If you love the summer sun, the mid-year season means one thing — finding every excuse to soak up as much of it as possible. Although being the consummate summer party host »å´Ç±ð²õ²Ô’t mean breaking the bank. Instead, save on your summer party prep with our favorite spendthrift tricks.
Vintage Sheets & Linens Help You Decorate on a Dime
You might remember your grandmother sorting through her delicate, embroidered linens while on the hunt for a dish towel or two. Having an array of linens on hand may be a practice from the past worth reviving, if printed tablecloths and disposable napkins' high prices are anything to go off of.
Step up your summer party decorating game with genuine, hand-crafted linens. Your local thrift can be a decorative treasure trove, chock-full of cloth napkins, table runners, and everything in between. And unlike the plastic party store fare, these will last you year after year. Â
Secondhand Drink Pitchers Keep Everyone Cool on the Cheap
If you’re not afraid of going the extra sanitizing mile, then vintage tea and lemonade pitchers are showstopping drinkware options for your outdoor events. Planning ways to keep everyone cool at your summer party is a must, and thrifted pitchers are one low-cost way to add some pizazz to your drink station.
While a hot, soapy bath or dishwasher cycle can do the trick for most thrifted drinkware, dunking them in a mild bleach bath is one way to ensure they’re extra safe.
Secondhand Mason Jars Were Made for Serving Chilly Treats
All we crave in the summertime are cool drinks and desserts, and nothing is better at keeping your pre-made chilly treats frosty than secondhand mason jars. Whether you love parfaits, puddings, homemade ice cream, gelato, or shaved ice, mason jars are the greatest easy-to-thrift single-serving option.
Just plop your servings, secure your lid, leave in the fridge, and serve with spoons when the time comes!
Stoneware Bowls & Porcelain Platters Mean Skipping on Single-Use Plastic
Plastic cutlery and flimsy paper plates may have cornered the market on outdoor parties, but you don’t have to fall prey to their surprisingly pricey schemes. A little upfront investment in high-quality thrifted crockery is worth the years of use you’ll get out of it.
With decades of ever-changing popular patterns and styles, there’s no limit to the exciting pieces you can uncover and fall in love with.
Related: 12 Summer Themes for Parties That Celebrate Sunny Days
Thrifted Vases Make for Stunning Table Centerpieces
If your party is a little less backyard barbeque and a little more summer soiree, you’re probably more worried about the menu than you are about having enough paper towels on hand for the kids to wipe their sticky popsicle fingers on.
One way to cut costs when decorating your picture-perfect summer party is to scour the thrift shops and antique stores nearby for decorative vases. From transparent carnival and depression glass options to hand-painted milk glass ones, the variety is endless.
Cut flowers aren’t the only way to put the final touches on your centerpieces. Out-of-the-box materials like wheat stalks and peacock feathers can also make your thrifted vases stand out.
Thrifted T-Shirts Are Perfect for Tie-Dying
Tariff wars and cost-of-living increases have made even our most basic articles of clothing quite a high-cost investment. Thankfully, you can find a plethora of plain t-shirts at just about any thrift shop.
It’s easy to keep up the summer tie-dye fun for a fraction of the cost when you can hunt down secondhand shirts, scarves, sheets, and tank tops.
Tie-dye isn’t the only clothing craft perfect for a summer party! Sun-bleaching, spray painting, and finger painting are equally fun options.
Galvanized Buckets & Terra Cotta Pots Do Double Duty
What do galvanized buckets and terra cotta pots have in common? They make just as good decorations as they do seed starter kits. With summer planting in full force, you may want to give your guests something memorable to take home with them, and a starter seed kit is a unique party favor they won’t forget.
Your guests might also enjoy decorating their seed starter pots or buckets, turning your party favor into a treasured time-eating activity!
Recycled Wood Pallets Make Perfect Picnic Trays
Wood pallets aren’t hard to come by, and you can easily convert them into a cheap picnic tray with a sheet or blanket thrown over top. Having enough seating is one of the pricier problems with planning a summer party, but wooden trays can transform any spot in your yard into a lounge-worthy picnic area.
Summer Party Planning Means Spending Less & Saving More
Everyone wants to go all out on their backyard barbeques and pool parties. But bringing the fun »å´Ç±ð²õ²Ô’t equal breaking the bank. Spend a little time hunting down these cheap treasures, and you can spend the summer season the right way — spending less and saving more.
