One of the easiest ways to entertain at home is to enlist the help of friends and host a cooperative dinner, otherwise known as a potluck. All the guests are able to share their favorite recipes, and the host doesn't feel the pressure of preparing the whole menu. Even those who don't cook are able to contribute by supplying paper goods, dinner rolls or beverages. Add a few decorative odds and ends and you can put together a cooperative dinner party that's easy on the budget and on your busy schedule.
For this dinner, the host wanted a look that's youthful and urban, casual yet professional. Liese Gardner, the editor of Special Events magazine, joins host Heidi Bohay to offer advice on how to express an inexpensive elegance within a fun and energetic environment. She highlights the decorative features that enhance the carefree mood of this party:
- Large cans of food obtained from a discount warehouse can form various levels on which to display the menu items. Twinkle-lights around the room and in glass containers create a sparkle effect with the silver cans when labels have been removed (figure A).
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- The table is covered with brown paper, available at storage and box stores, and the bottom edges are cut at different angles with pinking shears (figure B ). Markers are left out on the table so that guests can leave graffiti on this recyclable tablecloth.
- If you don't have twinkle-lights but still want to create a sparkle effect, wrap a coaster or small plate with foil and set a circle of white votive candles on it (figure C).
- Add a splash of color to the silver-and-white decor with a fresh and exciting flower arrangement (figure D). A simple bunch of white flowers can be purchased for less than $6 and augmented with a few tulips or orchids costing around $3.50 each.
- A large silver tub is filled with beers from a microbrewery. Ask your guests to bring their own favorite microbrew and set out a few beer-tasting glasses to see which beer everyone likes best.
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