6 Tips for hosting a dinner party in a tiny home

by Beth Rush

Tiny homes are sustainable and intimate spaces to let you feel closer to your guests. That said, dinner parties can be challenging when ensuring everyone has enough space. How can you maximize your space without feeling cramped? Here are six tips for hosting a dinner party in a tiny home. 

1. Declutter your home

Before guests arrive, you should declutter your everyday spaces. A thorough cleaning maximizes room and makes your tiny home feel larger than it is. Sprucing up your small living space may seem complicated, but there are some ways to make it easier. For example, you could focus on one room per day leading up to the dinner party. 

While decluttering is a chore, it benefits your tiny home and mental health. Organizing and deep cleaning improve your focus and sleep quality, thus promoting a healthier lifestyle. Add sustainability to your cleaning by finding items to recycle. Alternatively, you could give away items to your friends and family to avoid the landfill as long as possible. 

2. Determine the number of guests

When hosting a dinner party, you may feel tempted to cook excess food for guests in a tiny home. You want enough dinner choices for your guests, but too much food can lead to waste and overcrowding in your small space. Instead, determine the number of people coming to your dinner party and cook accordingly. You’ll have less clutter on your countertops and refrigerator.

Leftovers may be inevitable for your dinner party, so what should you do with them? Give guests plenty of food to take home in reusable containers, and save some for yourself. Even your scraps have a role in your tiny house if you compost them. Experts say composting reduces methane emissions in landfills and solid waste management costs. 

3. Have a potluck dinner

Hosting a dinner party means you’ll serve the food, but celebrating in a tiny home can take a different approach. Suggest a potluck dinner and let your guests bring their favorite side dishes and desserts. This idea is advantageous because it reduces the burden on your small kitchen and saves time before dinner. You can spend this extra time decorating or focusing on your planned meals. 

While a potluck dinner can bring a medley of foods, coordination is best to ensure each dish blends well. Suppose you want a crab dinner as the party’s theme. As the host, you’ll prepare the crab and boil each morsel perfectly. Your guests could bring tasty potatoes and vegetables to complement the crab. For instance, fresh artichokes only need 20 minutes to steam with garlic and butter. 

4. Serve finger foods

If you’re cooking most of the food, how can you make it easier on yourself? Unless it’s Thanksgiving dinner, you can take a smarter approach to the food you serve. Finger foods are an excellent option to serve dishes on smaller plates. These tasty morsels could include meatballs, oysters, deviled eggs or fruit kebabs. Cocktail foods require less counter space and are more accessible for guests to eat. 

Finger foods are easy to incorporate into your menu regardless of the time of year. Are you hosting a Christmas dinner party in a tiny home? Smaller sides and appetizers will bring just as much holiday cheer. For example, cranberry brie bites contribute to magnesium intake and taste best with warm crescent rolls. Oreo balls, gingerbread cupcakes and sugared cranberries are easy holiday options for your party.  

5. Defeat lingering smells

Hosting a dinner party in a tiny home can leave lingering smells for days because the odors don’t have many places to go. A breakfast-for-dinner celebration could make your entire living space smell like bacon for days. Experts say you can mitigate the smell by boiling a lemon with baking soda because of its neutralizing powers. Increasing ventilation is another worthwhile strategy to keep your home smelling fresh. 

How can you prevent smells from entering your house in the first place? Consider cooking as much of the food outside as possible. This option is convenient if you host a barbecue because you can grill and smoke meats outdoors. For all-in-one meals, you can prepare soups and chilis in a Dutch oven over hot coals. Outdoor cooking provides numerous options for tasty food and fewer smells. 

6. Use flexible furniture

While food is central to a dinner party, you shouldn’t forget the seating arrangements. Your tiny home likely doesn’t have a full-sized dining table and traditional living room organization. So, how can you ensure everyone has a place to sit comfortably? You need flexible furniture to fit in your tiny home without occupying too much space. Too much seating can make the room feel cramped. 

Be creative when crafting your tiny home’s seating arrangement. Folding chairs, ottomans and barstools can be practical seats for a few hours. Couch cushions and pillows can work if you have little time to prepare. Consider removing living room items and temporarily placing them in your bedroom to maximize space. Will guests stay the night? Use a couch with a pull-out bed to combine socializing with sleeping arrangements. 

How hosting a dinner party in a tiny home can be easy

A typical dinner party includes a large table and multiple places for guests to socialize. However, this dream isn’t always a reality for tiny homes. How can you maximize space and give your guests a good time? Smartly planning your food and seating arrangements goes a long way in preparation.