Part of having your own place is having people over.  Entertaining is one of the best things about having your own apartment.  One of the drawbacks to apartment living, though, can be size restrictions.  Apartments are often smaller than you would ideally like for entertaining, especially during times when large numbers of friends and family will arrive, like during the holidays.If you are contemplating a family event, or having a large number of friends over for a special occasion, there are a few things that you can do to make the space you have stretch farther.

The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you have adequate seating.  No one wants to be left standing, or even sitting alone, so make sure that you have several small groups of chairs available.  This will eliminate the need for a single large sitting area and make sure that no one is forced to sit alone.

Move large furniture items against the wall for the duration of the event.  Tables can be moved, easily, as can couches, sofas and loveseats.  Moving these out of the way and arranging them so that they can still be used will give you the most room possible, while still allowing you to use them during the get together.

Finally, make sure that you have a centralized area for food placement.  Often, it will be necessary to serve food and drink in a buffet style.  This will give you the most room, allow everyone access to the food that they want and make the event go much more smoothly, as well.