31 Days of Holiday Organizing Tips — Day 13

Organizing Your China Cabinet & Serveware

If you plan on hosting friends and family over the holiday season, it’s important to organize your china cabinet and take a quick inventory of your china, serving platters and other dishware.

For formal occasions, where fine china is most appropriate, make sure you have enough table settings for all your guests.

Pull out your china set out from storage and double-check it for damage such as chips and cracks.

To enjoy your beautiful dishware for more than just one meal per year, consider displaying it in your dining room until the holidays are over.

As you’re inventorying your dishware, start thinking about what kind of serving platters and utensils you’ll need.

For large platters that have been in storage, give them a quick wash to remove any dust. If you plan on using sterling silverware, remove it from storage now.

Gently wash your sterling pieces and then polish them to remove any tarnish. When you’re finished, store them in a cloth designed to prevent sterling silver from becoming discolored.

Finally, check your glassware. Do you have enough drinking glasses, wine glasses, coffee mugs and teacups for all your guests? If not, make a plan to either purchase additional pieces or rent extra glasses from a party rental store.

Enjoy all the tips on the 31 Days of Holiday Organizing Tips Series below!