Easy Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining

Happy Monday friends!

…and welcome to the first day of the 2017 Fall Blog Hop~celebrating all things autumn!

I’m so thrilled to join 17 other completely talented and inspirational bloggers to bring you a week long celebration of one of my favorite seasons!  You can kick off the Hop beginning with my friend Deanna from Mirabelle Creations!  She is our host and organizational genius behind the festivities…so make sure to check her out and start all the fall fun from the beginning!  And if you’re popping over here from Giggle Hearts…I’m sure you loved her inspiring & creative Halloween crafts you can do with your kids!  If you missed it check it out here…and make sure to grab your free printable!

I’m so happy you’re here on the first day of the hop…let me share with you some easy ideas for outdoor entertaining to celebrate the new season!

an outdoor celebration to welcome fall!

outdoor entertaining is one of my favorite things!  we’ve been blessed with a wonderful summer and early fall so i’ve been spending an abundance of time with family and friends on our patio!  i don’t mind hunkering down for the winter, but in my neck of the woods we’re indoors for several months in a row so i try not to miss a moment of soaking up the great outdoors when i can!  entertaining outside can be a fun and simple thing to do…disposable products and serve-yourself snacks make it a breeze!

i love these galvanized tins with a chalkboard stripe!  they’re really planters but add a bit of parchment paper down inside and they become easy & unique vessels for munchies!

the fact that they have a plastic liner inside makes them perfect for icy beverages too!

easy food label

i purchased these containers at a garden center…but you could try make your own by painting a stripe around any bucket or tin with chalk paint!

or use a chalkboard decal like this one from Wallies!  what i love about the decal is that they’re easily removable so you can stick ’em on anything and label away…

inexpensive snacks in fun containers can make a treat table look grand for very little green!

set the outdoor table…

when i serve dinner on the patio i also love to keep the cleanup as effortless as possible!  my go-to? paper products all the way!  there’s so many cute paper plates, napkins and utensils out there that’s you can set up a pretty table in a snap…and no dishes piled up in the sink for later!

i loved the pretty colors and pattern of these gorgeous plates that i found at JoAnn stores!  if i have a coupon or see pretty paper products on sale i will often pick them up and store in my pantry for just this kind of impromptu entertaining!

some wood utensils get a fun, fall touch by tying on a paper leaf tag that actually looks like tin!  so cute and they tie in with all the galvanized goodies on the snack table!

paper cups and straws make the beverage containers disposable too!

centerpiece made easy…

for a centerpiece i just filled a tray with some pretty fall items from around my house…

this wood-shaving pumpkin looks pretty perched up on an urn…an easy trick for making a simple item look grand!

and salt & pepper shakers i found years ago at a flea market just happened to match my plates!  when you remember to “shop your house” i know you’ll be amazed what you probably already own that will fit your celebration!  a few silk leaves scattered around is an easy detail to give this pretty platter a fall feel!

a really simple trick to jazzing up any table is with a tissue tassel garland!  this inexpensive one from Target is strung underneath the little side table to add some fall color to the patio…and make it look like a celebration!

and the final treat of the evening…a platter of hoot-owl cookies…to go with the theme!  pop back later this week to get this fun recipe and tutorial on how to make this sweet cookie that’s been a family favorite for years!

i love to make ordinary situations feel festive whenever i can!  whether it’s entertaining with friends or just enjoying family moments…it CAN be easy with simple supplies on hand!  so i hope you found some inspiration for your outdoor celebrations…big OR small!

enjoy the gorgeous colors of fall…

with an outdoor celebration!

please join my friend Natalie from Fern & Maple tomorrow morning as she kicks off the second day of the Fall Blog Hop with a Neighborhood Beer Tasting Party!  make sure you check in tomorrow to see her fun ideas for how to set up a tasting table, favor inspiration and much more!

Happy Hopping!

you can find some products seen in this blog at…

Target:  tissue tassel garland

JoAnn:  paper plates, napkins, wood-shaving pumpkins

Wallies:  chalk labels

Michaels:  leaf tags

Walmart: drink dispenser

Home Goods: wood utensils

Five Below:  fabric banner