Eliminate stress and ratchet up the fun factor by planning a relaxed party that fits you and your guests.

1. Tailor the guest list to fit the size of your home. Figuring out how many guests will comfortably fit in your home for a cocktail party or mingling meal is just a matter of math. Here’s how: Add up the square footage of your entertaining space and divide it by 10. This will tell you how many people you can accommodate. For instance, if your kitchen, dining room and great room consist of 600 square feet, 60 guests should be your top number.

2. Choose foods carefully. Reduce stress by choosing a menu for which 90 percent of the foods may be made ahead of time.

3. Start on paper. Several weeks before the party, make a list of every ingredient, decoration, platter and pan that you will need for the party.

4. Work ahead. Start crossing items off your list as soon as you can. Do you need to order special beef cuts? Pick up the phone.

5. Simplify. Remember that “simple” is always sensational. Be yourself. If you are not a gourmet chef, now is not the time to pretend that you are. Plan to serve fuss-free foods that allow you to spend time with guests, not foods that keep you tied to the oven.

6. Mix and match. Mismatched dishes and platters make parties charming. Feel free to fill your table with personality pieces—your grandmother’s soup tureen, a stack of plates in every style and color. Even orphan plates and platters from tag sales and thrift shops add a relaxed, welcoming vibe to your presentation.

7. Enlist help. No matter how much you plan and simplify, having a large group of people for food and drinks can be a Herculean effort. Pair up with a friend, or hire a neighborhood teenager to lend a hand.

8. Be up-front. Remember that your front door and entryway provide the first impression of your party and your home. Even if you don’t get around to dry cleaning the slipcovers and polishing the floors, make sure that your stoop is tidy, the door is clean, the window is washed and something pretty—even something as simple as a wreath—sets the stage when guests arrive.

9. Leave time to get yourself ready. Even if your preparations are still underway— if the vegetables are not ready, the bread is not sliced or the sauce is not done, set your kitchen timer to provide for 45 minutes of “me time” before guests arrive.

Food will wait, and you’ll be glad that if your guests arrive to find you still peeling potatoes, at least you won’t be peeling them in sweatpants and a stained T-shirt.

10. Encourage mingling. Strategically placing food around the room—on a coffee table, an ottoman, a desk or the fireplace hearth—will encourage people to move around the party space.

11. Get guests involved. Do not hesitate to ask guests to lend a hand with this or that. Especially at the beginning of the party, helping the host is a wonderful ice-breaking activity.

12. Plan a farewell cue. Every party must end, and guests appreciate knowing when it is time to go. Offering coffee is a clear signal, as is giving a goodbye gift or simply thanking the crowd for making it such a fun event.

Also read Get Your Kitchen Ready for the Holidays and Ten Ways to Cut Entertaining Costs.