The number one thing that I love about the summer is that when the temperatures rise, your living space is doubled! Now you can eat outside, read outside, and even sleep outside and I try to take advantage of that whenever possible.
So here are some ideas for your next outdoor casual sit down dinner party that are easy peasy but will look like you spent a ton of time pulling it together.
Setting the Table
For your napkins, I like to use whatever I have on hand, especially if they mix and match. I love that look and I know Rach does too! This cool pocket fold can either be used to keep the silverware in place, or you can stick a sprig of fresh flowers in there so each person has their own mini bouquet!
It is such a super easy fold you’ll be using it again and again.
I don’t like to clutter the table with tons of plates, instead what I do is just set out the first course, and then bring in an extra table from inside, put a runner on it and use that as a station for any salad bowls, and dessert plates. It keeps things cleaner and makes the hostess’ job a ton easier.
Centerpiece
If you have a flower garden, right before your party you can fill pitchers with your fresh-cut treasures from the garden. If you don’t have a green thumb, you could use annuals purchased inexpensively from your garden center, or even your supermarket. Transplant them into simple, terracotta pots, and set them down the center of your table. Then when your party is done, plant them in your garden.
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The Vibe
To create a great vibe at your next sit down shin dig make sure to have candles, especially if you think your party will go into the evening hours. There are also a ton of solar powered lights on the market which I love because you don’t have to plug them in anywhere, try those to light up the summer night.
I love this super easy trick for create an awesome presentation for desserts, appetizers, whatever. Raised platters and trays are the trick to making any tabletop look amazing, and if you don’t have any they are super simple to make. I use a heavy duty glue dots for a temporary bond or heavy duty gorilla glue to attach and mix and match vintage glass pieces. A candlestick holder attached to a small plate on it become a cool footed plate!
You can even create a pile of summer fans for guests to stay cool and bug free all party long.
Let me know how your outdoor entertaining goes! I would love to hear about it!
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photo credit: Michael Edwards
03.02.10 @ 10:42 pm
I like the mix and match idea. The last few years, after inheriting some of my mother-in-laws Blue Willow plates, I’ve just been collecting anything that fits this description–Blue Willow, Blue Onion, I don’t see why plates have to match.