Time to get your entertaining essentials ready. From tableware to candles, this category in the home can often get out of control. But having all the items decluttered and organized that you need for entertaining will set you up for success with any event that you host. Go ahead and schedule in a day, or two, or a weekend to devote to it all – from serveware to glassware. Here are a couple tips and then a 10-step guide to decluttering and organizing your entertaining essentials.
Establish a zone:
Organizing your kitchen into zones is helpful for keeping it organized. The Serving zone is a great place to store some of your tableware such as serveware, flatware, dinnerware, and even glassware – although you may prefer to keep some of your glassware by the bar. While candles, candle holders, and other entertaining supplies may not fit into your serving zone, keeping these items stored in their own zone will be quite helpful when it is time to use them.
Commit to letting items go:
When you start sorting through your entertaining items, don’t keep anything that you do not use. Let some items go. If an item is no longer practical anymore, let it go. Do you really want to iron linen napkins? Maybe you do and that is wonderful! But, if you are not going to use it, or it is just too complicated, let it go. If you have more than a few platters and bowls, or vases and candles, consider getting rid of the ones you’re least attached to. Instead of going seasonal with your tableware, go seasonal with the centerpiece. Flowers of the season always make a wonderful centerpiece, or if you want a little more festivity at Christmastime, poppers on plates are a great way to decorate. One good white platter takes up much less space than a handful of platters for all seasons.
Plan for the put away before you start decluttering:
DRAWER ORGANIZERS
For your drawers, we recommend drawer organizers. They are great for barware and any and every other smaller item that can be easily stowed in a drawer. These drawer organizers will keep your items visible and accessible and your drawer from becoming a black hole. Just don’t forget to measure the drawer itself before purchasing the containers. This will ensure that you purchase the correct amount of containers and that all the containers fit.
CABINETS AND SHELVES
There are so many great organizing products for keeping entertaining essentials organized. Clear storage boxes are great for storing small items like candles and candle holders. They can be stacked in cabinets and labeled for easy access. Turntables are great, especially in deep cabinets. If you want to divide your contents into categories, there is also the option of a Turntable with Removable Dividers. Pantry bins are great for odd shaped entertaining essentials and for keeping items accessible and visible.
MORE ON SHELVES
Add more shelves to your cabinets. Lots of them. If your cabinet has 2 shelves, add 3 more. Just don’t use shelf stackers or those wire plate risers to make use of the vertical space. They are ugly and flimsy, don’t take up the whole depth of the cabinet, and just do not work. Adding more shelves in between the current shelves is the way to go and will keep you from stacking serveware too high. Items that are stacked are difficult to access and may crack or break because of the weight resting upon them.
10 Steps to Decluttering and Organizing Entertainment-ware:
- Make sure you have a good, clean, and open surface to work on before you begin. Kitchen counters, the table, or even a folding table or two.
- Find bags or boxes and label them either “Donate” or “Trash”.
- Go ahead and take everything that you use for hosting out and put it on a working surface. All the candles, candle holders, platters, napkins, napkin rings, vases, salad bowls, and such forth.
- Once you have all your organizing essentials out in the open, start making piles and putting like with like. All the vases together, candles together, serving platters together and so forth.
- Time to go through each pile and “Trash” anything that is broken or “Donate” anything that you dislike, do not use, know you will not use, or have not ever used. Remember, less is always more.
- Measure, fit, and find the organizing products that will contain the items best and add extra shelves as mentioned above for making the most of the space.
- Now it is time to work through putting the items away. Remember to keep like with like. Platters, serving dishes, pitchers, and serving utensils all together. Candles and candle holders together. Linens, placemats, and napkins all together. Cocktail napkins and corkscrews together.
- Once all the items have found a home, labeling is always a nice touch so that you remember where the items are when you are getting ready to host.
- Don’t forget to take the “Trash” container(s) to the trash and the “Donate” container(s) to a location where you can donate the items.
- Okay-now it’s time to party!
How do you feel about seasonal pieces being a part of your entertaining essentials? We want to know! Share your thoughts and see what others have to say in our Abundance Declutter Group on Facebook.