Summer parties are the best kind of party. The weather is warm, the sun is shining, and if there’s rain, well it won’t last too long. Now is the perfect time to invite your friends over for an outside bash or cookout. The venue is right at your fingertips. With the right decorations, your backyard can turn into the classiest soiree or just an easy and fun afternoon. Here are 20 suggestions for summer party decorations to try out at your next outdoor summer party. Honestly, I want to have one for the decorations alone, and obviously the pictures.
Streamers and lights are just classic party style, and they’re so easy to do. You can buy a ton of streamers at a place like Michael’s or even a dollar store for barely any money, and typically one pack produces a ton decorations. Lights are only worth doing if you see your party going late into the night, as they can be more expensive. But the cuteness factor is totally worth the expense, especially because they can be used again and again.
Balloons are another classic decoration, but it can be hard to know what to do with them. This idea is a great simple hack for covering your party with balloons. You’ll have to buy balloons filled with helium, but once you’ve done that the rest is easy. Just buy some string and some golf tees and hold the balloons down by driving the tees into the ground.
All good parties need a photo area. Photo walls can be hard when you’re outside, but this hanging from totally does the trick instead. All you need is a pretty frame, some tough string, and a well-placed tree for your friends to leave with the cutest photos. This is one of the unique summer party decorations to take pictures behind.
This is one of my favorite outside decorations because it takes virtually no work and very little money. All you need to do is start saving your empty beer or wine bottles a little in advance, and maybe buy flowers. Wild flowers are always growing nearby and they can look great in arrangements. If you want something fancier, splurge on real flowers, or fake ones that look great, but won’t die and can be used again. Bottles can be used for holding candles too.
If you’re having a party with a close group of friends who gets together often or your family, a picture tree is a great piece of nostalgia to use as decoration. Everyone will want to gather round to find themselves and relive the memories. You can even have guests send in photos in advance so you’re getting moments from everyone’s experiences. If your party is gonna go into the night, throw a string of fairy lights around the tree as well to make the pictures look extra romantic.
Another great option for a picture area is a banner. They can be easily hung between two trees like this one or against a wall of your house or shed–whatever’s available. They can also be decorated however you want. Paint letters straight onto the material or write on paper triangles like this one. Buy a regular sheet or a burlap sheet. Either choice is fairly inexpensive, and whatever route you choose to go down the end result will be super cute.
If you want your friends to be able to sit and lounge, create this bohemian style set up from nice blankets and pillows you have on hand–and don’t mind getting a little dirty outside. Nearly everything can be thrown in the wash, right? This way your backyard party becomes like an upscale picnic. This is one of the trendiest summer party decorations to create a Bohemian oasis with string lights.
This decoration is an easy DIY that also functions as a fun backyard game. It’s perfect for an afternoon party where people want to play games while they socialize. All it takes is four colors of spray paint and a circle stencil! And hunting down the spinner from your old game of Twister. It’s a great ice breaker too. People definitely get to know each other playing this game.
Need an easy place for people to grab drinks from when they’re hanging out outside? Turn that into a decoration too. This rustic wheelbarrow is easily filled with ice to serve as the perfect cooler without cramping your style.
This is a super simple and cute DIY to class up any party. Using a hula hoop as the base, all you need is a few simple pieces to complete this party decoration puzzle. I love things that look super fancy but don’t take a lot of work. And if you’re worried about not having outlets easily available to plug to the lights into, tons of string lights come with battery packs these days instead.
Here’s another great decoration for if your party will mostly be happening at night: glowing ice! Pick a large clear bowl to store all your beverages in. Then plant glow sticks of your favorite amongst the ice the drinks are sitting in to make it all glow a super fun color that says paaaaarty.
Here’s another great way to store candles alongside any walkway or as a part of any centerpiece. For this decoration, large, clear mason jars were purchased and filled with epsom salt in this case, but any base of your choice can be used, like rocks or sand. Then small candles were easily placed inside to provide simple and romantic lighting. This is one of the summer party decorations that’s still going strong.
If your not a huge paper streamer person, you can use flowers for a more natural and ethereal vibe. These flowers have been attached to nearly clear fishing line in order to create a wall or curtain that’s majestic AF. The process of attaching will be a little tedious, but in my opinion well worth the work.
If you like the idea of your guests relaxing on rugs, pillows and blankets outside, but don’t want them to have to set their food and drinks on the ground, this DIY is perfect. All it takes is wood pallets stacked on top of one another, which are readily available in most towns and serve as perfect low-set tables. This is by far one of our favorite summer party decorations.
These tin cans are another easy decoration that can also function as a cute light source. Just save the tin cans you would usually throw out or buy some for cheap at a local craft store. After that all you need is some kind of light source in the middle like a tea light and lots of holes easily poked in the can’s thin material. Simple.
This decoration is perfect for a fancy day-time affair. By putting bubble wrap at the base of the blossoms, you enable the flowers to float on the surface of the water throughout your party hours. From there you can place them in any clear contains for a great display or centerpiece.
If you love the glamour of string lights, but struggle to find places to hang them, these DIY light poles are for you. They require more work than most of these decorations, but can be made without too much expense or effort, and can be used continuously once first set up. They’re a great investment for many outdoor parties to come. Find out how to make them here.
Another great option for your photo or even stage area is to make a wall of streamers. Thankfully streamers are cheap because when it comes to decorating with them, it really is the more the merrier. A thick backdrop of color-themed streamers hanging down from a frame, a tree, or a wall adds a fun main area for your backyard party.
Probably if you’re having an outdoor party, you’re going to have tables and those tables are going to duh need centerpieces.These spray painted cans are a great option, especially if you want an easy, but still glamorous option. You can gather or buy any cans of your choosing, preferably of various sizes, and spray paint them in a set of coordinating colors. After that, you just fill them with whatever flowers or plants you love. This is one of the summer party decorations that adds metallics without breaking the bank.
If you have lots of trees to utilize for your decorating, hanging bottles from the branches with string is another super cute option for your outside party. Pick whatever bottles you like–ones around the house or specific ones you buy from the store. You can fill them with flowers for an extra level of style, but the bottles can look festive standing alone, as well. However you want to style your outdoor party this summer, there are tons of options. Go with the easy decorations or try something new for a challenge. No matter what, you’re sure to get great results. All of your friends will be posting to their Instagrams and calling it the best summer party decorations of the season.
*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
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