We've been planning on having people over this summer to enjoy the complex's pool, eat some food, hang out, maybe play the wii and just enjoy summer time. We haven't actually made it happen yet. Something about creating complicated plans for some kind of themed party or needing the house to be clean or something. So we're scaling back and went through the archives to figure out some simple decorating ideas we could put together quickly:
1. Grab some plants from the balcony, dust them off and voila! a centerpiece!
2. Make a garland that you can reuse for different parties. It's a little more trouble but totally convenient once you have it in your decorating arsenal.
3. Add a Tablecloth! Don't spend any time fussing, just dump whatever is on the table in a corner or a closet and throw a graphic tablecloth on top. It will add a focal point and something fun to your space.
4. Round up the jars and make a centerpiece on the table or add it to a (secure) ledge around the deck or garden to create ambiance. Plus if everything is lit by candles, you won't need to spend much time cleaning.
5. Mix and match some vessels under the kitchen sink and whatever you can find outside the apartment to create a simple little arrangement that isn't fussy or time consuming.
6. Big bunch of flowers. Right now Trader Joe's has sunflowers on sale for about $3.50 a bunch which means you can get three of 'em and make a nice big happy bouquet.
7. Buy a garland, it's easier than making one and you can reuse it over and over. It adds some zest and fun to a space without taking much time. We also love (love!) crepe paper and though it's a little time consuming, we love any excuse to add some. Plus we normally let it hang out for days afterwards!
Also don't forget that a clean house is always welcoming:
How To Fake A Clean House
Clean House For a Party
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
I had such big plans at the beginning of the summer... now I have to throw together something quick or I won't have had a party all summer! I am going to have a hamburger/veggie burger cook out but eat inside cuz it is way too hot here in Texas. Now, I have to find a cute table cloth and flowers and I am all set.
view royaltygirl's profile
RG,
some guests might like it if you offer cream cheese on yr veggie burgers (i'm looking forward to trying this, i was eating out recently and a tableful of young women ordered these, each had a slab of cream cheese on top of the veggie patty; it looked good, seemed less like rabbit food and somehow sounds better on it than other cheeses).
view orangered's profile
i went to goodwill & got a bunch of used (used!) candles for 50 cents and 89 cents, all in blues and redbrowns--lucky find! i also got a 50 cent silverplated tray to put them on. i disinfected the plate with clorox wipes & left the patina. if there's one thing i hate it's perfection. we're outside, we can't be all...pretty, for crying out loud! even if the colors didn't go together, the end result is the same: friendly faces bathed in candlelight, smiling and full after some awesome grilled turkey burgers. "used goodwill candles?!!" well, i'm not paying retail for something that's gonna get rained on/destroyed by kids because i forgot to bring them in. summer = fuss-free! :)
view xoxotoe's profile
love the jars
view MODERnestS's profile