What are some ideas for hosting a great dinner party?

Hosting a nice dinner is one of life’s joys, and there are some things that can take the atmosphere from good to great. Incorporate some of these ideas for entertaining dinner guests at your apartment:

• Learn how to do an artistic fold on a cloth napkin to dress up the table settings.
• Take the time to print out the menu in a fancy font. Cut into long rectangles, fun flowers or other shapes and place on the table for guests to peruse.
• Choose your music carefully and let it enhance the mood. Match it to the ethnicity of your meal or the feel you want to create. Make sure that you set the volume low so that it doesn’t inhibit conversation.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment with the table setting. Use crazy fabric for a tablecloth, sprinkle glitter in a line down the center of the table or use natural accents such as river rocks or fall leaves in a glass bowl. Your creativity will be a conversation starter.
• For especially fancy dinners, consider renting chair covers to dress up the room a bit.
• Give guests a memento of the evening to take home with them such as a recipe from the meal or a flower from the centerpiece.