Summer Party at the Last Minute? No problem!

Entry #113, June 16, 2010

Did your co-workers just invite themselves over to your house? How about an old out of town friend calls and wants to see you after 10 years!? Whether these sound like your life, or not – anytime a summer party can be thrown together.  My whole thought is, “Yeah, but will it LOOK thrown together”?

I came across this great article from Apartment Therapy, on how to put together a no-fuss party, and still look like you planned it.  Look at these ideas!

String lights.

No need to tuck away these Christmas staples until chilly season arrives. Simple string lights make a strong impact on summer nights, without the strong dose of holiday kitsch.

A string of lights can set the tone for the entire evening!

Candles.

Candles in jelly jars are hard to beat when it comes to lighting up a festive summer party on the fly. I like to wash and save a few jars a month just for this purpose. For instructions on creating your own, check out crafty nest’s how-to. One caution: not all jars can withstand high heat without shattering, so to be on the safe side stick to tea lights rather than pillar candles. Easier yet, set out soup bowls or shallow vases with an array of floating candles— instant ambiance!

Simple paper decorations.

The talented Brittany Watson, previously featured on Apartment Therapy for her creative work at the Danish Ambassador’s Christmas party, recently threw a launch party for her thesis project, complete with thousands of airplanes crafted out of maps. Simple idea, beautiful result! You can check out more details here. And when in doubt buntings do the trick too.

Simple decoration, makes for a relaxing meal

Fresh flowers.

Easy arrangements in recycled jars and bottles are impossible to get wrong. The more the merrier! For more easy flower inspiration, check out this post on simple sprigs in recycled vases.

Simple, gorgeous, centerpiece from fresh flowers

Self-serve drink station.

This is not only practical, it’s also fun. Let your guests get creative with their drinks while you get to mingle with other guests.

Drinks anyone? Of course!

Utensil station and easily identifiable drinking glasses.

Like the drink station, a little smart prep work beforehand goes a long way saving you many trips to the kitchen during the party. Let guests help themselves to forks and knives, and avoid a million orphaned drinks with a labeling marker or something similar. For laid back parties we use a variety of colored rubber bands that guests can slip around their glasses.

Silverware looks elegant in these ‘no-fuss’ cans.

For more summer time party ideas on Stagetecture, click here.