Besides all the excuses to gather friends over delicious food and cocktails, I’m beginning to realize what I really love about the holidays – the fact that I get to focus way more on one of my favorite topics around here – entertaining! And not just your average invite-the-neighbors-over-for-dinner entertaining, but the BEST kind of entertaining: themed, abundant, and styled!
Intimidated? Don’t be. Because this season we’re going to be bringing you tips on how to do it all… starting with how to style your holiday buffet, with the help of Pier1!
Styling Tip 1: Pick a theme. This does not mean you have to go crazy – a theme can be as simple as a color scheme or overall style! For this buffet I decided that I was going to mix some of my more modern accessories with fresh greens and a hint of rustic with birch accents, and a palette of mostly neutrals accented with orange and – of course – green.
I chose the scheme based on the dishes, which were my starting point, but also to compliment our peachy living room walls (which will be painted in January!). It isn’t the easiest color to manage and this scheme WORKS! You don’t want to have to fight with your environment when styling.
Styling Tip 2: Try some unconventional decor. In this case – the ‘wall’ treatment which is really this great roll of wrapping paper! I love the way it calls attention to the buffet in a subtle manner, layered under the wreath.
I used miniature gold tacks to make sure that the paper wouldn’t shift or fall down – I think it really makes the wreath pop and instantly helps create the theme for the buffet as well as a focal point. Just find the wrapping paper that fits your theme and that’s on thicker side that so it won’t easily wrinkle or tear.
Styling Tip 3: Make dishes and utensils easy to grab and go! There’s nothing more awkward than juggling your glass of wine with a plate AND silverware AND a napkin when you’re trying to also serve yourself food! So do these two things to make life a little easier for guests…
First – make sure dishes are a small appetizer or salad plate size so they’re easier to manage. Second – create these cute little napkin bundles by folding a fork and knife into a dinner napkin so they’re ready to go! We topped ours with freshly snipped greens and faux berries. Which segues us right into the next tip…
Styling Tip 4: Mix your faux and your foraged! There’s such a great natural abundance of florals that lend themselves to holiday decor – berried branches and fir trees among them! I love incorporating them into my decor…
Every year I pull out a few of my faux garlands out and then head to the local farmer’s market or my own backyard to snip some fresh greens to add to them! The mix helps tone down the obvious fake stuff a bit, and the faux garlands not only give you a shape to work off of (I attach the fresh bits with floral wire), but it’s more economical too! The preserved boxwood wreath is the perfect compliment, and will keep for the whole month, if not longer!
Styling Tip 5: Do something personal. This is a tip not just for your buffet, but every party, really! If your guest list is manageable enough you should always do your best to make each guest feel special – whether a personalized element on the table, a parting goodie bag, or a simple DIY like this one…
Rather than a wine tag (since we usually end up serving cocktails too!), we decided to create these birch wood coasters for guests with their names on them! An easy way for everyone to keep track of their drinks when they set them down somewhere, and a nice nod to the type-A hostess too (wink wink).
Bonus tip! I had to mention an element that I has only been top of mind a bit more recently as more friends have kiddos at the running-around-the-house age – LED candles! While I much prefer a good old-fashioned tea light, for high traffic areas that are likely to get a bit more knocked around, candles like these (which just so happen to fit our theme!) have put my mind at ease and still add a bit of ambience. Plus you don’t have to worry about if you’ve blown them all out at the end of the night!
I hope these tips help you add some easy styling to your holiday soirees! If you have any challenges you’re facing, put them in the comments and I’ll be happy to help tackle them if I can!
photography by meghan klein for coco+kelley // this post sponsored by Pier1 – all styling and opinions our own!
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