Entertaining Ideas From The Dollar Store

Whether you're hosting the family turkey feast this year or a small cocktail party, dollar stores have many of the things you'll need to entertain in style and save a lot of money, too. Here are some entertaining ideas from the dollar store.

Food

You can buy large bags of Smart Food popcorn, Lays potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos or Munchies snack mix for $2 a full-sized bag. At Metro, these snack foods cost $3.49 a bag and up.

The kids at your party would probably enjoy some hot chocolate. Dollarama has Carnation Hot chocolate mix in a 10-serving pouch for $2.

If you haven't got time to bake or simply want to supplement your supply of Christmas cookies, try the Dante chocolate covered biscuits for $1 per 102g box. I speak from experience when I say they are very tasty, indeed. You can also get wafer rolls with cocoa and hazelnut filling for $1 per 90g box. At the grocery store, the everyday price of The Little Schoolboy Cookies is $3.49 for a 150g box .
For the cheese and cracker tray, try Urban Classics crackers for $1, crackers similar to Ritz, for a buck and Thin Wheat crackers for $1.25 per box. Crackers at Metro range in price from $1.99 for Wheat Thins to $2.99 for Breton Crackers.

If you like to take the easy way out when it comes to stuffing the bird, (and who can blame you?), Uncle Ben's Stuff 'n Such for Turkey is just $1.25 per box at Dollarama.

I can make stuffing but would rather wrestle a live turkey than try to make gravy. My solution is French's gravy mixes. Dollarama has a variety of these mixes, including turkey and they cost only a buck for 2 pouches that make a cup of gravy each.

Baking Needs

A tree-shaped foil cake pan with lid is only a buck and snack-size Duncan Hines cake and brownie mixes are just $1 each. The mixes make 12 cupcakes and 12 brownies, respectively. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm guessing that the cupcake mix would be just the right size for the cake pan.

Other baking needs include a graham wafer pie shell that costs $1.50, 2kg. of white sugar for $2, a 400g package of brown sugar for a buck, a 275g package of sultana raisins for $2 and a can of apple pie filling for $2.

Serving Pieces

The Christmas luncheon napkins at Metro may be a little better quality for $3.99 a package of 20, but I'd rather save $2 and get the same number for a buck at the dollar store. You can also get 24 cocktail napkins, or 12 each paper plates or cups for the same price. I've been using dollar store napkins for years. They are very serviceable and have some nice patterns, too.

When you're entertaining, an extra serving tray or two can't hurt. Some 12 inch round metal trays at Dollarama cost $1.25 and a 16 by 11 inch melamine tray with handles costs $2. Both come in festive holiday patterns.

If you've got small children, a vinyl table cloth is always a good idea. The dollar store has these in pretty holiday patterns in two sizes.

I found a clear glass chip 'n dip bowl at Dollarama that was made by Libby. It's about 11 inches round and you can bet it would cost around $10 in a department store. Mine cost $2.

I hesitate to call the melamine cake plate with matching server a pedestal plate because it's only got four small nubs on the bottom that lift it off of the table by a half inch or so, but it's a nice bit of holiday fun for only $2.

A large glass cutting board in Christmas designs can also serve as a hot plate or serving plate. I think it would be great for serving cheese and crackers on and it only costs $2 compared to the same cutting boards at Zellers and Wal-mart that cost over $4 each. I can't tell the difference, can you tell the difference?

Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. Her new e-book will show you how to decorate, entertain and give beautiful gifts using only items from the dollar store.

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