actually: you can easily come to terms with the size of your space & host the most unforgettable Thanksgiving party ever!
If you want to do that, definitely keep reading! Because these 14 life-changing ideas regarding the menu, your guests & decorations will help you make it work in your tiny home without going nuts!
thanksgiving in a small apartment: THE BEST IDEAS
01. Get an extandable round dining table
If you can, try to get an extendable round dining table. Either swap out a basic, space-consuming dining table & give it to charity, a friend or sell it, or if you haven’t been able to get your apartment a dining table yet, make sure you choose an extendable round one!
I promise, you’ll be thankful for the investment later, especially if you’re a social butterfly who loves to host occasional gatherings!
When you’re alone, you’ll use it in its regular size, but when you have guests over, you’ll be able to easily sit everyone around! This way, you’ll save tons of precious space when alone, but also provide tons of it when hosting Thanksgiving. How cool is that?
02. Use hanging decorations
When it comes to hosting the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t forget about decorating your home! But in a small apartment where space is limited, it’s a real challenge to bring a festive decor to life!
That’s where hanging decorations come in! Maple leaf garlands, fairy lights, Thanksgiving hanging paper lanterns, hanging pumpkin ornaments, banners, swirl decorations, fall themed wreaths are all great Thanksgiving decor options for small space owners!
They help you utilize all that vertical space, not only saving you tons of floor space for party hosting essentials, but making sure your home looks cozy & festive as well!
03. Be mindful of how many people you invite
Thanksgiving in a small apartment is absolutely possible! You’ll have to be mindful of how many people you invite though! This is actually a key factor in the success of your Thanksgiving!
Of course, we never want to leave out anyone that’s close to us. But when you have constraints on space, you -and your guests too!- will feel the negative impacts of you having wanted to invite any & everyone as soon as they all step into your tiny home.
It’s never a good idea to overcrowd your space & cram many people together, so try to fight the urge to not cross out anyone on your list! Keep your circle small & you’ll all feel better!
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04. Serve the menu on your bar cart
This Thansgiving, utilize your bar cart as a buffet, not for decorations! They’re much helpful this way!
One of the main problems to solve when you’re hosting Thanksgiving in a small space is how & where to serve all that food. If you have a kitchen island, that’s great, nothing more to elaborate. But not all of us are so lucky: some of you probably don’t have one & have to make it work without it.
But your bar cart will be the solution here! So skip all those fancy bar cart decorations you see on Pinterest this year & focus on utilizing it as a buffet! Pack your serving bowls neatly on top & there you have an improvised buffet, that doesn’t require you to sacrifice tons of space.
05. Provide extra seating with floor pillows
Don’t try to sit everyone together when hosting Thanksgiving in a small apartment! It’s basically an impossible thing to do! And why would you want to do it, when it’s just a waste of space?
It might be much better to scatter a few floor pillows across your living room & dining room. This simple tip will provide your guests with tons of seating options so that they make themselves at home, but it’s also good for you, the host!
If you prioritize floor pillows, that are individual seating options, you won’t have to rearrange your whole apartment just to gather all your guests into the same place! Let them choose their spot, instead of sitting them each at your dining table or sofa. Trust me, it’s much easier for everybody!
06. Run a maple leaf garland across your table & decorate sparingly
If you’d like to bring a festive tablescape to life, but don’t really want to take away precious table surface doing so, follow this simple idea!
First, run a maple leaf garland across your table. This will effortlessly create a strong foundation for your further decorative wants. Then, decorate your little centerpiece sparingly!
You definitely don’t want to take away much space from the spotlight of the night, the dinner itself. So prioritize miniature pumpkins, stick candle holders that let you go vertical, decorative farmhouse vases & fairy lights for a proper mood lighting.
And that’s how you create a stunning festive centerpiece without taking away too much space from a proper dinner experience.
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07. Rearrange & relocate your furniture if you have to
Sometimes things just don’t work in our favour. And this is more than likely if you’re hosting Thanksgiving in a small apartment! You gotta be very mindful of how you utilize your space, because that can ruin the whole celebration!
Even if you’re trying to save some space with every opportunity you have & not inviting as many people, you’ll probably have to rearrange (or at least relocate) some of your furniture.
