Turn Your Outdoor Patio Into Summer Party Carnival
Do you love to have your family, relatives and friends over for holiday celebrations and barbecues? If you
love to entertain crowds and want to turn your patio into a party central this summer, then here are some
easy ways to redecorate your outdoor patio so that you can party all summer.
Get creative with seating.
When you are inviting lots of people over frequently and unless you are having formal dinner parties –
abandon the large dining set is a wise choice. Bring in some picnic tables to hold the food and build a small bar in one corner of the
patio to hold the beverages. You can buy basic pre-made bar units at many home stores. In addition, get a few
bar stools as well. To make sure there is enough seating for everyone, purchase patio furniture that does double
duty.
In order to maximize your outdoor patio space, you can build your own seating. Make long benches on all
sides of the patio that double as storage space. You can buy cushions or make your own cushions to go with the
benches. This way, you can store extra dishes, glasses, utensils and all the other things you will need in the
benches. The good point is everything you require will be right at hand but out of sight. Isn’t that great! You
should have an uncluttered, crowd friendly patio that can seat all your guests at the party
comfortably.
Create flow on the patio.
On a smaller patio with lots of guests, the flow of the patio is critical. You should set up a distinct
area for conversation and a distinct area for eating. Create a line where people can pick up silverware, plates and
glasses and then proceed to the grill to pick up any grilled food. Finally, lead guests to the buffet or picnic
table for salads, sides and condiments before sitting down to eat. It will be much easier to keep everyone fed and
to keep everyone moving easily when you arrange the furniture so that there will be a smooth flow.
Set the right mood for your preferred theme.
In order to make the party more entertaining for everyone, you should pick a theme for each party and add
decorative touches to enhance the theme. You can use different types of decorations, lightings, cushions, dishes and so on to make the patio look cohesive and represent
that theme.
If you throw many parties, you might think it is too expensive to decorate for every single one. Yes, it
may be true but the key to decorating well on a budget is to recycle your leftover decorations as much as possible.
It is economical to change the covers on cushions and pillows. Select tablecloths in neutral colors so that you can
reuse them for different events. Splurge on one or two larger decorative items that are just for that party. Keep
the rest of the decorations in solid colors that you can reuse for other events.
Keep cold drinks ‘cold’.
If you have just a basic bar set up on your outdoor patio, it can be tough to keep sodas and other
beverages cold. If you don’t mind spending a little money, you can buy a solar powered mini fridge or chiller that
will keep your cold drinks nice and cold behind the bar. If you want to be thrifty, then a basin or washtub or even
new large metal trash container (which doesn’t cost a lot), filled with ice will do the job to keep the sodas and
other beverages cold for at least the duration of your party.
Always cook from a menu.
Even if you are just serving simple appetizers and party foods, it is advisable to plan a menu that suits
with the selected party theme. For instance, if your chosen theme is an Italian dinner party, you could serve
appetizers of prosciutto on fresh Italian bread with herbs and stock the bar with lots of Italian wine. If you are
planning a barbecue for the big game, then you have to stock up on football favorites like burgers, fries and
brats. Planning a menu beforehand, will surely help you keep the party on track.
Decorate using the landscape of your yard.
It can be daunting to decorate for an outdoor party but it is smart to use what you already have. Do you
have lots of small bushes and hedges? If you do, string some white lights or use a net of lights to decorate to
provide some dim lighting.
Are there lots of trees? If you do, hang some lantern, paper streamers or small wind chimes in the trees
to provide some decoration and some enlightening tunes. If the path to get to the patio is rocky or is difficult to
see at night, you may place small candles in white paper lunch bags, anchor them with sand to light
the path. Place the bags along both sides of the path to make sure your guests can see where they are
walking.
Keep guests and kids busy with party games and activities.
If you have a large outdoor patio, having some ball games such as beach balls, soccer balls would be good.
You could set up a croquet set and let the kids play croquet. If your patio has enough room to play volleyball
then, place a volleyball net that is usually always a crowd pleaser. Horseshoes is always fun if you have a lot of
room away from the patio for people to congregate. Frisbee is also a great, easy game for guests of all ages to
play.
If you have limited space, not to worry as you can easily opt for interesting board games. There are
various types such as multiplayer with or without elimination, strategy, race games, etc. Classic games such as
backgammon, checkers or chess are good choices.
Plan music ahead of time.
It will be pleasant if your music fits the theme of the party. Bring a portable CD player outside and play
some pre-mixed CDs that have a blend of popular party songs and songs that fit your party theme. You can also
choose and burn the party songs of your choice by yourself. If you invest in a multiple CD changer, then you need
not worry about music for the whole evening. Just put in all the CDs that you have and let it run
continuously.
Keep the fun going after the sun goes down.
When it is too dark to play sports or do other outdoor activities and people are getting bored, bring out
a stash of board games to keep everyone interested. Trivia games and situational games are a lot of fun at parties.
Some top choices board games are Monopoly, Scrabble, Checkers and Life.
You could also use a fire table to simulate a campfire. Fire tables are remarkable for outdoor
entertaining. They are sturdy small tables that have a fire pit built into them. You can have a roaring camp fire
or you can have a small smoldering fire. You can roast marshmallows, sing songs or tell stories and keep the
excitement going late into the evening.
Have a backup plan.
Even the nicest summer weather can turn ugly without notice. You should always have a backup plan in case
the weather gets bad. Have a space ready to move the party indoors if you need to. Alternately, make sure that you
have a patio awning or some type of cover over the outdoor patio to shelter your guests from wind or
rain.
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