How do you seat and feed a large group of hungry people in your home? Well, take a deep breath and read these tips for a fuss-free gathering complete with good food and fun.

• Have lots of seating. Borrow or rent folding chairs if you
  need to.
• Set your kitchen up as a buffet area. For more buffet space, you can cover the sink with a piece of wood or plastic tabletop covered in fabric. This keeps your dining room free of clutter.
• Put silverware in upright containers at the front of the buffet to save space.
• Set the dining tables and centerpieces up the day before, if possible.
• Set out your buffet serving dishes and utensils the night before.
• Use low centerpieces so people can converse over them.
• Set up a table for children. Cover it with a white paper tablecloth and provide crayons or washable markers for them to "decorate" the table.
• Use thick paper plates to reduce cleanup. Have separate small plates for dessert.

• At an informal gathering, give everyone a large plastic cup with his or her name written on it with permanent marker. Ask kids to decorate their cups with pictures that represent their favorite activities: soccer balls, cheerleading pom-poms, skateboards, etc.
• Use a large cooler for canned and bottled drinks so guests can pick their favorites. Fill with ice and drinks ahead of time.
• Have plenty of bottled water — the beverage of choice for many people — on hand.
• Make pitchers of tea and other beverages like punch and lemonade ahead of time, and refrigerate to use less ice.

• Prepare as much food as possible beforehand.
• Foods that are fried or easy to eat while standing up will go first, so be sure to make extras.
• Ask friends to bring their specialties, especially appetizers and desserts. It’s fun for them and lightens your workload.
• Put standbys such as 7-layer dip and Swedish meatballs on your menu. Since people stay with the familiar at parties, they disappear in short order.
• Miniature versions of popular favorites are trendy and great for parties. Sliders — little hamburgers — are a good example. Serve mini cheesecakes for dessert.
• Entice guests of all ages with a do-it-yourself cupcake bar. Frost half the cupcakes with vanilla frosting and half with chocolate. Fill small bowls with coconut, multicolored jimmies, chocolate chips and pretty sugar crystals for people to decorate their own cupcakes.

In addition to planning ahead, ask friends and family members to help out. They can supervise the beverages and keep an eye on the buffet. Take good care of your guests and enjoy the party at the same time!