A special ornament tied around a napkin directs your guests to their appropriate chairs and gives them a memorable take-home present.

You don't necessarily have to serve soup in soup bowls. Try mismatched coffee cups -- you can find them for a couple of dollars each on your shopping trip to the flea market.

Proud of the special dessert you've created? Print the recipe in a festive script on colored paper, add a touch of ribbon, and leave it by the dessert for your guests to take home.

Take miscellaneous dishes from around your house, fill them with jelly beans or chocolate, and tuck a handwritten note in each with one word of holiday cheer (such as "Rejoice!").

Set out bowls of unshelled nuts and fruits around your home -- or a bowl of bright-green apples. It's better to crack a few walnuts or eat some fruit than to munch on leftover desserts.