Outdoor BBQ party - Decorate To Celebrate Design Team Challenge

MY STORY
     I love everything about summer...especially after a particularly gross Northeast winter, I love nothing more than sitting out in my backyard with friends and family and enjoying foods that only seem to taste good between June and September!

     For this outdoor BBQ party design team challenge for Decorate To Celebrate, I used my go-to washi tape supply.  Armed with some basic items from the party store and my stash, I think this is a fun and easy way to spice up your plain BBQ place settings.

     And washi tape is so amazing to use.  Very affordable and those rolls go a LONG WAY.  It is reposition able, but once you are set, it has great adhesion to almost any surface.

     Gotta go....time to put another shrimp on the barbie.....Happy Summer!

YOUR TURN

     I picked up some basic white plates, utensils, cups from my local party store.  I liked that the lip of the plates made for easy placement for the tape.  And sometimes you can get a deal on plain white.  While everyone else is buying themed paper goods, you can create your own.

    The plates:  My whole color scheme of greens and blues started with napkins I had purchased last year.  I loved them and knew I would put them to good use someday.  There really is nothing to applying the washi tape.  Just place, cut and you are good to go.  Experiment with different colors, widths, and designs to make them interesting.  No rules, whatever you feel like.  NOTE:  I would not use these plates for your big helping of BBQ ribs, but they are best for things like appetizers, fruit salads.

   The cups and utensils:  again the same principle. Just cut and place.  Really so easy, I kind of feel dumb even to try to explain it.  Trust me, anyone can do this.

   Napkin rings:  OK, so I save toilet roll holders.  I'm definitely not the most "green" person around, probably cheap is more like it.  I LOVE to re-purpose.  Just apply the washi tape as desired on the roll.  As you can see, you get slightly different looks if you place the tape longways or around.  No rules....have fun it's summer.

     To jazz them up a little bit I added some burlap scraps I had along with new stickers I just picked up at The Paper Source -- one of my most favorite retail haunts!

 
     Place cards:  Here are two quick and easy ideas for place card holders.  One is a mini frame (my fav clearance bin @ Michael's again).  Cover the cardboard template with tape and create the name on your computer, glue and done!  I also had place card holders left from a baby shower I had designed so just covered up the baby bits with tape,  Voila!

  I found two small milk bottles at Michael's, so thought they would be cute for little flower settings at each place.  Also, how much fun would it be to have a whole bunch of them centered on the table?  Totally reusable and all these ideas can be changed for any holiday or celebration just by changing out the colors.

Love these metallic placements from Party City!

     Enjoy all the beauty that summer brings!