Outdoor Entertaining: Get Your Yard Ready

Getting your outdoor space ready for entertaining, far from being a chore, can actually be really fun. With outdoor spaces and creativity, the sky is literally the limit! Some essentials for decorating your backyard or patio, you will need to assess whether your deck needs some upgrades

Let’s go over some outdoor entertaining essentials like how to decorate your deck, spruce up your fence, and how to use artificial grass and fire pits. Once you have those covered, you will be ready for your next outdoor party!

Decks

Step one to outdoor entertaining is figuring out where you will all sit together outside and then decorating it! If you are planning a soiree on your outdoor patio - a little outdoor dining al fresco - then you need to make sure your deck is in top shape. First, assess whether your deck needs any sanding, repairs, or staining before you add in the patio furniture.

Don’t have a deck? Look into different options like wood or composite decking materials for your new deck! Decks come in all shapes and sizes, so don’t count yourself out if you don’t have a large yard. Even a small side yard patio can be big enough to host a party!

Next, the dining area. You cannot have a dinner party without one!

Setting up the dining table is actually really fun - at least, I think it is. I used to decorate my parents’ fancy dining room table with the placemats and table settings they only used on fancy occasions and thought that was the best time!

There are the linens or tablecloths to set down first on the tabletop, then the placemats, napkins, and table settings. You have the flatware like dinner plates and dinnerware. Next the communal aspects like the pitchers, bar carts, and serving bowls. For cutlery, you can choose disposable or reusable stainless steel.

Be sure to add in a patio umbrella or two if you are in an especially warm or sunny place! And ensure accessibility to your deck for all of your guests, including those who may not be able to climb stairs if that is the case.

Fence

If you are doing enough outdoor entertaining to warrant this, you may also want to spruce up your fence! You may be able to use the same tools and stain or paint as you used on your deck as well, so it could be extra convenient to do now. Re-stain or paint your fence to match your nice, new deck or choose a color to contrast or complement the other color.

Don’t have a fence? Having a fence is essential to outdoor entertaining if you have neighbors close by. It is never fun to have onlookers as you are trying to have a nice dinner party and relax in your own backyard. For full privacy, go for the privacy fence! Popular materials for this type of fence are PVC, or vinyl, aluminum sheets, or wood. For privacy with a little bit of a view, choose a fence like a wooden shadowbox fence style, or a metal fence with a geometric pattern cut out of it.

Once you have your fence taken care of, and a nice private outdoor space to entertain in, it is time to hand up the string lights! String lights are so versatile and come in a wide variety of shapes, styles, and colors. Try a style like Edison lights to really add a retro chic look to your backyard.

You can also highlight your landscaping by integrating some lights into the trees or bushes in your backyard. Lights in trees and in between the leaves and flowers are always so beautiful!

Artificial grass

Another way to brighten up your outdoor space is to install some artificial grass - especially if you live in an area with water shortages. In areas prone to drought, trying to keep a yard green is a losing battle and many homeowners end up with brownish yards before they know it, despite their best efforts!

Artificial grass is a no-brainer for those who want bright green grass year round, without all the hassle and maintenance required of natural grass. Hate mowing, edging, fertilizing, watering your grass all the time? Then look into artificial grass. There is so much variety within artificial grass these days you can choose how dense the grass is, what material the blades are made from, how bouncy the padding underneath the grass, color and much more!

Now that your yard is green and ready, the easiest and best way to set up a gathering area is to install a fire pit. It is one of the most popular outdoor entertaining ideas for a reason. You can surround the fire pit with comfy outdoor furniture and citronella candles - if you live in a mosquito heavy area!

For outdoor entertaining, how about some s’mores? You can bring out all of the condiments on serving trays - the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. Add some mugs of hot cocoa in some new glassware and you have a cozy evening ahead of you!

Prefer a more adult beverage? Fill up those serving trays with ice buckets full of wine and wine glasses.

Outdoor entertaining

Whether you are serving appetizers on your new deck, or roasting marshmallows around the fire pit, you will never have a problem finding guests who want to hang out in your newly upgraded outdoor space!