Elements of a Party- How to Organize Your Party Pantry
As you know, one of the best ways to be a relaxed hostess is to be an organized hostess.One of the best ways to assure that you are relaxed is to start to collect all the elements of a party in one place: plates, glasses, platters, serving pieces, flatware, and linens. This way you can pull everything together for your parties from one location.Building Your Party Pantry:First of all, don’t buy a thing! I want you to look at what you own. Here are the basics you will need to create any party. I want you to look at everything in your home, things in your living room and den, even the things in your bedroom and foyer or garage, and yes, of course, the basement. I want you to shop your home for useable objects and items; think about repurposing and using things in a whole new way.Your Party Pantry List:
3 Baskets, wicker, and/or metal
3 Trays or flat objects that are food safe and could be scrubbed and used to plate or gather food. I love white enamelware; I find mine online or at flea markets. 1 rectangle, 1 square, and 1 round.
12 Glasses, anything goes! The more mismatched the better.
12 Wine glasses, both red and white, 12 champagne coupes, and 12 champagne flutes. These can be from a flea market and mismatched.
2 Wood surfaces, like planking or old cutting boards. 1 rustic and 1 smooth.
4 Tiles; old tiles can be used as platters for cheese or appetizers.
2 Chalkboards and old signs; anything that you could write on to use to write menus or messages to your guests.
Ribbon, string, yarn, twine, and raffia.
Wrapping paper; it makes great table runners, or use it for wrapping vases.
Galvanized or enamel buckets. Great for flowers, napkin rolls, breadsticks, or French bread. 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small.
Vases or garden pots.
Bottles and jelly or mason jars (I like to save jam jars and run them through the dishwasher), all sizes.
1 of each small, medium and large plates and platters.
3 of each small, medium, and large bowls.
Metal containers and wood containers.
4 of each small and medium wood crates, or small fruit crates/baskets from the grocery.
3 yards of each old pieces of fabric for runners and table cloths; burlap from the garden shed.
Old napkins and tablecloths (I like to over dye old, thread bare linens).
Mugs, tea cups.
Muffin tins and old baking pans.
12 white dinner plates.
12 dessert plates.
12 appetizer plates.
10 espresso cups.
10 coffee cups.
12 white bowls for soup, dessert, or salad.
12 white dessert plates.
12 knives, fork, spoons, dessert spoons, and dessert forks.
Small wooden servers for jams and spreads.
Mismatched flatware for serving meats and condiments.
12 white and natural linen napkins *If you do not have these, you should purchase them.
Linen tablecloths: 1 white and 1 dark linen *If you do not have these, you should purchase them.
Cocktail shaker.
10 Martini glasses.
Novelty toothpicks.
2 white cake plates, small and medium. 1 colorful cake plate.
Pie server and ice cream scoop.
8 placemats. I only like placemats for breakfast or lunch, or a very casual dinner. NOT parties.
Make sure you have a place to store all of your essentials together. I have an actual room, but you can buy great shelves and pick a place in your own home; it can even be the garage or your basement, or a spare closet or room would do nicely as well. Above is my party pantry and below is a great closet you could replicate. The most important idea is that everything is in one place for easy access.For more information, grab my book Picture Perfect Parties and get ready to P A R T Y! Cheers and Happy Holidays! xxPhoto credit : Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn from my book Picture Perfect Parties