(ARA) - Blame it on the cocooning and hiving trends or the influx of decorating shows and shelter books, but one thing is clear - people are opening their doors more than ever to friends and family and expressing their creativity through home entertainment. And with home entertaining peaking between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, home entertainers are already feeling the pressure to execute the perfect party.

"The holidays alone are stressful enough and I know people fret over trying to throw the perfect party, but it doesn't have to be difficult," said Robert Zollweg, creative director for Libbey Inc., a leading provider of tableware products (www.libbey.com). "Before your party, take inventory of your house and you'll find that you probably have everything you need to make a lasting impression on your guests."

According to Zollweg, everyday items around your house, like plates and wine glasses, can be turned into conversation pieces. "Whether you're looking to throw an elaborate cocktail party with tapas and worldly cocktails or an impromptu potluck game night, simple touches can give any soiree a personal and festive feel."

For your next party, try one of these entertaining tips from Libbey:

Place Settings

* Recycle old Christmas cards and use the cover as a place card setting. Place cards encourage mingling among people who might not chat otherwise. Recycled cards also make great invitations.

* An apple or pinecone with a small slit in the top make perfect cardholders. Or if you're having a game night, spell out guests' names with Scrabble tiles.

* Make cookies in the shape of holiday items. Write guests' names with icing, setting one at each place setting.

* Dress up place settings by stacking dinner and salad plates. Tie them together with a decorative ribbon.

Centerpieces

* For a last-minute centerpiece, take a mirror (try one with an ornate border) and place it on the table. Place simple glass votive candles on top. Out of votives? Cupcake foils can be used as disposable votives.

* Place seasonal fruit in a glass bowl or shoeboxes wrapped with white paper. Or fill it with ornaments or cookies.

* For a simple arrangement that makes a statement, partially fill a shallow glass bowl with water and add fresh or frozen cranberries. Then, place a cylinder-shaped vase or tumbler filling it with seasonal white flowers in the center of the berries. Float tea lights around the vase. Finish with holiday greenery if desired.

Fun with glasses

* Create custom glassware by painting a simple pattern onto a plain wine glass, using egg whites and a small paintbrush - immediately sprinkle fine sugar over the egg white pattern.

* Fill drinking glasses - stemless wine glasses work great - with decorative stones, then place a tea light inside. Or, turn traditional wine glasses upside down and use them as candleholders. Use different heights and group them together for an elegant look. There is no such thing as too many candles. Candlelight is very flattering on everyone.

* Fill martini, wine and brandy glasses with silver or clear marbles and add a tea light.

* Fill beer pilsners with nuts, mints and other candy and use ribbon to tie a bow at the stem. Place glasses throughout the house so guests can munch while mingling.

* Use clear martini glasses or margarita glasses to serve desserts, mashed potatoes, sorbets or other side dishes and tapas.

* An inexpensive way to dress up your party is to pick up some specialty barware like unusual martini glasses or stemless wine glasses.

Forgo the typical bar

* Set up a wine sampling station. Give guests an opportunity to try different types of wine. Another idea is to have guests bring a bottle of wine from their family's heritage and sample wines from different parts of the world. A classic shot glass or cordial can be used for sampling.

* Why stick to wine? Try sampling different martinis. Libbey offers a mini martini set that features recipes and mini martini glasses. The same theme can be used for beer or non-alcoholic drinks like smoothies.

Courtesy of ARA Content