Whether you’re a beginner host or a seasoned professional looking for a fresh start, this list of entertaining essentials is a great place to start! Learn the top 13 essentials every host needs to be able to interchange looks, themes and design for any occasion without breaking the bank.
If you’re anything like me, you love to host! Whether it’s a brunch, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner, creating memories over meals with those you love is truly unbeatable.
Thankfully, you don’t need new dinnerware every time you host a meal! Not when you have these timeless entertaining essentials to mix and match with.
In this post, you will learn the top 13 essentials every host needs in their entertaining capsule. You’ll discover the core items that don’t need to change, and how you can use them to make each table arrangement unique.
By the end, you’ll be equipped with a great base knowledge to help you begin collecting your entertaining essentials.
This post is all about the top 13 timeless entertaining essentials every host needs.
The Top 13 Entertaining Essentials
1. Neutral Tablecloth
A tablecloth is a quick way to make your table feel softer and more inviting. When choosing one you can reuse over and over, white or soft neutral colors are always best.
White is a classic choice, known to make tables look fresh and professional. For a softer, more relaxed option, a beige or off white natural linen cloth would be my pick.
Keep in mind you want this cloth to last for years to come, so your fabric should be durable enough to last many washes.
2. Table Runners
Much like a tablecloth, a table runner is another option to either be layered or placed straight over your table.
Soft colours like beige, light grey, off white can all work well for a variety of colour setting schemes.
Keep in mind that having a larger range of table runner options is a great way to tie together different themes easily. I love picking these up for a few dollars apiece from thrift stores.
3. Chargers or Placemats
While these may not be used for every meal, chargers or placemats offer an extra beautiful detail to any set up.
Woven or grass placemats are a great choice for any relaxed but stylish arrangement. While for an elegant sit-down dinner, investing in a set of large white chargers could be a great option.
4. Salad Plates and Bowls
If your starting your entertaining capsule from scratch, I would consider simply buying a full set of white dinnerware. These should include salad plates, dinner plates, bowls, etc. You can then use these interchangeably with different accent plates when needed.
I chose to get 8 of these basic salad plates, which I use over and over. By pairing them with unique colored or patterned dinner plates, they make any stack look fresh.
The same idea can be done by using white bowls.
5. Dinner Plates
You can never go wrong using a full white set of dinner plates. Just like the salad plates and bowls, these could be used with either accent top plates or placemats.
When selecting these, I’d recommend opting for a simple rim, and they must be dishwasher-friendly.
6. Napkins
Napkins are a beautiful detail to add to any table set-up. Again, you can’t go wrong purchasing white or neutral napkins as they’re so versatile.
The great thing about napkins is they are small and easy to store so if you want to collect more of these, they are an easy way to change up your table look.
If you’re after a very cost-effective way to make your own napkins, check out my post Worlds Easiest Fringed Napkin Tutorial.
7. Cutlery
I absolutely love my gold cutlery! I have used these sets for so many different events. I often like to use gold as an accent, so the cutlery ties in well with things like candle holders or napkin rings.
Silver cutlery is a lot easier to come across. The good thing about these is they often can be easily mixed and matched without anyone noticing the difference.
8. Glasses
Two different kinds of glasses, which both work well for a variety of events, are goblets and tumblers. I love the goblets above as they aren’t too delicate but can look great with a variety of elegant set ups.
Tumblers are good for any age group; they are easy to come by and a classic choice.
9. Jugs
Glass water jugs are a great option to suit any table. They look great whether you’re serving water or a colored cold drink with your meal.
10. Wooden Boards
Around here, we use wooden chopping boards for everything from preparation to decoration! These best suit a relaxed table theme and are a nice way to incorporate another texture.
They are also great for serving cheese boards or appetisers to your guests before a meal.
11. Serving Platters
Large white serving platters are must-haves for any host. They can hold a variety of dishes and suit practically any theme.
These can easily be paired with your chopping boards when used for display.
12. Lighting
Especially for the dinner table, adding a source of light through the center of the table brings great warmth.
Candles are a classic choice for this. Having a mix of pillar candles or tea lights, you can easily place them where they fit. Or for height and elegance, taper candles can be used. These often come in a variety of colours, meaning they can help tie your colour scheme together.
Keep in mind that scented candles are great to use when hosting, but I’d recommend avoiding them for the dinner table. Often, the smell can overpower the food or make it taste strange to some people.
Another option is fairy lights! I have used the ones pictured above for so many years and unique parties. These could be woven through a delicate table runner in the centre of your table.
13. Vases
Lastly, we have vases. Vases are a must-have when it comes to making your tablescape fresh, unique, and cohesive with your colour scheme.
For the best versatility, vases made from glass are easily blendable and widely available. You could use recycled jars, mason jars, thrifted glass vases or basic tall vases.
Conclusion
And that’s it for my top 13 entertaining essentials! I hope these were helpful and inspiring to you as you put together your capsule. Happy hosting!
