DIY hosting hacks for the holidays

(NC) Are you planning on hosting family or friends over the holidays? Here are five ways to be the host with the most this holiday.

Balance your budget
With many people worried about the high cost of living, you might be rethinking hosting this year. But you don’t have to break the bank to throw a memorable gathering. You can keep costs down by printing things at home instead of buying from a stationary store. Options include creating low-cost invitations, gift wrap and even three-dimensional DIY decorations.

Kids corner
Will there be children at the party? If so, create a kids’ corner with festive activities ready to go. Options include HP Printables which offer access to a wide array of free, readymade seasonal activity sheets that you can print out for any occasion. You can control how many you print, saving on supplies and waste.

Get personal
From invitations to place cards to thank you notes, personalization goes a long way. Sending your guests a formal invitation helps set the mood. You can easily create a template with a dedicated note to each guest using a home printer. If you’re having a sit-down meal, you can also print off seating place cards for each guest. For added touch, send a thank you note and memorable photo from your event.

Plan ahead
Try to take care of as much prep work as possible, including decorating, before the day of the event. Do your shopping and food prep a day or two before so that you can focus on your guests when they arrive.

If you need to add more seating or move furniture out of way for a dance party, do that before the first guests start to arrive.

Overnight guests
If some of your guests will be staying overnight, prepare sleeping arrangements ahead of time. Make up the guest bed, lay out some towels and consider stocking up on some extra toothbrushes in case anyone forgets theirs, or the overnight stay was unplanned.

Find the right device for your printable holiday hosting needs at hp.ca.

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