I would buy a card table and two more folding chairs. They fold fairly flat and can be stored under a bed or behind something very easily. And they have so many uses. Even if you get a large table someday (if you have the room), you can use the card table to hold extra food, play games, be a place for extra food prep, etc.

I wouldn't rent as renting is probably as much as buying a card table.

Anonymous wrote:It hasn't slipped in 25 years, the weight and friction are enough to keep it in place. But you, your china and your poor understanding of physics can do whatever you want. I just thought I would throw it out there.

I understand plywood well enough to know that it bows slightly. But go ahead with your bitchy self.

looks like a decent deal on craigslist. sell it at half the price when you're done:

IKEA Dining Table Glass/Wood 35.5" x 62.5" x 29" - $40 (Arlington)



http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/fuo/5311524080.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what my parents do, they've hosted between 14 and 27 over the years. Put a towel down to protect the table. Put a full sheet of plywood over the table. Put a table pad or old sheet on top of that and then a table cloth. Ask guests to bring folding chairs, some should have them. It is nice to have the full width for all the sides etc if you can accommodate it, otherwise the hardware store can make one cut for cheap/free.

Would never trust my China and crystal on a jury-rigged arrangement like that.

Are you the OP? I'm thinking that if the OP only has seating for 4 she may not have china and crystal for 12 that she needs to worry about.

It hasn't slipped in 25 years, the weight and friction are enough to keep it in place. But you, your china and your poor understanding of physics can do whatever you want. I just thought I would throw it out there.

Anonymous wrote:This is what my parents do, they've hosted between 14 and 27 over the years. Put a towel down to protect the table. Put a full sheet of plywood over the table. Put a table pad or old sheet on top of that and then a table cloth. Ask guests to bring folding chairs, some should have them. It is nice to have the full width for all the sides etc if you can accommodate it, otherwise the hardware store can make one cut for cheap/free.

Would never trust my China and crystal on a jury-rigged arrangement like that.

We rent a folding table from a& rentals in Alexandria. Including chairs and table cloth it is maybe $30.

This is what my parents do, they've hosted between 14 and 27 over the years. Put a towel down to protect the table. Put a full sheet of plywood over the table. Put a table pad or old sheet on top of that and then a table cloth. Ask guests to bring folding chairs, some should have them. It is nice to have the full width for all the sides etc if you can accommodate it, otherwise the hardware store can make one cut for cheap/free.

Anonymous wrote:It's not a dining table if you can only seat four people. Are all four people hugely obese? That's the only way I could see that being the case. Are you sure you don't have a leaf to put in the middle?

How many of the eight people are kids? Create a kids table.

Hey clueless, ever set foot in a furniture store?

Anonymous wrote:How old are you? As an adult, barring special circumstances, you should get yourself a table that can accommodate at least 8...

And what, pray tell, are the special circumstances that would make it ok for a person to not have a larger table?

Anonymous wrote:It's not a dining table if you can only seat four people. Are all four people hugely obese? That's the only way I could see that being the case. Are you sure you don't have a leaf to put in the middle?

How many of the eight people are kids? Create a kids table.

They most certainly do sell dining tables that seat four. Your response is very rude.

I bought a folding round table when we had a seated dinner for 20 and needed extra tables. It has come in very handy and a little more elegant than a folding table. It will seat 8 snugly, 6 comfortably. I also have wood folding chairs from ikea that I have used many times over the years. They are like these, which are $15 each. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40225677/.

Anonymous wrote:Look at some of the rental places that focus on tools. They have tables and are less expensive. We rented a table from Rental Works on Lee Hwy in Arlington, VA for Passover a few years back. http://rentalworksarlington.com/

I love RentalWorks -- we use them every year to rent tables and chairs for kids' birthday parties. You can get a big rectangular table for $9.50 per day. Super easy. I love having that place nearby. They also have a $5 coupon for first-time customers on their website.

Do you have a place that you can move your dining table for that dinner? If so, you can buy plastic folding 8' tables (they look like the 8' tables used in flea markets and craft sales). Get one of those and set that up in the dining room for the dinner, then put the table away in storage and put your regular dining room table back afterwards. You can get 2 more folding chairs to augment the 2 extra chairs and the 4 dining table chairs (do not use bar stools).

Here is a sample of the table. I bought one like it at Sam's club, but I think you can find ones at places like Target and Walmart if you don't have a membership to Sam's or Costco. And when I was young and single, and I wanted to have a fancy dinner, I found an inexpensive white unfitted bed sheet which I used as a tablecloth. It cost less than a tablecloth did and worked just as well.

http://www.affordableseating.net/item_natural.php?item_id=173&src=adwords&camp=Shopping&adg=tables&keyword=&matchtype=&device=c&producttargetid=65667278169&adtype=pla&src=adwords&camp=Shopping&adg=Tables&keyword=&matchtype=&device=c&producttargetid=65667278169&adtype=pla&gclid=CPOV05T1i8kCFdgBgQodGWYB8w

It's not a dining table if you can only seat four people. Are all four people hugely obese? That's the only way I could see that being the case. Are you sure you don't have a leaf to put in the middle?

How many of the eight people are kids? Create a kids table.