It’s time for outdoor parties. Summertime brings on the grill, the pool, and friends and family joining you in your backyard. Want to dress things up a bit while keeping costs down?

Here are 3 easy DIY summer crafts to brighten your outdoor party or gathering.

Pool Noodle Garland

For the barbeques and pool parties, this pool noodle garland adds color and décor without costing much or taking much time to make.

Items Needed:

• Different colored pool noodles
• String
• Exacto knife
• A cutting mat or something to cut on (definitely not your solid wood dining room table from DutchCrafters)

Instructions: With your exacto knife, cut the pool noodles into ½ inch slices. Cut enough noodle slices to fill the desired length of your garland. String the noodle slices on the string.

Tie a noodle slice at each end so the rest of the slices don’t accidentally slip off while you are hanging it.

Warning: It’s very hard not to play with the pool noodle slices.

This project was very easy to do. The only challenging thing was to slice evenly.

Terracotta Cloche

Here’s a great idea for keeping the flies away if you’d like to head outside with a small to medium snack platter. The terracotta cloche can cover your food neatly and in style. You can cover a larger plate with a bigger pot. Plus the terracotta helps keep whatever is underneath warm or cool.

What’s a cloche, you might ask? For those who garden, you might be familiar with a cloche. It’s a protective covering used for plants to shield them from cold temperatures. A cloche (French for bell) for tableware can be made of glass, marble or other materials and adds a lovely touch to decorate with.

Items Needed:

• 1 terracotta pot that’s washed out well
• Rope

Instructions: Simply make a handle by knotting the rope through the hole in your terracotta pot.

*Note: You can get even more creative by painting your pot or using colored rope.

Decorative Streamers

It’s easy to add color and pretty up your outside scene with decorative streamers. Select the colors that best match your décor and return to the days of making “paper snowflakes.” This project involves some folding and creative cutting.

Items Needed:

• Streamers in different colors
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Cut the streamers into smaller lengths/strips
• Fold them in half and continue this until you have a small section
• Cut a small rectangle out of each folded side and leave them attached at top
• Make fun patterns
• Hang them up to decorate

I used a hole punch to add some patterns. I found it easier to use a smaller pair of scissors for cutting since once the streamers are folded, they form a thick layer that’s harder to cut through.

I added the garland and streamers to the pergola outside the DutchCrafters store.

Here are some of our popular picks for outdoor areas. They easily host summertime get-togethers and gatherings all year long.

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