Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and that means it’s time to start making your holiday plans! Throwing a Friendsgiving party is the perfect way to enjoy a good time with friends before you travel to see family, or it can be an exciting new tradition to start if you’re celebrating Thanksgiving away from home this year. Live in a small apartment? Don’t let that stop you! Break out the pumpkin pie and kick off the holiday season in small-space style with these Friendsgiving party ideas.
Hosting Thanksgiving in a Small Space
Consider keeping your guest list small if you’re tight on apartment space but still want to throw a Friendsgiving party. An intimate gathering is a wonderful way to commemorate the season with your closest friends, and you won’t have to worry about planning a massive Friendsgiving menu for a large crowd.
Can’t bear to cut down your guest list? Not willing to settle for small Friendsgiving ideas this year? Make your Friendsgiving a drop-in party instead of an all-day affair to limit the number of people in your apartment at any given time. No matter what Friendsgiving party format you choose, tweak your apartment’s furniture layout to your advantage. Push your dining room table against a wall and use it for food and drinks, and add a few extra seats near your couch to create a natural spot for conversation. Instead of having guests gather around the table, place chairs, poufs, and small stools throughout your apartment to maximize sitting space.
Friendsgiving Decorations for a Small Apartment
When you want to host Thanksgiving in a small apartment, there’s a fine line between “cozy” and “cluttered.” Turn to these simple Friendsgiving decoration ideas to set the mood without crowding your apartment.
Make your decorations serve multiple purposes.
Use your space wisely when you make the necessities part of your decor. Thanksgiving-themed salt and pepper shakers to put the “fun” in function, and tying dried fall foliage around rolled napkins can elevate your Friendsgiving party without using up valuable space. Instead of a traditional centerpiece, use fruit to make the shape of a turkey or pumpkin on a large platter. And hey, if you’ve decorated your apartment for autumn, you probably already have plenty of fall decor to set the mood for your Friendsgiving.
Use your vertical space wisely.
On a holiday like Thanksgiving, you’ll likely need to use your apartment’s surfaces for your friend’s legendary sweet potato casserole and the world’s biggest plate of stuffing. So, where to put your decor? Think vertical! Make festive DIY garland for door frames, put up holiday art (yes, your kindergarten-style hand turkey can count!) on the walls, or tuck ribbons or fall foliage into a chandelier overhead.
Plan Your Perfect Friendsgiving Menu
Host a Friendsgiving potluck to maximize your kitchen space.
If it sounds overwhelming to make a full Thanksgiving meal in your tiny apartment kitchen, host a potluck-style party and have your guests contribute their favorite dishes. Want to make sure you won’t have too many sides and not enough desserts? When you send out your Friendsgiving potluck invitations (whether you choose paper invitations or digital ones), include a signup link where friends can see who’s bringing what, and plan their dishes accordingly for maximum variety.
Forego main dishes with a specific food theme.
Turkey? Sure, it’s all right. But side dishes? Those are the true shining stars of any Thanksgiving dinner! Skip the hassle of cooking a big bird in a small kitchen, and host a side-dish-only party instead. Mashed potatoes, dressing, and green bean casseroles can make a hearty meal all on their own! Want to cater to your sweet tooth? Ask friends to contribute their favorite dessert, or whip up your favorite pies (bake a small batch of pie bars instead for an even more small-space-friendly solution!), and invite your friends to sample all the best flavors of the holiday season.
Turn Your Space Into a Home With CORT
Wondering how to host Friendsgiving in a small apartment? The first step is ensuring your place feels like home all year round! CORT can help you feel settled quickly with furniture rental packages. Rent your furniture ahead of move-in, and CORT can set things up, so your space is ready to go from day one. You can even see what our furniture would look like in your space with our augmented reality feature online.
Start creating the perfect furniture rental package for your apartment so you can enjoy turkey day in the comfort of your — fully furnished! — home.
