Do you think hosting Thanksgiving is hard? It doesn’t have to be! Get our best tips to make hosting Thanksgiving dinner easy!
Whether you are hosting for the first time or the 20th, there are many things you can do to take the stress out of preparing for this big day!
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Here are our best tips!
Plan ahead
Taking the time to plan now will save you from being stressed on Thanksgiving Day!
Make a guest list
Make a list of the guests you want to invite.
List how many adults and children there will be.
Plan your menu
Plan the menu and decide if you will cook everything or ask guests to bring a dish.
You can get this handy printable and more free by subscribing to our email list!
Contact Guests
Contact the guests on your list and find out if they will be attending.
If they are attending, ask them what they will bring or assign them a dish to prepare.
Prepare your home
Spend time in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to prepare your home for guests.
Declutter Entertaining Spaces
Figure out which rooms your guests will be using and declutter those spaces in advance.
See this post, How to Get Organized for Holiday Entertaining, for tips to prepare each room!
Organize your pantry
This is the perfect time of year to organize your pantry.
Remove expired items and take inventory of what you have.
So you have plenty of room for the groceries you purchase for Thanksgiving dinner!
Consider donating canned goods to food drives!
Check out this post if you need help organizing your pantry!
Organize Cookware, Serving Dishes, And China
Take inventory of your cookware, serving dishes, and place settings you need!
The last thing you want to do on Thanksgiving day is to frantically search for the correct size pans, serving utensils, or anything else you might need to get your meal on the table.
Consider borrowing items if you don’t already own them!
Get everything you need to make and serve the dinner before the big day.
Clean out Refrigerator and Freezer
Now’s the time to clear out your refrigerator and freezer because you’ll need the extra space for the turkey, all the extra food, and the leftovers (my favorite part)!
Plus, you’ll know where everything you need is located!
Here are tips to help you organize your refrigerator and freezer!
Stock your Bathroom
Stock the bathroom with items your guests might need, like extra toilet paper, tissues, and disposable hand towels.
Tips to help you set up for guests
Prepare A Kid Zone
If you are going to have little kids at your gathering, prepare a place where they can play, watch a movie, or make a craft to keep them busy while the adults are preparing the meal!
Set your table(s) early
There will be much to do on Thanksgiving day, so set your table(s) early.
This will also give you time to decide how to decorate the table and whether to make or buy a centerpiece.
Decide Where To Put Coats
If you don’t have a coat closet large enough to store everyone’s coats, you will need to figure out an alternate plan.
Most people choose a bedroom and lay their guest’s coats and purses on the bed.
Create Food And Drink Stations
Your kitchen is going to be a busy place, so consider setting up food and drink stations in other rooms.
Why not set up a bar in the living room or soft drinks and coffee in the foyer?
An appetizer or dessert station could be set up in the dining room.
Get creative with ideas to help keep extra traffic out of the kitchen!
Utilize Other Spaces If Needed
If you have a small home, you might need to find alternate places to set up tables or trays for people to eat at.
Card tables and chairs can be temporarily set up in a living room, basement, or garage.
If you live in a warm climate, you could set up tables outdoors on a porch or patio.
Tips for easier meal preparation
Buy some and Make Some
If you are in charge of all the food, that doesn’t mean you have to cook everything.
You could purchase a cooked turkey and spend your time on the side dishes.
Consider buying your pie or desserts from a bakery.
Have guests bring a dish
The less you have to cook, the easier the day will be!
Let others help you and ask each person to bring a dish!
You can assign a specific dish or a type of dish, like an appetizer, side dish, or dessert.
Let Someone Else Cook
If you don’t like to cook, you could have your meal catered or buy it from your local grocery store.
You can also order a Thanksgiving meal from a restaurant like Cracker Barrel!
Make Food Ahead Of Time
If you are cooking, figure out what you can prep and make ahead.
Many side dishes and desserts can be made in advance.
Even if you can’t prepare the entire dish ahead of time, chop everything that goes into the recipe the day before.
Serve food buffet-style
If you serve food buffet style, you can keep the food in the pan you made it in instead of transferring it to a serving dish.
You can also use crock pots or disposable chafing dishes to keep food warm.
Use Paper And Plastic
If you don’t want to spend time cleaning tons of dishes after the meal, consider using paper and plastic items instead of good china!
Be Prepared for Leftovers
Many people love leftover turkey and fixings! I know I do!
Make sure to have disposable plates or trays, aluminum foil, or zippered plastic bags that your guests can use to take leftovers home.
Ultimate Tip For Hosting Thanksgiving
Our most important tip is to use a planner!
Having one place to put all of your lists, recipes, and cooking schedule is the key to having a stress-free day!
Use Our Free planner
Make your Thanksgiving preparations easier by using our free planner.
You can print one list or all of the sheets!
To gain access to the planner and our entire free printable library, sign up for our email list.
We want you to know how thankful we are for you, and we hope all of these tips will make your Thanksgiving Day the best one ever!
Until next time, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram!
Blessings, Donna and Rich
Pin It For Later
Pin this to remember it and use it year after year to organize your Thanksgiving celebration!
More Holiday Inspiration
Here are some more posts to help you prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas too!
- A Thanksgiving Weekend Tradition
- Start a Family Keepsake Ornament Tradition Now!
- Thrifted Thanksgiving Table
- Plan Now For The Best Thanksgiving Ever
- Get Organized For a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
These are such fabulous tips, Donna! I love how you have everything organized. It makes doing a little something each day to prepare for guests and the Thanksgiving meal so much easier. My Mom always sets out individually wrapped snacks and drinks in a basket on the kitchen island in case someone wakes up in the middle of the night and needs something. It saves them from having to dig through the pantry looking for goodies! Can’t wait to share these helpful ideas on Friday! Hugs, CoCo
Thanks friend! I could not get all the food ready on Thanksgiving at the same time without my handy planner! Your mom is so sweet and thoughtful, I love that she puts snacks out for you all! We really appreciate you sharing our post! Blessings, Donna
Very helpful. I’m hosting this year and you covered some items I hadn’t thought of yet. Look forward to your post to see what fun things to make this year
Thank you for letting us know this post was helpful to you! We love Thanksgiving and want to make it fun for everyone, especially the host! We hope you have a wonderful celebration!
Hi Donna! You offer so many great tips. I know that I usually have to start cleaning the house 2 weeks in advance. Ha! Especially if I need to wash slipcovers. Thank you for sharing this post on the Home Imagined Link Party.
Hi Anna! Glad you enjoyed the post! It’s so smart to get all that deep cleaning done in advance! Here’s wishing you the best Thanksgiving ever!