Martha Stewart’s Top 5 Holiday Entertaining Tips

Since the 1980s Martha Stewart has been showing haute hostesses in the Hamptons and beyond how to entertain with style and flair. She shares a few exclusive tips on how to make your holiday party special this season with Hamptons.com.

1. Prep Ahead of Time: Good planning is very important! Think about what you can prepare in advance. Try to set the table in the morning so that any unforeseen events don’t slow you down.

2. Select a Signature Drink: Select a signature drink for your holiday party. Always use fresh juices and purees for your cocktail. It makes a huge difference! Also pre-make your cocktails earlier in the day so you don’t spend the whole party fixing drinks.

3. Tabletop: When setting the table I like to stick to one color. Different patterns are okay, but all in the same tone. There are fantastic solid-colored holiday table settings available in my Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s.

4. Take-home gifts for guests: I like to give homemade gifts. Give gifts to guests as they’re leaving, not when they walk in. Put the gifts on a tray near the door and let your guests choose which one they would like to take.

5. Put in extra effort: Good entertaining is all about that extra touch, that extra effort put forth to dazzle guests. Making sure the cloth napkins are folded to precision and the space is nicely decorated. Each year my holiday decorations vary, but I like to still stay traditional. There’s great holiday decorating items in my collection at The Home Depot.

For more entertaining tips, check out the December/January Martha Stewart Living magazine on stands now.