Setting Up for an Outdoor Party

Outdoor parties are about entertainment and relaxation.

Use a little ingenuity to keep the setup for an outdoor party festive. Simple decorations, easy access to food and drinks and making the best use of your available space are all key aspects of a successful outdoor party. Whether you're hosting a summer cocktail shindig or a family barbecue, setting up with some forethought gives you time and energy to enjoy the party with your guests.

Things You'll Need

• Folding tables
• Paper or plastic tablecloths
• Pennies
• Tape
• Rolling cart
• Glasses
• Ice
• Ice bucket
• Flowers
• Candles
• Food jars and cans
• Wire mesh colanders
• Blankets

Instructions

1. Set up folding tables to hold food and drinks. For a barbecue, set one up near the grill to make it easier on the cook. Put out a table for drinks and paper and plastic goods, one for cold food like salads and condiments and one for hot food. Top each table with a plastic or paper tablecloth. To keep it from blowing in the wind, tape pennies around the bottom edge and on the backside of each tablecloth.

2. Put all alcoholic drinks and the necessary equipment for them together on a small rolling cart. This keeps the alcoholic drinks from mixing with the nonalcoholic drinks at a party where children are present. It also makes bartending easier. Fill a bucket with ice to keep near this cart and to store beer bottles in. Store ice in an insulated bucket on the cart, as well as swizzle sticks, drink glasses and bottles of liquor.

3. Decorate the tables with fresh flowers. Cut them from your own garden, or purchase them in bouquets you can distribute amongst several vases. Alternatively, large food cans or jars make inexpensive vases. Another option is to simply strew the flower petals around the tables. Add citronella candles for mood lighting, as well as for their insect repellent properties.

4. Purchase wire mesh colanders, and turn them over plates or bowls of food to keep debris and bugs from flying into them.

5. Provide your guests with a stack of blankets for setting up impromptu picnics on the lawn during the party. This saves on having to provide a chair for each guest. Children especially enjoy the novelty of eating on the lawn.