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Summer party season is upon us, which means lots of entertaining! I popped on over to the TODAY Show this morning to show that you don’t have to spend hours upon hours in order to wow guests with your amazing hostess skills. All of the projects shown in today’s segment are super easy to create, and were all inspired by Pinterest. That’s right – I used Pinterest to plan and create this entire party scene!
Before I settled on a design theme, I hit up Pinterest to start pinning all my favorite ideas for summer parties – my Pinspiration, if you will ;)
Summer Hostess board
Citrus Summer. Here are 12 DIY ideas for creating your own citrus summer soiree.
Popsicle Invitations
Yes, you can send digital invites, but paper invites will ALWAYS score you more points. To stay on theme, we used fruit popsicle invites that were simply printed and cut into a popsicle shape. Then we glued popsicle sticks on the back to make them look real. (via Design*Sponge)
Paper Fan Garland
Remember making accordion paper fans back in the day? Turns out a whole bunch of them in lots of different colors actually make a pretty stylin’ garland. (via Oh Happy Day)
Chalkboard Table Runner
Chalkboard paint is a HUGE trend on Pinterest, so of course we had to incorporate it in our party. We simply painted it onto oil cloth, then chalked on some cute phrases and labels all around the table. (via Hey Look)
Lemon Pitcher Centerpiece
Now you need a centerpiece. For this one, all you need is a pitcher, vase, flowers, and lemons. Start with a smaller vase inside your pitcher, then just add sliced lemons all the way around to give it a citrus summer appeal. Add your flowers once you’re done. (via B-Movie Star)
Wine Glass Votives
For a bit of soft light around your table, try grabbing a few candles and sticking them on top of upside-down wine glasses. You can even add a pretty flower or succulent inside to make it look even sweeter. (via The Little Round Table)
Citrus Placecards
When it comes to place settings, you don’t have to get too fancy, but it is nice to have so that every person knows where to sit. If you have some extra citrus, grab a toothpick or a leaf and label their names right on the fruit. (via Color Sizzle)
Watermelon Punch
Now I don’t care what you say, there is NO better summer fruit than watermelon. Turns out, watermelons actually make great punch bowls as well. So you can use it as watermelon juice and as a serving dish. (See also: How to Turn a Watermelon into a Punch Dispenser) (via Martha Stewart)
Veggies and Dip
For your apps, stick to foods that are simple and portable. Pinner My Baking Addiction came up with a great idea of serving up veggies and dip in individual shot glasses for visual interest as well as grab-and-go portability. (via My Baking Addiction)
Watermelon Feta Skewers
If you have extra watermelon from your juice, you can couple it with blocks of feta cheese for a delicious crisp app on a stick. Finish it off with a quick drizzle of balsamic for another great snack for your mingling guests. (via Drizzle and Dip)
Salmon in a Bag
This “salmon in a bag” is a signature Pinterest recipe. By blogger The Devil’s Punchbowl, all you have to do is wrap up a piece of salmon with lemon and butter, bake for 25 minutes, and you’ve got yourself a tasty main course! Citrus green beans make for an excellent veggie pairing. (via The Devil’s Punchbowl)
No-Bake Fondue Station
No dinner party would be complete without some dessert — but you don’t need to spend hours baking it. Instead, create a no-bake fondue station where your guests can help themselves. This idea for the topping station was created by pinner Bakers Royale — just grab some kraft paper and start labeling your toppings so that guests know where to dip their chocolatey fruit. (via Baker’s Royale)
Cherry Favors
Finally, every great hostess sends her guests home with a party favor. So in the spirit of easy DIYs and citrus summer, we used brown lunch bags to create mini bags of cherries that guests can take home to enjoy. If you have any spare time, you can even use your home printer to print a cute phrase on them like “Cheers!” (via Martha Stewart)
