This post is part of my ongoing series on hospitality.

While you can certainly show hospitality on paper plates (I encourage doing this often!), it actually becomes more cost-effective over time to invest in some great dishes and serving pieces for showing hospitality.  Here are my top picks for the basics!  (I won’t call these essentials because you don’t have to have them in order to practice hospitality… but they are nice to collect over time!)

-Dishes
To start with, buy enough to serve as many people as your dining room will hold.  (Work up to this over time if money is tight.)  For me, this is sixteen.  Sixteen people in my dining room is totally pushing it, but we’ve done it twice (once for a ladies Bible study dinner and once for a youth Christmas party).  I recommend and use white Corelle dishes.  I bought most of mine at an outlet store before we got married and the rest were a gift.  I have two patterns (plain white and white with a raised swirl design), and no one cares that they aren’t a perfect match (I actually like the look!).

-Silverware
Buy enough to serve as many people as your dining room will hold.  We received lovely flatware as a wedding present, and it is one of our most-used gifts!

-Glasses
Buy enough to serve as many people as your dining room will hold.  I’m still working on getting up to sixteen matching glasses, but I have twelve that match plus another similar set I could use in a pinch.  I like the $4.79/6 red wine glasses from IKEA.  They are lovely for serving ice water and they are SO cheap that if one breaks it’s just no big deal.

-Bread basket
Useful for chips, bread, rolls, or buns, this can be as simple as a basket from the dollar store lined with a napkin, or it can be something fancier (handmade basket, fabric liner, etc.).  I just use a simple basket lined with a colorful paper napkin.

-Serving platters
I’ve been collecting white serving platters so that I would have the appropriate sized plate/platter to serve food on.  I love getting serving pieces as gifts, so I’ve acquired some that way as well.

-Serving dishes
I was blessed to receive a whole bunch of beautiful white serving/casserole dishes when we got married, so I definitely put those to work on a regular basis!  Dishes with handles are great for serving meals family-style.

-Water pitcher
I like to leave the water pitcher on the table so that refills are easy.  I have several beautiful pitchers that are appropriate for almost any gathering.  I also have some plastic pitchers for more casual gatherings.

-Cloth or paper napkins
We use cloth napkins all the time at home, so I often use those when we have company too.  But because some people aren’t used to using cloth napkins (and it causes parents of kids to stress out a little bit), I often use cute paper napkins too.  This is a fun way to add some color or seasonal inspiration to your table!

-Trivets
I use swirly “wrought-iron” trivets and green woven trivets to keep hot dishes off the table.  The woven trivets are useful for passing dishes as well, since they can act as a potholder.

-Tablecloths
Depending on your “style,” tablecloths can be a nice addition to your hospitality collection.  I have a really
long table, so it’s a little harder to find tablecloths that are long enough.  I have a few in neutral colors that I use regularly (the white one is my favorite), but I don’t always use a tablecloth.

-Decorative items
I like to have a pretty centerpiece on the table that is appropriate for the season and the occasion.  I usually just utilize items I have on hand (candles, vases, a pretty cloth napkin, etc.).  Sometimes I can afford to get some fresh flowers for the table.  Of course, if you garden, you can use flowers more often than I can!  In the fall I will use a pumpkin and some beautiful leaves.  I like to bring in holly or evergreen branches in the wintertime.  Get creative using what you have, but also watch for clearance sales after holidays when you can pick up pretty seasonal items on the cheap.

Here are a few of my favorite places to shop for the above items:
-IKEA (glasses, paper napkins, candles, vases)
-Ross (serving platters and dishes, tablecloths, decorative items)
-T.J. Maxx (baskets, serving platters and dishes, decorative items)
-Marshall’s (serving platters and dishes, decorative items)
-Home Goods (paper napkins, baskets, serving platters and dishes, pitchers, decorative items)
-Target (silverware, cloth napkins, serving dishes, pitchers, decorative items)
-Dollar Tree (baskets, woven trivets, some seasonal decorative items)

Where are your favorite places to shop for these hospitality basics?