Small Space Thanksgiving: 15 Genius Hosting Hacks That Fit a Big Crowd in a Tiny Home

Small Space Thanksgiving hosting is easier than it looks, and you do not need a dining room to feed a crowd. Millions of people cook the big meal in apartments, condos and tiny houses every year. This fall, clever floor dinners and folding table hacks are pulling tens of thousands of likes on Instagram, with one host seating 14 people in a 1,500 square foot home. The trick is to stop thinking about one big table and start using every corner you have. Windows, dressers, balconies and even the back of a door can all pitch in. Below are our favorite ideas for seating, serving and keeping the kitchen clear. Most use things you already own, and every one folds away when the guests head home..

Small Space Thanksgiving Starts on the Floor

No dining room? No problem. For a Small Space Thanksgiving, one of the most loved hosting tricks on Instagram right now, with about 47,000 likes, is a dinner on the floor. Fold the legs of a folding table, rest the top on sturdy poufs, and ring it with every cushion you own. It feels like a cozy picnic indoors, and it fits more guests than chairs ever could. If you love that relaxed mood, our Friendsgiving table ideas have even more casual looks..

You will need: 1 folding table with legs that fold flat, 2 or 3 sturdy round poufs of the same height, 8 to 12 floor cushions or bed pillows, a rug or quilt underneath, plaid throws, a fall runner.

How to make it: 1. Fold the table legs flat and check that they lock. 2. Set the poufs on a rug and lay the tabletop across them, centered. 3. Press on each corner to be sure it does not tip. 4. Ring the table with cushions, drape throws over a few, and set the plates.

One Long Table Through the Living Room

Most small homes have one big open spot, and it is usually the living room. Push the sofa flat to the wall, roll up the rug, and run the table straight down the middle. Suddenly a room for four seats twelve, and the meal feels like the big family feasts of American Thanksgiving that started it all. Mix in kitchen chairs, desk chairs and a bench. One long runner of leaves and mini pumpkins ties it all together. For a table that looks this good, borrow a few tricks from our Thanksgiving table ideas.

You will need: 2 or 3 tables of a similar height, a long runner or kraft paper, painter’s tape, mixed chairs, small pumpkins, dried wheat, faux fall leaves.

How to make it: 1. Move the sofa and side tables against the walls the night before. 2. Line the tables up end to end and tape the legs together under the top. 3. Lay one long runner over the seams. 4. Scatter pumpkins, wheat and leaves down the center, and set chairs on both sides.

Small Space Thanksgiving Bench From Crates

Chairs eat up a Small Space Thanksgiving, but a bench tucks under the table and seats three. This one is just a long board resting on two solid wooden crates. Lay a cushion on top and nobody will guess it cost so little. Choose thick, sturdy crates and a board at least one inch thick so it holds adults safely. After the holiday, the crates go back to storage. Our milk crate ideas show more clever ways to use them all year.

You will need: 2 sturdy wooden crates, 1 wood board (1 inch thick, about 5 feet long), sandpaper, wood stain or paint, a long bench cushion or a folded quilt, 4 rubber furniture pads.

How to make it: 1. Sand the board smooth, wipe it clean and stain or paint it. 2. Stick rubber pads on the crate tops so the board will not slide. 3. Stand the crates on their ends and lay the board across them. 4. Sit in the middle to test it, then add the cushion.

Pull Out the Console Table

Look around your home for any table you can borrow. The skinny console behind the sofa or in the hall makes a perfect second table for four. Pull it into the open, add two chairs on each side, and set it with the same plates and napkins as the main table. Mixing pieces like this is part of the charm, just like our mismatched Thanksgiving table ideas.

You will need: 1 console or sofa table, 4 chairs, a short runner, 4 place settings, 3 small pumpkins, 4 linen napkins.

How to make it: 1. Clear the console and wipe it down. 2. Move it to an open spot and check that it stands level. 3. Add a short runner and the same dishes as the main table. 4. Tuck a little pumpkin cluster down the center so both tables match.

