While most of the country is packing up their outdoor furniture and hunkering down for the season, we’re thankful to have these warm, late summer days that afford us Californians the luxury of spending lazy evenings in the backyard. While a solid menu of delicious snacks, courses, and drinks is really the star of the outdoor dinner party, the small details of the tablescape don’t go unnoticed by dinner guests. Here we have five table additions to consider when throwing your next dinner meal alfresco—and hopefully it’s this weekend!
1. Mix & Match
Keep decorations playful by using different color napkins for a whimsical feel, or pairing plates and bowls of different materials to create a textured effect.
2. Repurposed Herbs
We love that you can repurpose your unused herbs for beautiful additions to any place setting. Use leftover sprigs from cooking and tuck them into the folds of napkins or directly onto plates.
3. Table Snacks
Add pops of color and keep pre-dinner snacks light with seasonal veggies, whether raw or roasted—plus an elevated cheese board packed with nuts and fruit!
4. Go with BloomThat
BloomThat’s ready-to-go succulents and flowers can be delivered right to your door, freeing up precious time to complete your party checklist.
5. Citronella Candles
These adorable and useful DIY creations are the perfect way to create the lighting you want while also deterring those pesky unwanted dinner guests. You can find all the details to replicate our easy citronella candles below (as originally found on Style Me Pretty).
To make these candles, you’ll need:
- Soy wax flakes
- Citronella oil
- 3.5″ wicks
- Wax melting pot
- Mini terracotta pots
- White craft paint
- Floral clay
- Scissors
- Wooden skewers
- Sponge brush
- Painter’s tape
Instructions:
Using painter’s tape, mark off the lines to the areas of the pots that you would like to paint. With a sponge brush, paint the terracotta pots to your liking and leave the paint to completely dry.
Fill the melting pot one third full with wax flakes. Fill a saucepan halfway with water and place the melting pot in it over medium heat. Let the wax melt for about 15 minutes until clear and liquid.
In the meantime, place a small chunk of floral clay in the hole at the bottom of each pot, then press in a wick. Add 12-13 drops of citronella oil to the melting wax flakes.
Pour the melted wax into each pot, about 95% full. Position the wick in the center, and use a wooden skewer or two to keep it in place.
Finally let the candles cool at room temperature for several hours, then trim the wicks and light at your next dinner party! And who says a dinner party can’t be with just your family?
Photos by Melanie Duerkopp.