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Making your own garden party decorations: summer craft ideas

During the summer months lots of people enjoy celebrating special occasions outside such as birthday parties and wedding celebrations. Depending on the occasion, you will need different types of decorations for your garden party. In this article you will find some creative ideas, inspiration and step-by-step instructions for summer garden party decorations.

Contents:

Ideas and inspiration for garden party decorations

Party decorations aren’t just for special occasions, especially if you love decorating and being creative as you can make your own homemade party decorations for your garden party. We will show you different themes and styles that are guaranteed to give everyone that holiday feeling and create a summery atmosphere.

Rustic garden party decorations

If your garden already has a rustic style with decorations made out of wood or cast-iron plant stands then other homemade decorations with a rustic look will go particularly well with this. This style is great if you enjoy upcycling and are into shabby chic. Bouquets of wildflowers, small tin watering cans as flower vases, wicker baskets, linen tablecloths and soft seat cushions with a country check style pattern are perfect for this sort of style.

Boho style garden party decorations

A boho style is all about natural materials and decorations that have an effortless vintage feel, which will simply look fantastic outside. Boho garden party decorations are a great way to express your personal style, especially if you prefer more quirky styles.

A colourful mix of boho garden party decorations can be used in almost any garden. Use a mix of table runners made out of cotton gauze, velvet cushions, vintage vases, macramé coasters or some homemade lanterns to give your garden that boho look.

Exotic style garden party decorations

Exotic themed garden party decorations are just the thing if you would like to create a real summer holiday feeling at your garden party. Colourful bunting, exotic fruits and fresh flowers provide bright splashes of colour as summery colours such as lemon yellow or flamingo pink can create bright pops of colour. Tablecloths, cushions or napkins with palm trees or monstera leaf designs are perfect for giving your party that exotic feeling. It is a good idea to use white tableware so that your party decorations don’t appear too busy.

Nordic style garden party decorations

If you prefer a simpler style and you would like to make your garden party decorations without a lot of frills, then the Nordic minimalist style may just be the thing for you. Light or white wood is often used for this style and you should keep your garden party decorations simple and avoid using too many different colours. Navy blue and white, soft earth tones and natural materials such as wood and linen are perfect for this style. Bouquets of flowers or wreaths with fresh or dried wildflowers create a homely atmosphere.

Tip

On particularly hot days it is advisable to organise your garden party in the evening. If you are planning a party that will last well into the night, then it is a good idea to have some atmospheric lighting. Outdoor fairy lights, solar garden lamps and lanterns provide soft lighting and a particularly cosy atmosphere.

Garden party decoration idea 1: how to make a homemade lantern

A gently flickering lantern is perfect for warm summer evenings in the garden and can easily be made by upcycling a few simple materials. If you are thinking about having a boho style garden party, then homemade lanterns with a charming macramé design are a great choice. We have put some step-by-step instructions together on how to make a macramé lantern that is easy to make, even for beginners.

What you'll need to make a DIY lantern:

  • Clean preserving jars

  • Macramé yarn

  • Glue gun

  • Comb

Before starting, make sure to cut the macramé yarn into strings of approximately the same length. One piece of string needs to be about three times as long as the jar.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a homemade Macramé lantern: macramé yarn has been plaited and then glued on.

Step-by-step instructions: how to make a lantern

  1. Turn the jar upside down. Alternate between taking two pieces of string and then attach it to the bottom of the jar with a glue gun.

  2. You can start to plait your pieces of string once you have attached them all. Take three pieces of string and plait them so that you can attach them to the top of the jar with a glue gun.

  3. Continue alternating between three plaited and three loose strings. Don’t plait each string until the end, but make sure to glue the ends.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a homemade macramé lantern: brushing down the top ends on the pieces of macramé yarn.

4. Once all the pieces of string have been attached, you can turn the jar around again. Wrap a piece of string or some leftover macramé yarn around the rim of the jar to secure your artwork.

5. Lay the overhanging strings over the edge, trim them a little and fray them with a small comb so that they fall loosely. Voilà your homemade lantern is now finished!

Making a homemade lantern: a finished homemade lantern.
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Garden party decoration idea 2: how to make a homemade bunting

A bunting is easy to make and a great decoration idea for any type of garden party. We will show you how to make a homemade bunting out of spare pieces of fabric and this can be completed without a sewing machine.

Fabric bunting: here’s what you'll need:

  • Spare pieces of fabric or old T-shirts, shirts or dresses

  • A pair of fabric scissors

  • String

  • Fabric glue

  • A pencil and a piece of cardboard for a template

Tip: If you would like to make a weatherproof bunting for outside, you can waterproof your spare pieces of fabric with candle wax or beeswax.

How to make a homemade bunting out of fabric

If you have lots of colourful spare pieces of fabric with floral or paisley patterns you can use them to make a quirky bunting that goes well with your other boho style garden party decorations. Plain pieces of fabric in muted colours on the other hand are suitable for making a homemade bunting that goes well with Nordic style decorations.

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Start off by making a template out of cardboard. This will give you evenly shaped triangles for your bunting.

  2. Use the template and a pair of fabric scissors to cut the different pieces of fabric. The fabric will usually fray less with pinking shears.

  3. Lay the string over your cut out triangles, fold the top edge of the fabric slightly and then glue it with some fabric glue. You can also staple sturdier materials (e.g. old denim).

  4. Voilà your homemade bunting is now finished and ready to be hung up!

Tip: If your piece of fabric only has one side that is in good condition then fold it over so that side which is in better condition is visible on both sides. Use the shorter side of the triangle to create a diamond shape. After cutting it out you can put the triangles on top of each other so that the printed fabric is visible on both outer sides.

Ideas for garden party decorations: quick DIY covers for drinking glasses

During the summer sugary drinks can quickly attract wasps. When it comes to glasses, bottles or cans it is advisable to make sure that no insects have fallen into your drink.

Thin, reusable straws can help as a safety measure. Thick straws (such as those used for bubble tea) could pose a risk of sucking up an insect by accident whilst drinking.

Out of just a few things you can make your own insect screen to help keep your drinks insect-free this summer. Here is what you will need:

  • Paper cupcake cases

  • Hole puncher or punch pliers

  • Reusable straws

Get the right sized cupcake cases so that they will fit around the rim of your glasses. Next punch a hole in the middle of the cupcake case and then insert the straw through it. Voilà your homemade drink covers are now finished and you can enjoy your drink outside without having to worry about any insects!

Tip

Many essential oils are considered an environmentally friendly and pet-friendly way to repel insects, as lots of insects do not like the smell of them. Fragrant herbs and medicinal plants such as basil, mint, sage, lavender or lemon verbena are some of the plants often recommended to help keep mosquitoes, moths and wasps away. Sliced lemons with cloves is a great alternative, which at the same time will smell fantastically citrusy.

Conclusion: making homemade garden party decorations

Our simple craft ideas will help you to make some wonderful homemade garden party decorations. For important occasions such as weddings or anniversaries you can also consider a more elaborate theme. When organising your garden party you will need to think about the party food and the ideal garden party outfit. It is a good idea to send your party invitations in advance especially if you are considering having a dress code or a particular party theme.

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Image sources in order of appearance

Cover photo: C&A 
1st & 2nd image: iStock.com/AleksandarNakic 
All other images in the text: C&A