I Hosted 12 People for Friendsgiving in My Tiny Apartment — Here Are the 4 Tips That Made It a Smashing Success

When my partner and I sent an invite to 10 of our friends to come over for Friendsgiving last year, we weren’t exactly thinking about logistics, like the cleaning prep or what games to play. We were just excited to get everyone together for an evening filled with quality time and good food in our new Milwaukee, Wisconsin, apartment. So when it came time to finally prep for the party, we had some serious planning to do — and by planning, I mean figuring it out that same day.

In a 600-square-foot apartment, every nook and cranny is important — especially when there’ll be 12 people in one room. Our place is a bungalow-style one-bedroom unit with a galley kitchen that’s down the hall from the living room. We knew we’d put the dining tables in the living room, and keep all of the food in the kitchen, but how? Here’s what worked, and what we learned along the way. 

The biggest challenge was setting up our living room. This is where we would configure a temporary “dining room” and gather for the festivities. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out not only how many tables we’d need to seat 12, but also to figure out exactly how to arrange the space so everyone could sit comfortably. 

We started by turning our couch 90 degrees and pushing it up against the bookshelves to create a larger space where the tables could go. From there, we started with our regular dining table, the Pinntrop table from IKEA, that stretches up to double in size. We paired this with our outdoor bistro table from the basement, and realized we were still about three spots short. So, in a last-minute moment of flexibility, my partner ran to the store to purchase a small $45 folding table. With the three tables, we were able to create an L-shaped table that, more or less, comfortably seated 12. 

It was a bit different from my original vision of one long table, but in small spaces, you have to be flexible and work with what you have — ready to pivot as needed. 

Once the living room was set up and the turkey was done cooking, we were ready to transform the kitchen. Every space is valuable in a small apartment, so the kitchen needed to be clean and ready to be a place for our friends to set all of their dishes. We wiped down the counters and the stove — in a small space, the stovetop is part of the counter — and were ready for people to come. 

Just as people were arriving, I had the idea of popping up an extra, smaller folding table my parents lent us for the night (imagine a 1990s gray folding table that’s older than me and barely holding it together) to put drinks and desserts on. Everything was set, and not a square inch of the kitchen was spared. 

There’s a pressure to have perfect plates and curated cups, but when you’re hosting a dozen people in a small apartment (with no dishwasher), it’s just not practical. Instead, we had to shift our mindset to function first — and to my enjoyment, fashion followed. We opted for simple paper plates, plastic utensils, and aluminum solo cups to make for easy cleanup. And when it was all on the table piled with our delicious food, it looked great. 

Same with the tables: We threw some tablecloths on the mismatched tables, and it suddenly looked intentional and effortless (and not at all like we were running around trying to fit it all in our small living room two hours earlier). I added a few taper candles, some flowers, my favorite salt and pepper shakers, and the cutest matchbox I own, and the space went from chaos to cozy. 

Which brings me to my final point: When you’re hosting Friendsgiving in a small apartment, cozy is the vibe. It’s intimate and everyone’s close together, knees touching at the table, yes — but if you turn on a few dimly lit lamps and light some candles, the low lighting makes it all feel intentional and special. After all, your friends are all there to be together. And what better way to be together than crammed together on three small tables in the middle of your living room eating delicious homemade food?