Party face-off: How-tos

Seek

Cheese-covered grapes
Chop walnuts and toast in a 300-degree oven for four to five minutes. Combine four ounces of cream cheese with six ounces of Gorgonzola. Use a hand mixer until most lumps are gone. Roll grapes in the cheese—by hand and one at time for best results—and then roll them in the crushed walnuts. Place on a tray and refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate-covered fruit
Pour one cup of chocolate chips and one tablespoon of Crisco into a saucepan on low heat. Remove from heat every few seconds to stir. Remove from heat when melted. Dip the fruit into the chocolate and lay out on wax paper. Let cool for ten minutes, then store in the fridge overnight.

Turkey sandwiches
Do we really need to tell you how to put meat on bread?

DIY veggie station
Um, slice up vegetables and arrange on a dish.

Decorations

Tablecloth
Cut an industrial-sized trash bag along two of its sides so that it opens up and lays flat. (Depending on the size of your table, you may need to use two bags.) Fold the bag in half and in half again; then, along the two open ends of the bag, cut one-inch slits to create fringe. Open and lay over table.

Coffee-filter ornaments
Lay a filter flat on a table and pick it up from the center, pinching the material until it resembles a closed umbrella. Repeat with two more filters. Layer the three filters so there are three distinct, petallike ruffles. Staple all three layers together at the pointed end. Once you have created four of these, staple them together—pointed ends inside—to create a globe. Sew or tape dental floss, string or fishing wire to each globe in order to hang them from the ceiling. (Coffee filters come in packs of 100, so don’t worry about messing up a few.)

Vases
Turn any leftover bottles, jars or cans into vases just by adding water.

Flower petals
Flowers are an inexpensive way to add color to a table—and you don’t even need a vase. Simply pop the flower head off the steam and peel each petal off. Sprinkle them around the table for an instant, vibrant pop.

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