With Easter and the Kentucky Derby behind us, we’re already in the thick of spring event season. And because this is a marathon, not a sprint, we’re always on the lookout for inspiration. Check out these creative ways to elevate your spring and summer party lineup!
Citronella Jars
To repel insects and make your entertaining spaces beautiful, try this citronella jar hack from @sugarandcharm. Simply fill your favorite glass jars with water, fresh greenery, and citrus, and add a few drops of strong citronella oil. The final touch is to drop in a floating tea candle and light the wick!
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Crudité Upgrade
Give your fresh veggie tray a fun upgrade (and cut back on dirty dishes) by using hollowed-out bell peppers to serve your dips and dressings. Here, @linda.explore fills a set of tri-color peppers with three different dips, but this hack is wildly customizable. And yes, the host gets the honor of munching on those peppers at the end of the night.
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Bottled Cocktails
This is an ultra-charming way to serve cocktails — and an easy way to make a few at a time. This strawberry margarita recipe from @join_jules is fun for spring and summer, but the sky is the limit on all the beverages you can make using this method. (Bonus points: If you can’t recycle glass in your area, save your bottles to use as centerpieces for your next casual outdoor occasion. They look adorable with a couple of fresh flowers tucked inside.)
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Charcuter-TEAcups
Yes, you can serve charcuterie fixings up in just about any vessel that suits your occasion, but there’s something especially sweet about mismatched teacups for springy occasions like Mother’s Day and grad brunches. We love the sweet-and-savory combo used here by @thevettelfarm.
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Elevate Your Arrangements!
Instagram creator @anique_styles demonstrates a clever technique for arranging floral centerpieces. Create layers by placing stemmed glassware facedown in a vessel of water, build your floral arrangement around it, and set a candle on the flat top. This hack obviously isn’t recommended for raucous family barbecues, but to be extra safe for any occasion, you can use a bit of museum putty to help secure the candle, just in case.
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How to (Actually) Chill Wine in a Hurry
We’ve all heard half a dozen hacks for quickly chilling bottles of wine, but here, Bronson Arcuri from NPR tests two methods — and finds one that works really well. Watch and learn!
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Pamper Your Peonies
Don’t be dismayed by those seemingly picked-over Trader Joe’s bouquets! You can make the most of peony season with this simple method from @bloomandplume, whose Instagram feed is FULL of fantastic floral arranging tips and tricks. This is especially helpful when you’re creating party arrangements and you need your blooms to show off in a HURRY.
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Sweet Tea, Sweetie
Fruit tea devotees will LOVE this one! A few months ago, @thekitchn shared this “jammy fruit tea” method that transforms your plain pitcher of tea in seconds. Play around with your favorite flavors to create your ultimate recipe to serve at parties, or consider setting out a few jams so guests can have fun trying them themselves.
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Say Cheese
The “cheese cake” isn’t a new concept, but it’s worth resurfacing at every opportunity because it’s SO easy to customize for any season or occasion. The berries-and-honey combo shown here by @evite is great for spring and summer, but you can mix and match cheeses and toppings to your heart’s content. (Ask the cheesemonger at your local market for pairing suggestions, too!)
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Edible Flowers
Edible flowers are easily accessible this time of year at high-end grocery stores and farmers’ markets, and they make beautiful additions to cakes, cocktails, and even soft cheeses — à la @lex_nicoleta. Here, she uses edible flowers from Whole Foods to turn a log of goat cheese into a work of art. (If you have a hard time finding fresh food-grade flowers in your area, dried blends can be easily found online.)
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More Edible Flowers (Sort of.)
Who knew dehydrated pineapple slices make the prettiest garnish?! In this post, @mycupof_char teases how to do it. I reached out for the full recipe, and here’s the scoop:
- Preheat oven to 255°F.
- Cut the ends off your pineapple, and peel.
- Use a melon baller to remove the “eyes” – the uneven edges help to create the dainty petal effect.
- Slice the pineapple very thin, pat the slices to dry, and place them onto a baking sheet.
- Bake 30 minutes, turn slices over, and bake 30 more minutes, or until completely dried.
- Place pineapple slices into muffin tins wells and allow them to cool. This creates the flower shape we’re after!
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Happy hosting!
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