The doona is coming out and we’re experiencing crisper mornings and cooler afternoons once the sun disappears behind the clouds … yes, we’re in the last weeks of autumn before the big winter chill arrives with a vengeance.

• Embrace the weather by entertaining with a cosy theme this winter. Summer has well and truly packed its bags but don’t mourn the ice-cream weather for too long. Instead, get excited about all the fun that wintery days and nights can bring – including intimate parties! Here are some tips for toasty entertaining:

• Create an inviting ambience

  Cold weather gives you the chance to make your home a welcoming haven for guests. Even though it’s dismal outside, you can usher everyone inside to your cosy environment, softly lit with scented candles or candelabra and a crackling fire (or the heater turned up if you don’t have a fireplace!).

• Serve food to warm the soul

  Autumn-winter entertaining is all about comfort food! Forget the dainty canapés and get into rich, steaming hot party fare. Try serving homemade mini meat pies or individual noodle boxes of chilli con carne for a drinks party; lamb shanks or chicken curry for a dinner party; and chocolate self-saucing pudding for dessert. (Stand by for our winter entertaining menu plans, coming soon!).

• Get your blood pumping

  If you’re an outdoors type and don’t mind the crisp feel in the air, there’s no reason you can’t host an outside gathering in autumn-winter. But to ensure your guests don’t turn into shivering ice cubes, make it a get-together with an active theme – think a group bushwalk to a pretty picnic spot, teams for tip footy or Frisbee, or a bike ride. Be sure to advise guests of the wet weather plan, as well as what activity you have planned, so they can all dress appropriately.

• Cosy up an outdoor area

  Is your verandah or garden the only area of your home big enough to accommodate a party? Don’t put it off until summer, just put measures in place to make sure everyone is comfortably warm enough. Night-time is probably too chilly, but lunch on your deck on a sunny but cool winter’s day can be very pleasant. Provide a collection of knee rugs for guests to drape over their laps, and hire or buy a couple of outdoor gas heating lamps – after all, lots of fancy restaurants use these in their outdoor dining areas during winter months!