Small Space Thanksgiving Drink Ledge

A small hallway can turn into a drink stop with one simple shelf. A wall mounted fold down shelf opens when guests arrive and closes flat when they leave. Set out a pitcher of cider, a few glasses and a bowl of apples, and people will gather there instead of crowding the kitchen. Ask an adult helper to mount it into a stud. For more pieces that vanish when you need room, see our folding furniture ideas.

You will need: 1 fold down wall shelf kit, a stud finder, a drill and level (adult help), 1 glass pitcher, 6 glasses, a small bowl, apples, faux fall leaves.

How to make it: 1. Find a stud with the stud finder and mark the height at about waist level. 2. With adult help, mount the bracket and check it with a level. 3. Fold the shelf open and test it with a heavy book. 4. Add the cider, glasses, apples and a few leaves.

Cutting Board Over the Sink

In a tiny kitchen, every inch of counter matters on the big day. Here is a trick that adds a brand new prep spot: lay a large cutting board across the sink. It holds side dishes while they wait, or gives you room to carve. Pick a board wider than the sink and set it on a damp towel so it stays put. Our small kitchen hacks are full of space savers like this one.

You will need: 1 large wooden cutting board wider than your sink, 1 damp kitchen towel, food safe board oil, serving bowls and spoons.

How to make it: 1. Measure your sink and choose a board that rests on both sides with room to spare. 2. Rub the board with food safe oil the day before. 3. Lay a damp towel on the sink rim and set the board on top. 4. Use it for resting dishes, then lift it off to wash up.

Small Space Thanksgiving Dessert Window

When the table is full at a Small Space Thanksgiving, the pies can move to the window. A wide sill makes a sweet little dessert bar, and the daylight behind it makes every crust glow. Set pies on cake stands of different heights and tuck a few leaves between them. Guests will see the desserts all through dinner and save room. Need more ideas for your sweets corner? Our holiday hosting hacks cover cake stands, trays and more.

You will need: 3 cake stands in different heights, 2 pies, a plate of mini tarts, faux fall leaves, a pie server, small dessert plates.

How to make it: 1. Clear and wipe the sill, and check it is deep enough for your widest stand. 2. Put the tallest stand in the middle and the shorter ones on each side. 3. Add the pies and tarts. 4. Scatter leaves between the stands and stack dessert plates nearby.

Dresser Top Coffee and Pie Station

Do not forget the rooms behind closed doors. A bedroom dresser close to the living room is the right height for a coffee and pie station. Clear it off, lay down a runner, and set out mugs, a carafe and a pie. It pulls people out of the crowded main room and gives the evening a cozy second act. If your dresser needs a little love first, our furniture flips will inspire a quick refresh.

You will need: 1 runner or tea towel, a coffee carafe, 6 to 8 mugs, a sugar bowl, a creamer, spoons, 1 pie on a stand, a small vase of fall flowers.

How to make it: 1. Clear the dresser top and dust it. 2. Lay the runner across to protect the wood. 3. Set the carafe and mugs on one side and the pie on the other. 4. Add the flowers in the middle and leave the bedroom door open so guests find it.

Small Space Thanksgiving Rolling Cart

A rolling cart is the hardest working helper in a Small Space Thanksgiving. Load it in the kitchen with rolls, gravy, sauces and spare plates, then wheel it right up to the table. When dinner is done, it rolls back with the empties in one trip. Park it in a corner the rest of the year for snacks or crafts. Our Christmas bar cart ideas show how to dress it up again next month.

You will need: 1 three tier rolling cart, a tea towel for each tier, a bread basket, a gravy boat, small bowls for sauces, extra plates and napkins.

How to make it: 1. Line each tier with a tea towel. 2. Put heavy dishes on the bottom so the cart stays steady. 3. Set rolls and sauces on the middle tier and plates on top. 4. Lock the wheels once it is parked next to the table.

A Skinny Centerpiece That Saves Room

Big centerpieces look grand, but on a narrow table they steal room from the food. Try a single slim row of bud vases instead. Each one holds a stem or two, with tiny pumpkins in between. It is low enough to talk over and leaves space for every dish. Grocery store flowers split into many vases go a long way. For more pretty and space wise ideas, see our Thanksgiving centerpieces.

You will need: 8 to 12 small glass bud vases or clean spice jars, 1 bunch of orange and cream flowers, 6 tiny pumpkins, floral snips, water.

