I appreciate it’s July - would you have 17 for Christmas?

[Florally]

I have a dining table that extended seats 8..

There is a table in the playroom I can bring through and add on and extend that has 4 chairs but I could probably fit 6 round it… (2 on each side and 2 on the end) I can just about fit this in the dining room… (I can steal 2 chairs from desks upstairs, luckily, also dining chairs by chance as they matched rooms)

Very excitingly my mums sister has said she will come for Christmas this year and it’s long haul so is looking to book flights for her and her family asap.

Obviously, we would love to have them and food wise we always cook too much anyway.

But how can I physically fit them 😅

I would always say yes and work out logistics later 🥰 sittings, knees etc- it will work out!

Buy a lump(s) of plywood to fit over each table (same width as table, but longer in length) giving an overhang big enough to get 2 more people sat at each table. Nice table cloth over it and no one would know

Garden table? I regularly have 16 and before I got my huge table i used the dining table, extended, and my garden table and chairs, that gave me 12 places, plus a kids plastic table. We used the piano stool and local family brought extra chairs. It was fun. And a bit mad.

And ask family who are coming and live close to bring their dining chairs

Only if it was planned with military precision and everyone / most of whom were coming could provide some of the meal as long as they were good capable cooks .
A lot to ask but a big ask of you too if you end up doing the lot .

I’m not worried at all about cooking the meal, i’m happy to do it and we do probably cook for that many and more most christmasses to ensure leftovers 😂 I did 2 turkeys, pork, beef, gammon and then loads of sides last year - the kids and DH and I all have jobs and feel like we have this down.

it’s just sitting everyone. I’m not sure I can make it any longer in the dining room.. wondering about hiring chairs or benches or something that are skinnier and kids can squish.

We host at Christmas anything from 12-20, numbers firm up nearer the time. We have very big swathes of fabric, hemmed, that covers what ever ends up as the table underneath. We use a combination of the usual dining table, garden table and a large fold up table. We have dining chairs, garden chairs and benches. Fold up garden chairs can be around £10 in the late summer and fold up garden stools even less - they double as extra side tables.

As for where to sit everyone. One year we moved much of the lounge furniture out into the garden under a tarpaulin for one day so the larger room - the lounge, could be set up as a formal dining room. The kitchen then had a few comfy normal lounge chairs in it where we usually have a table and we have a conservatory that had more chairs so people could mingle or sit at the table. It worked really well. A nice casual spread out around the house before and after the meal.

Another year we set up in the conservatory - again moving the normal furniture outside and extra seats into the lounge.

The biggest issue has been ensuring we have enough plates and cutlery - planning the meal to suit the crockery. Then being a mass over caterer, fitting all the dishes on the table - two tier works really well. Multiple smaller dishes of the same thing so they can be spread across the table and everyone gets a taste of the things they want.

At the end of the day if its people you like, they're not coming for the food or the elegant setting. They're coming for your company and will appreciate what ever you do.

Would there be room for a cheap folding table like this one?

You could add Christmas paper tablecloths.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/2076867

I love a big Christmas! We bring out a folding camping table. Once you've got the Christmas tablecloths and decorations up it will look lovely.

Last time my auntie hosted 20 she got tables from the local church hall or similar and arranged them in a C shape in her dining room. So in the middle we were back to back. It worked well.

IKEA certainly used to do stackable stools that we used for stuff like this.

folding garden table also a good idea.

If your biggest concern is seating, just do it. You'll work it out.

No way. I'd go to a restaurant and may allow people in my living room afterwards. But I'd want them to leave reasonably soon.

These would seat one person. Would they work added on the the ends or the middle somehow?
Buy Argos Home Single Folding Tray Table - Natural | Side tables | Argos https://share.google/NPMvPH3MDnfSSV51U

Sure thing, but I have 15 each year so 17 isn’t a vast increase.

No we can’t fit them, we extend the dining table with a lot of bodging and tablecloths, it’s elbow to elbow, no we don’t have enough seats in the sitting room either. Beds we have more of - 12 before anyone gets an air mattress but the youngest and fittest usually get air mattresses and floor combos.

Just google duvetknowitschristmas

I bought a folding trestle table a few years ago for under £70 and it’s been brilliant. It folds down and can be kept in the garage, and when open will sit 6 easily. I had a large number at my house last Christmas and did a really nice buffet. It didn’t matter there was not a seat for absolutely everyone - the younger people were happy to perch somewhere or sit on a cushion

Buy a cheap camping table

What's your guests age ranges ?
Seating a toddler is different to a 20 something or an older person ( we had to put my Dad in the corner where he couldn't escape otherwise he kept jumping up to "help" ... or be the Opposite of Help !)

Dunelm do folding dining chairs for £15, which are actually really nice, plus a folding table and swathes of fabric to cover, all good

Sometimes you can borrow a trestle table from a church hall or similar

If you’re not bothered what any of it looks like, maybe have a look on marketplace, you can then stick it back on there after.

How exciting though - sounds like it’s going to be a lovely Xmas 🤶

Yes I would and have done! I've had 19 once and basically my livingroom was pasting tables and folding chairs... dc opened their presents in the kitchen 😅 i like to host and like everyone together

My dad did this but then realised he didn't have room to seat everyone so hired the village hall opposite...but still cooked, so everyone was ferrying trays of roast potatoes across the road in the snow. Absolute chaos but fun 😁