Push your sofa aside, so that you can fit your dining table into your living area, if your kitchen doesn’t allow it. Or use your bedroom as a temporary storage for lamps, armchairs, coffee tables or ottomans you can’t seem to make use of.
08. Swap out your regular centerpieces for festive ones
If your coffee table is not out of sight, make sure you swap out any regular centerpiece for a festive one! This means instead of your everyday, non-seasonal decorative tray filled with vases, scented candles, bead garlands or abstract sculptures, you’ll want to choose something that represents fall & Thanksgiving more.
This might be a tiny transformation, but it sure is mighty! You won’t believe how much you can enhance the cozy fall vibes simply through updating your centerpiece with some beautiful leaves you found in a park, artificial sunflower heads, pumpkin figurines, a farmhouse vase & a pumpkin spice candle!
09. Display an autumn landscape on your TV
A blank TV screen is such an unpleasant sight! So when hosting Thanksgiving in a small apartment this year, make sure you don’t leave it as it is!
Rather, display an autumn landscape or a clip from your favourite fall movie on your TV! This will instantly set the cozy fall mood & it’s much more pleasant to look at as well than the huge black screen!
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10. Prioritize stovetop dishes
There’s one thing that absolutely cannot miss from any Thanksgiving & that’s the turkey! But in a small home, even the main dish is going to make you make sacrifices.
See, that turkey is going to be in the oven for a REALLY long time. And even when it’s done, if you don’t have enough countertop space, you’re forced to leave it in & let it cool down there.
And it’s a huge problem if you’ve put together a menu that requires you to use your oven multiple times. That’s why this idea will literally save your Thanksgiving party: you gotta prioritize stovetop dishes!
One-pan dishes, soups, skewers, pasta, steak with potatoes & grilled vegetables are all great options instead of your regular oven dishes. They all help you keep your guests full & your kitchen ready for another battle!
11. Assign each guest an appetizer/dessert to bring
This one is closely related to the previous one & it’s just as beneficial for you as a host, if not more! Instead of either politely refusing to accept the help your guests offer or telling them to just bring whatever, assign each of them an appetizer/dessert to bring!
When you have a small space, you gotta use every opportunity you get to keep your place as functional as you can! Telling your guests to help you with the festive dinner will make you keep your kitchen less occupied.
12. Boost the holiday mood with a pumpkin themed dinnerware collection
Success lies in the details! And it’s especially true when you’re hosting Thanksgiving in a small apartment. You can easily elevate the festive feelings with a simple pumpkin themed dinnerware collection! It’ll definitely draw the eyes in, helping your guests forget about the size of your home.
If you get pumpkin shaped serving bowls & pumpkin patterned ceramic plates, you’re guaranteed to set the mood. And how effortlessly! Not only that, but they help you work with what you’ve already got, saving you tons of space for other decorations, but providing the same cute outcome.
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13. Decorate every mirror
Another great idea you’ll want to incorporate into your Thanksgiving home decor this year is to decorate every mirror you have! Windows as well!
You’d be surprised how such an easy idea can transform your whole apartment. But it’s true, decorating your mirrors & windows will be one of those Thanksgiving preparations, that you’ll be very thankful for!
Why? Because mirrors & windows double your decor, essentially. This means that due to their reflective properties, you’ll perceive your decor twice. And this is a really simple, yet effective way to create focal points in your home, that help visually enlarge your space.
So grab a few bead garlands, maple leaf garland, fall themed wooden signs & wreaths to put on top of your mirrors, because you’ll be in LOVE with the results!
14. Don’t procrastinate: create a detailed plan a week in advance & stick to it
Of course, getting to work is always hard, especially if you have so many things to do that you don’t even know that to begin with!
But let me tell you, planning your to-do list like a pro far in advance is probably the most important step to take! You gotta have a detailed plan: you’ll want to plan when you tidy up your space, what the menu will be, your shopping list & even how to arrange your home so that it’s prepared for your guests.
So make sure you plan 3-4 days before the celebration at least a week in advance! This way, not only will you be able to alter your plans if you have to, but you’ll also be on top of your Thanksgiving preparations!
This post was all about hosting Thanksgiving in a small apartment. Get to work while you still can & bring the most unforgettable Thanksgiving party to life ever!
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