How to make it: 1. Fill each vase one third full with water. 2. Trim the flowers short so they sit low. 3. Place one or two stems in each vase. 4. Line them down the center in a single row and set a tiny pumpkin between every pair.

Small Space Thanksgiving Ottoman Snack Tray

Guests always arrive hungry, and a coffee table can feel bulky in a small room. A round storage ottoman topped with a big tray does both jobs. It holds cheese, crackers and grapes while the turkey rests, then it hides blankets inside when you are done. Everyone can reach it from the sofa. For more ways to make a little living room work harder, check out our small room tricks.

You will need: 1 round storage ottoman, 1 large wooden tray with handles, 2 or 3 cheeses, crackers, grapes, nuts, 2 small dip bowls, small napkins.

How to make it: 1. Store spare throws and pillows inside the ottoman before guests arrive. 2. Set the tray on top and check that it sits flat. 3. Arrange cheese in the middle and crackers, grapes and nuts around it. 4. Tuck the dip bowls into the corners.

Over the Door Napkin and Utensil Holder

Drawers fill up fast when you cook for a crowd. A clear over the door organizer, the kind made for shoes, turns the back of a pantry door into a neat holder for napkins and utensils. You can see everything at a glance, and helpers find what they need without asking. It costs a few dollars and goes back to the closet after. Our pantry organization ideas have more smart tricks like this.

You will need: 1 clear over the door pocket organizer, 12 cloth napkins, forks, knives and spoons, serving spoons, twine.

How to make it: 1. Hang the organizer over the pantry or closet door. 2. Roll each napkin and tie it with twine. 3. Fill the top rows with napkins and the lower rows with forks, knives and spoons. 4. Put serving spoons in the bottom row, closest to the stove.

Small Space Thanksgiving Balcony Drink Tub

If you have a balcony or a tiny porch, use it. Cool November air keeps drinks chilled, and moving them outside frees the fridge for leftovers. A galvanized tub of ice with two pitchers of cider looks festive and costs very little. Add a stool for glasses and a plaid throw on the chair. Our Thanksgiving porch decor ideas will help you dress the space.

You will need: 1 galvanized metal tub, 1 bag of ice, 2 glass pitchers, apple cider, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, clear tumblers, a small stool, a plaid throw.

How to make it: 1. Set the tub in a spot where melting ice will not drip on neighbors below. 2. Fill it halfway with ice. 3. Pour cider into the pitchers, add apple slices and cinnamon sticks, and nestle them in the ice. 4. Stack tumblers on a stool beside it.

Pegboard Wall for Serving Tools

Serving tools love to vanish on busy days. A white pegboard on one empty kitchen wall keeps tongs, ladles and spoons in plain sight and off the counter. Hang small baskets for napkins and a cutting board on hooks. It is cheap to make and stays useful long after the holiday. Ask an adult to help mount it with spacers so the hooks fit. Our genius kitchen fixes have more ideas for tiny kitchens.

You will need: 1 pegboard panel (2 by 3 feet), white paint, 4 wall spacers and anchors, a drill (adult help), pegboard hooks, 2 small wire baskets.

How to make it: 1. Paint the pegboard white and let it dry. 2. With adult help, mount it on spacers so there is a gap behind it. 3. Add hooks in rows. 4. Hang tongs, ladles and spoons in the order you will use them, and clip on the baskets.

Small Space Thanksgiving Nesting Tables

Nesting tables are the secret weapon of a Small Space Thanksgiving. Most days they stack into the footprint of one small table. On the holiday, pull them apart and spread them around the room as snack stops. One holds olives, one holds nuts, one holds crackers. People move around, chat and never crowd one spot. Add a few fall pillows to the sofa to finish the look, like the ones in our no sew pillow covers.

You will need: 1 set of 3 nesting tables, 3 small bowls or plates, olives, nuts, crackers, small napkins, 2 or 3 fall pillow covers.

How to make it: 1. Unstack the tables and set each one near a seat. 2. Place one snack bowl on each table with a few napkins. 3. Keep the tallest table near the door for the first nibble. 4. After dinner, stack them back into one.