Homeowners that will be hosting their loved ones this Thanksgiving don’t have to be limited to the indoors. Give your guests more room to spread out by utilizing your outdoor living area, even if there is a chill in the air. Put your patio to good use over the holidays with these helpful entertaining tips:

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere. It may be too cold to dine outdoors on Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean that guests can’t enjoy sitting out on the patio throughout the day. Don’t store the furniture away until after the holiday. By providing comfortable seating, your guests will be able to relax with a drink and get some fresh air. You can also set up a drink station outside with cold beverages. Depending on the temperature, you may not even need a cooler.

Warm it Up. Even if it isn’t cold enough to require heavy coats, there’s still going to be a chill in the air in November. Make sure that your patio is warm and toasty by providing a good heating source. It could be from an outdoor heat lamp, a cozy fire pit, or a built in fireplace. Make sure that you have extra wood on hand for the fire pit or fireplace, and check on the fire from time to time to ensure that it stays lit. Guests will be able to come and go from the indoors and enjoy some fresh air outside when there’s a working heat source that keeps the patio comfortable.

Don’t Forget Decor. When preparing your patio for holiday entertaining, don’t forget to add festive decorations. For Thanksgiving, you can keep things simple with a carefully arranged display of pumpkins and gourds. Follow a color scheme that matches the harvest season, bringing together warm tones and shades like oranges, reds, yellows, and browns.

These patio tips will help ensure that your outdoor living space can be practical and useful in every season. Enjoy the beauty of the outdoors this Thanksgiving and give your guests more space to relax and socialize by turning your patio into a comfortable entertaining area.