Are any of you hosting Christmas dinner this year? It’s always a bit intimidating and overwhelming, to say the least. Over the years we’ve always gone to Troy’s parents’ house for Christmas Eve and then to my mom’s house for Christmas day. This year is a little bit different as Troy’s parents sold their home last year and their annual 75+ family dinner is now …whelp… at our house! It’s true, I’m a little nervous. Where do I even start? There has always been a long table dinner set up. Troy and I wanted to continue that tradition. We’re using an unconventional space – our unfinished basement – and turning it into a Christmas dining space with one very long table! We started with painting the basement all white and creating an large open space to host his entire family. It’s going to be so fun to have everyone over!

I teamed up with HomeSense and my cousin Stephanie of Stephanie Jean Design to share our entertaining tips for this holiday season with you.  And show how you can convert any space to host your loved ones! Since our dinner isn’t until Christmas Eve, we put together a smaller version of our table, giving you some inspiration to host anywhere in your home. The space you see above is actually our office space that we haven’t yet finished. You can use any room in your house to create a dining experience.

One of the most important parts of planning a big holiday dinner is to make sure there is a enough room for everyone on your guest list!  Again, because we were hosting so many people, we decided to set up the table not in the conventional dining room, but in the basement where there would be no shortage of space for our family and friends! Lots of folding tables covered with tablecloths and plenty of benches to easily create more room for a large amount of guests.

Another great timesaver, if you can, is to set the table ahead of time!  This will keep you from scrambling on the day-of, leaving you more time to worry about food and last minute touches.  We also love to have assigned seating so when everyone comes in there’s no confusion or chaos when looking for a place to sit.  It also makes each of your guests feel that much more welcomed, and it’s such a cute added personalized touch!

For decor, we chose a simple country rustic theme with the carved wood tree figurines and pre-lit birch trees, keeping the decor light and white and adding a natural element for a photo-ready area for family pictures.  Wreaths are also another easy, beautiful way to add something extra to your holiday decor. We loved the look of hanging them on an empty wall.

Hopefully these tips and suggestions will help to make your Christmas as enjoyable and special as ours was! Merry Christmas! Make sure to watch my Instagram stories on Christmas Eve to see it all come to life! Wish us luck!!

Details 
All decor and tableware c/o HomeSense
Sheep Skin: HomeSense
Florals: Floralista
Custom Stationary: Hello Maurelle

This post was sponsored by HomeSense. All comments and opinions are my own.
Photographed by Tracey Ayton