20 Ways to Throw a Can't-Miss Summer Party
Move the fun outdoors! These tips and tricks will turn your summer get-together into the event of the season.
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Move the fun outdoors! These tips and tricks will turn your summer get-together into the event of the season. Shop some of these fab outdoor finds on our Wayfair.com store! »
Set Up a Drink and Food Station
Use a potting bench as the perfect stand-in for a sideboard at a backyard bash.
Bright idea: A sealed canister keeps kitchen matches dry.
Washi Tape Pennant Lanterns
Dazzle guests on the cheap—and the quick—by transforming paper lanterns into showstopping fixtures with washi tape, a semitransparent decorative paper tape. First, mount strips of wide tape (38mm) onto white paper, then cut out triangles that are about 1 inch at their widest point. Press the "pennants" to a thinner strip of tape (15mm) to create bunting, and then wrap it around a lantern in a casual, overlapping pattern. (Lantern, from $3.50 for 12", pearlriver.com; washi tape, cutetape.com)
Create an Inspiring Outdoor Dining Room
Tips from Stephanie Stuart from The Golden State.
1. Every room deserves a ceiling. Stuart commissioned grommeted panels, stitched from weather-resistant fabric, that attach to her home's exterior walls via hooks. The porous material not only diffuses sunshine, it also lets rain pass through. (Custom panels, from $300 each
thegoldenstatestore.com)
2. Add an outdoor rug. Stuart scored hers from Mad Mats, which sells recycled-plastic carpets in tons of patterns—and the 4'W x 6'L size starts at just $51! (madmats.com)
3. Add cheer—cheaply—with a no-sew banner. These dapper pennants are nothing more than cotton remnants cut into triangles. Stuart used twine to tightly tie the two top corners of each to a length of hemp rope; a quick spritz of water-resistant Scotchgard increased their durability.
4. Pass on plastic furniture. Stuart nabbed her wooden picnic set on Craigslist for $100 and made it feel less outdoorsy by adding a midcentury iron seat at the head of the table.
5. Add greenery to blur hard edges. A variety of wooden containers—filled with hibiscus, a prayer plant, and assorted grasses—soften the perimeter, acting as a foil for the concrete floor and rocks.
6. Add outdoor artwork. "These mirrors help the patio feel like a real room," Stuart says. "Plus, they bounce the light around."
Throw a Victorian Garden Party
From Ikea's powder-coated steel lanters to a table garnished with herbs, fern fronds, and basswod slices, it's easy to bring an air of refinement to your next outdoor soirée by celebrating Victorian fascinations.
Plus: Themed invitations, mossy centerpieces, delicious refreshments, and more »
Fashion DIY Drink Umbrellas
Make these adorable accents for your guests to place in their cocktails. Bonus: They can also serve as drink markers.
Use Napkin Rings
Turn curtain rings into entertaining lifesavers for a cute accessory for your dinner party.
Make Cool Coasters
Colorful straws take on a supporting role for cocktails with a few strips of bright duct tape.
Give Beverages the Big Chill
Cool down drinks in galvanized buckets filled with ice. This saves room in the refrigerator and makes it easy for guests to help themselves whenever they're thirsty.
Keep Utensils Handy
Set out silverware in containers. If a fork drops to the ground, guests can easily reach for another. When it's time to clean up, load the containers with silverware from the table and carry inside to the dishwasher.
Dress Up Bottles in One Minute Flat
Sparkling water and lemonade, jars of pickles, even soda bottles become part of the decor when wrapped in patterned paper secured with double-sided tape. Use scraps of gift wrap or wallpaper that match the color scheme of your party.
Create Two Exciting Drinks from One Ingredient
Hibiscus syrup, which comes in a jar with 11 edible flowers, gives a floral note and a lovely red tinge to tall glasses of tea.
($11 for 8.8 ounces; wildhibiscus.com)
Keep Bugs Out of the Buffet
Sure, you could ward off ants and flies with plastic-wrapped bowls, but at some point the salad has to come out from under its cover. A much prettier—and more practical—solution: Pack side dishes in single-serving lidded jars. Spoon individual portions into the containers, then set out one for each guest.
Simplify the Sundae
Dressing up a dozen cones before a party starts streamlines the dessert-bar process. To make these treats—think of them as environmentally friendly bowls and toppings all in one—just dip each cone in melted white or milk chocolate and roll in tiny marshmallows, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, crushed cookies, or candy chips. Set out a selection of ice cream flavors chilled in a tub of ice, and dessert is done—without your taking a single order.
Offer Flavorful Food
Warm weekends bring out the entertainer in chef Suvir Saran (far right), who gathers friends for an easygoing meal that includes masala fried chicken, curried deviled eggs, ginger iced tea, and more.
Have Cocktail Hour
Cookbook author and Indian cooking authority Maya Kaimal decorates a drink station with candles, flowers, and garnishes to create a rustic ambience.
Take on a Simple, Laid-Back Approach
Summer calls for supper under an open sky. Food Network host Ted Allen puts an easy spin on outdoor entertaining with a meal—of make-ahead sides, simple grilled steak, and a campfire-cooked berry crumble—that showcases the season’s bounty.
Keep It Casual
With summer's arrival, baker and author Allysa Torey regularly invites friends over for for a relaxed dinner of rib-eye steak, corn fitters, and more at her home in upstate New York.
Have a Sunset Fish Fry
With blues and greens reminiscent of a rambling river, plus camp-inspired accessories (metal plates, classic lanterns), this tablescape is sure to reel guests right in. An old fishing creel finds new use as a centerpiece, and a vintage store display gets reborn as a menu holder. Use a camp blanket to double as an unexpectedly lovely summertime tablecloth.
Plus: Sunset fish fry invitations, place settings, and favors »
Romantic Woodland Supper
Conjure up a lush scene that feels fairy-tale enchanted with glowing candlelight, untamed greenery, and a flora-and-fauna motif. Use a white matelassé bedspread as an elegant stand-in for a tablecloth, while repurposed glass kitchen jars become candleholders.
Plus: Woodland supper invitations, place settings, and chocolate favors »
Throw A French Country Fête
Timeless striped linens, rattan accents, and citrusy colors evoke a midday meal in the Provence Country side.
For a centerpiece, a basket piled high with fruit works as both an easy-to-achieve focal point and a refreshing dessert. Turn traditional Basque runners width-wise to create a casual play on placemats. Lamp-shaded votive holders bring interior panache outside with a sense of humor, while terra-cotta pots supply an earthy spot for pillar candles.
Plus: French country invitations, place settings, and favors »
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